More paintings......
Some of these may end up framed; feel free to ask about anything that takes your fancy. One or two are no longer in my possession. Otherwise, this is just a fun selection.
Winter Light, Fidra
This is all gouache, though thinned out mostly so that it
works up the same way as a watercolour wash. It’s just me, I suppose, but I
reckon when it comes to sunsets, less is more. Otherwise you end up with
something apocalyptic. The other tricky part is adding any kind of yellow to a
blue-ish sky and stopping it taking on a green tinge. I think I added an orange
(colour, obviously) and kept away from pure yellow.
Anyway, this is another composition where you could fiddle about for ages, adding more and more rocks. But I’ve stopped in time, I hope.
Anyway, this is another composition where you could fiddle about for ages, adding more and more rocks. But I’ve stopped in time, I hope.
By the way, one of the many photos I took that day, for reference, turns up on a winter tour on my Scottish travel website.
West Rocks Wave
At least, we called them the West Rocks. They lie west of Rosehearty and are well off the tourist trail. The headland on the horizon is Troup Head. It’s on the Moray Firth.
With watercolour, it's either going to work or it's not. The best advice I ever got was to stop fiddling around with this kind of sketch. Just do it quickly and hope you are lucky!
Size (cm, in - 22 x 30, 8.5 x 12)
With watercolour, it's either going to work or it's not. The best advice I ever got was to stop fiddling around with this kind of sketch. Just do it quickly and hope you are lucky!
Size (cm, in - 22 x 30, 8.5 x 12)
Orkney - terns
One of these efforts when you don’t know when to stop and the temptation is to just keep adding terns. Note the suggestion of a Churchill Barrier in the background – another Orkney inspired sketch. This is just my practising terns. Sure, they're white in the bird book, but generally the sun is above them and consequently there are lots of shadows. That's why, for instance, it's hard to tell a common tern from an Arctic tern - as any birdwatcher will tell you. There are some more terns further down the page.
From the main road to Braemar from the south, Creag Leacach is a conspicuous ridge on your right (east) near the Spittal of Glenshee. (Sorry, I seem to have lapsed into guidebook speak.) This view is what you see from high on the ridge, except looking back south towards the Lowlands (where I think it's raining).
Barns Ness Lighthouse (again)
Yet another go at Barns Ness - a watercolour in which used a lot of masking tape. Be warned. Do not use that cheap decorator's masking tape you get n DIY stores. You may find that when you lift off the tape it takes the surface of the paper off as well. Grrrrrr. (Still, I have had the same problem with that expensive 'art masking fluid' - you know, the stuff you shouldn't sniff.) Anyway, you can't see where it happened, I promise...
Starlings in autumn
Funny things, starlings: vulgar and exotic at the same time. They would have been a lot easier if I’d done the white spots in gouache and not watercolour, I don’t mind admitting. This one isn't framed at the moment - but I'm open to suggestions!
Tree sparrows
Not the everyday house sparrow - oh no, these are much more special. Tree sparrows of both sexes are identical, and their white cheeks and chestnut caps are characterisitc. Hereabouts, in the south of Scotland, near the coast, they turn up in the autumn. Actually, they turn up in the overgrown garden next door. They hang about all winter - visiting bird tables in harsh weather - and then disperse in spring. This is gouache on board.
Terns at Scapa Flow
The watchtowers in the background are the World War I structures at Hoxa Head, Orkney, overlooking Scapa Flow. I’d love to say that I intended that the terns take on a slightly military-formation-flying look but that’s just how they turned out. This is mostly gouache but the greens are watercolour.
Newark Bay, Orkney
Here's a work in progress. At least I think it's in progress. It's a view out to Copinsay from Newark Bay on Orkney. I'm just wondering if I ought to populate it with a bird or two. Or should I apply the 'don't fiddle with it' rule? Hmmmm. Watch this space. It's gouache, except for the foreground greens.
Tweed Valley, towards Innerleithen
Talking of greens, it's very green in the Scottish Borders in spring. This painting is currently hanging in a house in Switzerland, as a reminder of a Border lassie's home. As well as finding challenging greens, this is where I was almost eaten by and certainly intimidated by horses, as alluded to in the about Gilbert Summers page on this site. That's the other thing about the Scottish Borders - scary horses everywhere. I have omitted them from this painting, however.
And I'm now having doubts about the anglicised 'Tweed Valley' . Tweed-dale would be better, as I've never heard of 'Strathtweed'.
And I'm now having doubts about the anglicised 'Tweed Valley' . Tweed-dale would be better, as I've never heard of 'Strathtweed'.
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