Tag Archives: boat

Bridged Again

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5.5"X7" Pen & Ink in Moleskine

As I am not finding time to paint I am determined to try to sketch more regularly. So, in an attempt to find some inspiration, I bought some new drawing pens last weekend: Faber-Castell sepia and a Copic sepia sketch pen.

I got caught again this morning. Double-bridged this time. The Carlton Street bridge is right next to Lock 2, and sometimes there is a boat waiting to enter the lock as another leaves it. When this happens they leave the bridge up until the two boats have changed places. They move very slowly, especially the one going into the lock.

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La Chata

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2.5"X3.5" Acrylic on paper ACEO

The oppressive heat and humidity we have been having here recently has made me think nostalgically of the sea breezes in Puerto Rico. This boat, "La Chata", was pulled up on the beach at Rincon. It was well above the tide-line and looked as if it hadn't been used for a while.One of these days I may turn it into a larger painting.

I have been vowing recently to start working larger, and what do I do? I move back to ACEO size! I am not sure why but I am still struggling with composition and this tiny size does help to get a good idea of the "notan".
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Grand Union Canal

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7"X5" Acrylic on board

Anyone who has been following this blog may have noticed that I haven't posted anything for a couple of months.

Believing as I do in truth in advertising, I stopped calling this a "daily painting blog" some time ago, but I really did mean to continue with a "two or three times a week blog". I have been doing some sketching, and I am working on a linocut, but generally I am just uninspired, I really need to move in a new direction.

However, I did shoot a few pictures during my brief visit to London last month and I hope to take some paintings from them over the next couple of weeks, before I lose the mood.

The Grand Union Canal connects London and Birmingham. This section is somewhere in North Kensington, lots of houseboats along here, all apparently inhabited and in running order. It might be an interesting way to live in the heart of the city but I wonder what it is like in the winter. My sister lived in one about 40 years ago, I seem to remember that it was pretty damp.
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Bridged

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5.5"X3.5" Pen & WC pencil on paper

To be "bridged" is a local term which refers to the state of being delayed at the canal while a laker makes its way through one of the lift bridges. Such was my condition this morning.

Instead of playing the guessing game of trying to decide which alternate route to try, which often results in the state of being "double bridged", I decided to sit and sketch the boat as it crept towards me. These boats are often as long 260 meters (850 ft)but no more than 24 meters (78 ft) wide. This constraint is imposed by the size of the locks through which they have to pass.

Smugglers’Cove 2

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5"X7" Acrylic on board

This time looking South-East, more or less toward Niagara Falls.

I based both yesterday's and today's pictures on very low resolution photos from my cell phone. I then cropped them even further so it certainly prevents the inclusion or unnecessary detail. The colours aren't very good either so I am left calling upon memory to keep it real.

I am still not sure that I wouldn't have done better to finish them with oils. I am persevering with the acrylics because I can see the advantages, easy clean up, quick reworking etc. I have a stay-wet palette which helps a lot but I am still not used the the incredibly fast drying time on the canvas and I miss the soft, buttery texture of oils.

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