Tuesday, September 23, 2008

end of the dock

(3x4)

(3x4)

While I was unpacking my beach bag yesterday I found these two sketches in my small Moleskine that I did sitting on the end of the dock--I wished I had spent more of the summer just sitting there!--while Peter was getting Lulu ready. For the top one I used Sai watercolor pens and for the bottom one, a tiny (about 3.5x1.5x1") ingenious W&N watercolor travel set. (I love travel sets--so compact and irresistible.) It only has eight colors: cad. yellow, cad. red, alizarin, ultramarine blue, cerulean,raw sienna and burnt sienna. I'm amazed I can paint anything without cobalt blue and cobalt violet!
Posted by Picasa

7 comments:

Kari Gibson said...

Sittin' on the dock sounds just lovely - I feel an Otis Reading song coming on...

These two sketches are lovely and rich, those colours work just fine -despite the lack of Cobalt - eek!

cathyswatercolors said...

I absoulutely love these, so fluid and with such a limited pallette.

A Brush with Color said...

Charming! I love little travel paint kits, too--it's even more like "playing" and just fun somehow. These are beautiful!

Cathy Gatland said...

Those Sai pens look luscious and intense - they're the ones Laura of Laurelines mentioned a while back - I love the effect they give (enabled of course by the hand that wields them!) It's little sketches like these that remind us how good it is to 'just sit there' - next summer!

Vivienne said...

They are delightful. Such skilled hands. I'd like to sit on your dock as well.Sketching on the spot fills me with terror, especially if people might watch.Cobalt blue is not so much used in Aus as ultra - (and often phthalo - yuck). I guess it is the more intense light.

Maine Artist said...

Time well spent! You've captured some of the unique qualities of watercolors that can only be had by painting on location. Nice work.

laura said...

Sitting on the dock is great--when the no-see-ums aren't there too. I wish I had the discipline to carve out apiece of every day to just sit there!

I get self-conscious about painting outdoors too--I feel like onlookers have "expectations"! But I think I'm projecting! ;-)

Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Laura. Love your website--I think I'll have to get some Monhegan Island cards!