Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Painting holiday

Last week I went on a painting holiday in Boscombe, Dorset. The weather was awful with rain every day. It must have been difficult for families who had chosen this week for their summer holidays as there were few opportunities to get on the beach.

However I did enjoy the painting tuition even though a lot of it was in the studio.

On the weekend of my arrival there was supposed to be an airshow but it was cancelled with the cloudbase touching the sea.
This naval assault ship was to be one of the only surviving bits of the display.
 

We were learning to use watercolour for landscapes in a loose style.
Here our tutor was doing a demo at Christchurch. Soon the rain got harder and we all packed up and went for a cup of tea. Our first outdoor painting attempt had been foiled.
 

Back in the studio
 

After a few wet days, we had a day off and I chose to attempt to walk to Sandbanks. It started off gloomy. That is the Isle of Wight in the distance.
 

Along the way I called in at the Russell-Cotes art gallery and museum. Free entry and well worth a visit.
 

The rain was getting harder but I decided to press on. Old Harry rocks on the horizon.
 

The lifegaurd did not have much to do with nobody on the beach. Later I turned back having failed to reach Sandbanks. It was very wet and windy by now. I got soaked on the way back. Silly idea of mine.
 

One of our painting locations.
 

Place Mill
 

Back in the studio our tutor demonstrated how to simplify the complex scene in the photo.
 

On our last day the rain stopped. This is Highcliffe Castle.
 

The sun actually came out giving a chance to photograph The Needles.
 

Early evening view towards Bournemouth.
 

My studio painting of Place Mill using a sketch I did in the rain.
 

My painting of Prawle Point (Devon) from a photo.
 

Studio exercises
 

I did enjoy the week despite the weather. Hopefully I learnt a lot.

Peewit

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