Hello, welcome to my art journal. Many of my waking hours are spent in my full-time job. So the things I share here are carved out of the time I find between work, family, home life and meeting up with friends.
I have had a long creative career including: a short time as an animator (back when computers were very slow and video was still produced on video tape – digital filmmaking was in its infancy), then much longer as a website designer, accessibility consultant, digital project manager and content management and migration specialist.
Here I share the:
- books I am reading, read or dip into from time to time
- galleries and exhibitions I have visited, online or in person
- artists I admire and follow
- curators and collectors I have noticed
- materials I am playing with
- colours that fascinate me
- lessons I have learned about making art
- work I am doing
- projects I am working on or completed
- anything else related to art I am curious about.
100 Scottish Seascape Postcards Blue Books Charcoal Colours Landscapes Portraits Seascapes Sketches Still life Updates Watercolours
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Day 22 of 100 Scottish Seascape Postcards
Painted in Cerulean Blue, Gambodge Hue and Alizarin Crimson.
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Day 19 of 100 Scottish Seascape Postcards
Painted in Indigo, Ultramarine Blue and Cerulean Blue Hue.
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Watercolour portrait painting grisaille in Winsor Blue
This week I added a Winsor Blue to my watercolour palette. This particular blue was mentioned in a list of colours in a book on watercolour painting techniques that I will share with you another time.
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Short break from my art journal
It is early May and the sunshine has returned to Edinburgh, Scotland. The pull of the almost-blank canvas of my garden has got my attention for now. This has meant that my art materials are looking a little neglected. But I’m sure that won’t last long! Thanks for your patience.
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Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon
One of my favourite, easy to digest books on creativity is Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon.
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More depth of colour added to a Scottish seascape watercolour painting study
As I gradually learn more about watercolours and watercolour techniques, I am starting to add more layers of colour and create more depth of colour in my watercolour paintings.
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Scottish seascape watercolour painting study
I started another study of the same Scottish seascape in watercolours. This time, I have used Ultramarine Blue to outline the key shapes of the landscape.
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Charcoal sketchbook study of a Scottish seascape
I felt drawn to making another charcoal drawing after I wrote about my previous charcoal seascape study. This one is in my sketchbook.
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Charcoal seascape study on canvas board
When I drew this charcoal seascape study on a small canvas board a few months ago, I did it to find out how it feels to draw on canvas and if I could use an alternative to pastel and charcoal fixative.
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The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
This beautifully written and designed book is by Rick Rubin. I have only read a few pages so far, but have listened to the complete audio book version, narrated by Rubin. Twice so far!
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Scottish seascape painting work in progress with Indanthrene Blue and Yellow Ochre
I have started with the deep mixes of acrylic paint colours, Yellow Ochre and Indanthrene Blue, for shadows and darker areas of this Scottish seascape painting on a yellow ochre background.
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Sketchbook watercolour still life painting
When I visited a local coffee shop with my daughter, she challenged us to paint still lifes of a drink. We had our sketchbooks, watercolours and water brushes packed. I painted a simple study of a milkshake with watercolours.
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Scottish seascape study with marker pens
This study of a Scottish seascape has been drawn using marker pens. I like to draw and paint with different mediums to feel the same view in another way.
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Limited palette Scottish seascape watercolour painting study
I enjoy playing with different limited palettes to paint the same Scottish seascape. This seascape is a view from St Abbs towards Horsecastle Bay. This time, I painted a small study using a limited watercolour palette.
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Limited colour palette with Indanthrene Blue, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Yellow and Titanium White
After I accidentally chose a different blue to paint outlines for a Scottish seascape, I had some fun choosing some other colours for the rest of the painting.
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Indanthrene Blue outlines for a Scottish seascape
On this occasion, I accidentally selected the wrong blue from my paint drawer. It is easy to make this mistake when you have a good selection of blue paint tubes arranged in no particular order. Unfortunately, I did not notice my mistake until I had squeezed a small amount into my palette.
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Limited palette studies of a Scottish seascape and a French landscape
Using the same limited palette and mother colour method for a Scottish Summer seascape and a French Winter landscape.
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Study of a Cézanne landscape using a limited colour palette
This uncomplicated study of a Cézanne landscape has helped me see how I can create a landscape using both a limited colour palette and the mother colour method for mixing colours.
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Two sketches to test the limited colour palette
I have created two sketches to produce a simple exercise to test the limited colour palette. One is a sketch of a Paul Cézanne landscape painting. The other sketch is my composition of a Scottish seascape.
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Limited colour palette with Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna, Ultramarine Blue and Titanium White
Back in 2020, when I was in the midst of creating 100 Portraits of Ava by Karen project in 100 days, one of the most helpful constraints I used to make quick creative decisions was working with a limited colour palette.
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We Need Your Art by Amie McNee
I spotted the book We Need Your Art by Amie McNee one evening, during its launch week. I walked into the art section room at Toppings & Company Booksellers in Edinburgh. There stood up in the middle of the table facing me, was Amie’s call to action, “Stop F*cking Around and Make Something”.
