THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES – MIXED MEDIA

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I’m still attending the life sessions with 25 minute poses and trying to refine my process to achieve something that I am happy with in the allotted time. These ink and washes are ok mainly because they are in my A3 sketch book and are a more manageable in the timeline.

The charcoal sketches are a bit more challenging being on an A2 pad, but I’m making more progress with the charcoal, refining my process to get something completed in time.

The pressure is on with the pastels, with these sheets being bigger than A2, so the its even more of a challenge, coupled with with the selection of colours to produce the painting. Back views are simpler with less detail which is the reason why these two are displayed.

It will be interesting to see how this process transfers when I come to do longer sessions at other venues.

Other life painting is available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com.

THE SHOW GOES ON – MIXED MEDIA

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I’m about to go away on holiday and was thinking of pulling out of my local exhibition at the framers in the next week or so. I normally go on to the end of February, and change the display about now, but I dont have many spare frames. Glynn, the owner, suggested bringing in some paintings and he would frame them and refresh the display with them when I’m away.

So I selected five paintings for framing. One of them is above. It’s an old pastel painting. I felt that the sky and sea were a bit muddy and set about refreshing those areas and I had originally made the background a bit too strident, so softened and blurred that out as well as a few other small changes.

Two other paintings I’ve selected are the looser, big sky, local paintings I’ve been doing of late. I put one in the first display, though it was only in a short while as the frame had some cracked glass which Glynn replaced before putting it in the window for me. That one is below:

I was pleased to find, when I looked after the New Year, that it had sold. So I’m putting in a couple more to see how they go.

Knowing Glynn it’ll be four weeks before he gets around to putting them in the window along with the others that are there, but my philosophy is that the paintings are better off being displayed in a shop window than locked away in my studio.

Other landscapes and beach scenes are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

BEWARE; WET DOG – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

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A painting of my daughter’s dog. She felt I didnt do many animal paintings and thought that there would be a good market for such paintings. I reminded her that I had painted her dog on the last two birthday cards I made for her. Obviously that fact had been overlooked.

So here is her dog on a Christmas walk along the canal in Ware. I liked the tonal contrasts of the scene and the background curtain of misty trees. She probably wont.

Anyway, here is her dog Mac in a moment between canal swims and the point where he bounded up to me to shake himself dry.

I might as well have jumped in the canal myself that day.

Other animal topics are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

A FLEETING VISIT TO THE BEACH – PASTEL PAINTING

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I painted this version of the beach in pastels a few weeks ago in readiness for my exhibition at the framers. It was done on a big sheet of Pastel Mat.

It didnt make the cut as I felt it lacked vitality and I was unhappy with how some of the marram grass turned out. I am now finding it difficult to get a new angle on the beach scenes around our area; disappointing in the light that these paintings still prove popular.

Anyway, as I write this painting is no more. I tried washing off the pastel from the board in an effort to reuse the expensive board again. It should at least be an interesting experiment.

Other beach scenes are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

ANOTHER VIEW OF FORMBY GOLF CLUB – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

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I recently had a request to paint a view of a local golf course at Formby. It is view I originally painted plein air as a sketch and then developed it into a popular painting. Someone saw a copy of one of the versions on the internet and I was tasked with making them a copy.

Having painted a few scenes for golfers I am always intrigued by the customs and habits that prevail on the golf course. My original painting had two people walking down the course, one with a golf trolley. My client didnt like the fact that a golf trolley was on the green and I have come up with another scenario. Also this painting is twice the size of my originals which has required me to focus a bit more on details – not something I like – I mean there were just too many windows in the clubhouse for my liking – still, it kept me off the slippery pavements.

Anyway, I think that the painting has come out well and hope that the client does too!

Other landscapes are available for sale on my website: graham,mcquadefineart.com

HOMEWARD, BEFORE THE WINTER SUN DIES – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

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Just after Christmas I went out for a walk with sketchbook and pencils and saw this scene on the way back. I tried to sketch it but with pencil in one hand, sketchbook in the other I still needed a third hand to shade my eyes. I got a bit done, but the light was too bright, so I took some photos and worked this up from them.

Though, the sketch wasnt a complete waste of time as it contained some information that hadnt been captured by the camera and it made the painting, in my opinion, the better for it.

Other landscapes are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

YEAR END 2025 – WITH WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

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My last exhibition of the year hasn’t been a raging success, but a couple of days before Christmas this painting of narrowboats at Parbold sold, so the pill was sugared a little. My framer ( where the exhibition resides) isn’t open again until the 5th January, so not much will be happening until then – but as the paintings are in the window a passer-by’s interest may be piqued.

With this final sale my year’s tally reaches 20. One better than last year: heading in the right direction, though not my best ever.

Yesterday I got a commission for a golfing painting, so that means we start 2026 on the right foot.

And I hope 2026 starts on the right foot for you all and continues with a spring for the rest of the year.

Other canal scenes are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

LIFE IN THE FAST LANE – MIXED MEDIA

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I mentioned in an earlier blog I had started visiting a life group in Preston. Unlike my local groups this one is well run with some reasonable lighting. The only drawback for me is that each pose is only 25 minutes long. There are four in all over the 2 hour session. It has taken me a while to adjust to this faster pace. Here are the four poses done on my last visit in pastel, pen and charcoal.

This second one was pen and ink and I had the luxury of finishing early and doing a second sketch in pencil. So I am at last being able to get something down in the allotted time.

Another pastel of a more of a challenging pose, but I felt I was getting the basis of a drawing in the short time – especially as this one was in pastel.

This charcoal was the first one I did that day and my least favourite. Normally charcoal is my go to when doing fast sketches, but perhaps I rushed this. I dont do much measuring on any of the sketches and sometimes this can come back to bite you as has happened here – still, it was the first one, that’s my excuse.

Other life drawing and painting can be found on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

MIDSUMMER STORM OVER CLIEVES’ HILLS – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

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Well, Merry Xmas to one and all.

Now that here in the northern hemisphere we are on our way to summer, I thought a local summer scene might be appropriate. That, and the fact that I am away from home at the moment means I dont have many new paintings to show.

Have a lovely day.

Other landscapes are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

A FEW FACES – ACRYLIC PAINTING

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For painting practice I like to get magazine pictures and treat them like someone posing for me. This fellow had a bit of a Raffish look and I wanted to see if I could capture this. It took a bit longer than I aim for – so I obviously need to do a few more.

And I had a go at this one. Another image that includes hands just to increase the complexity, this guy also brought along his spectacles.

So the name of my game is to get these done quicker with a more painterly quality – that should keep me quiet for a while.

Other figurative paintings are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com