Category: Winsor&Newton

Rehearsals of Roman River Music

17/7/2016

Sketching in Mistley church. Photo by Victoria Steinitz.

Recently, I was very flattered to be invited to sketch at the Roman River Music concerts, of which the main festival is in the autumn (Details here). A limited number of Colchester Sketchers were invited to join me at a couple of rehersals connected to the Summer Festival.

Last Friday, we went to St Mary's & St Michael's church in Mistley where the talented musicians Elena Urioste violin, Timothy Ridout viola, Orlando Jopling cello, and Tom Poster piano were rehearsing for their concert that evening.

Arriving before the musicians, I took advantage of the time and sketched one of the church's beautiful stained glass windows.

Window in St Mary's & St Michael's ©Sue Pownall

Then tried to capture the musicians as they rehearsed... but I have to confess to keep stopping to listen to the music. The sketches are in pencil or watercolour. Here are my results:

The following day's rehearsals were in St Mary's, Wivenhoe and the musicians seemed to have such fun. They were all superb and were Juliette Bausor flute,
Daniel Bates oboe, Katherine Spencer clarinet, Stuart King bass clarinet, Peter Whelan bassoon, and Pip Eastop horn. Again I sketched in pencil or watercolour:

I can't wait to sketch more!

What have you been sketching?

Garden sketchbook

25/6/2016

First viewing of the garden Seawhite of Brighton concertina sketchbook (almost finished) at New Town Gardeners meeting.

The New Town Gardeners were very lucky on Sunday as the sun actually came out for the event. It was lovely wandering around the area and I saw and sketched many beautiful gardens. Most, I sketched on-location in pencil, but one garden I watercoloured, and it made the local newspaper.

Colchester Gazette. June 22nd

As you can see from the top photo, I took the almost finished sketchbook to Friday's monthly gardeners meeting, where it stretched across 2 tables.

Last Sunday, I didn't manage to visit all the gardens, but am hoping to visit more when the sun comes back.

Where have you been sketching?

A snap of 2 finished spreads.

Winter

4/6/2016

Winter. Ink & watercolour 28x20cm ©Sue Pownall 2016

I finished this piece a little while ago. Hope you like it.

Neighbours Rooves & Chimneys

8/5/2016

I seem to have developed a minor fascination with sketching my neighbours chimneys and rooves, so far all from the confines of my house. However, now the warmer weather has arrived, I may be sketching further down the street. After 15 years living abroad with hardly a chimney in sight, I wonder if it's the novelty of seeing them in their different shapes and sizes. What do you think?

Drinking and drawing

1/5/2016

Pencil sketch of Natasha Robertson at The Black Buoy's April/May Beer Festival 2016

I have just returned from the Black Buoy in Wivenhoe's May bank holiday real ale festival. My assistant and I sat outside sketching and listening to the music, although my assistant was more interested in the fish and chips.

Earlier this week, I arranged for the Colchester Sketchers to drink/draw at the Bricklayers. My first sketch of my Aspell's cider was the most successful and is shared below.

Direct watercolour sketch.

Finally, something different, I currently have my experimental piece hung at the Art Exchange where it was selected for the Celebrate Landscape exhibition. If you are in the area, pop in before it closes next Saturday.

Jo dibuixo i tu?

23/4/2016

Plaça dels Àngels.

Rafa serves. ©Sue Pownall 2016

I have just spent the last few days in Barcelona. On Wednesday, I flew over having left my assistant to stay with her dogsitter. After checking into my hotel, I headed straight to MACBA and spent and hour on the above sketch.

After the rain stopped, I spent Thursday at the Barcelona Open BancSabadell – Trofeo Conde de Godo. I saw Rafa win amongst other matches, but didn't sketch anything.

Friday morning, I headed out for breakfast and had to paint the girl at a nearby table. (below) I went straight in with paint as I didn't know how long she would be there. I had just snapped her surreptitiously, should have moved the menu, when she left.

From there, I visited the Fundació Antoni Tàpies and saw some interesting artwork and prints before heading to Passeig de Gracia. Being the day before Sant Jordi (Saint Georges), who is the patron saint of Catalonia, Gaudi's Casa Batlló had been covered in roses. It looked beautiful and still being early there were not too many people, so I sat on the street corner to sketch it.

Gaudi's Casa Battló covered in roses.

In the afternoon, I went to see some more art at the CaixaForum, which had an exhibition Impressionists and Moderns: Masterworks from The Phillips Collection.

Then went for a walk up to Barcelona's botanical garden. I sat and did a small watercolour, which I really enjoyed painting, surrounded by vegetation, bird song (including green parrots), and little else.

Afterwards, I had a wander around took lots of photos of the beautiful plants and flowers.

A glade in Jardí Botànic de Barcelona.

Yesterday was my last day and I spent it catching up with some friends. I still managed an incomplete sketch whilst waiting to meet a close friend for brunch. I wanted to capture some of the San Jordi celebrations, as I did last year (Sant Jordi 2015) but tables and more were still being set up, so started above them... and ran out of time.

Finally, a photo of Saint Georges dragon near Barcelona university.

*Jo dibuixo i tu? is Catalán for I draw, do you?

Sketchmeet at the garden centre

10/4/2016

Poplar Nurseries, Marks Tey. ©Sue Pownall 2016

Yesterday, I arranged a sketchmeet for the Colchester Sketchers at a local garden centre. It was an inspiring afternoon albeit very chilly.

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Monthly challenges.

3/4/2016

Across the Road. ©Sue Pownall 2016

WIP: Bourne Mill in winter.

There's a new challenge over on twitter led by Anthony Greentree (@antsgreentree) called #buildapril, which is is all about buildings and structures in any media.

Above is my 1st April sketch of my across-th-road neighbours drawn with a Super5 pen with DeAtramentis ink and painted with Winsor & Newton watercolours in A Daler Ebony A5 sketchbook. Whilst right is a work in progress started yesterday of Bourne Mill.

Last month's challenge was #animalmarch, and I started well with daily sketches of my assistant, but then life got in the way. Here are a selection of them:

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Hello Spring!

20/3/2016

Sitting in the gateway

Today is the Spring Equinox in the northern hemisphere, and spring is one of my favourite seasons. I also like autumn ... and summer ... oh and winter if I'm inside and warm and it's snowing outside.

On Wednesday, I was sketching outside in order to record the 2016 opening of the National Trust property, Bourne Mill. I'm working with the property this year, so rather than sketch the building, other than the outline, I chose to focus on the open gates.

I used a Monologue sketchbook and as the photo (left) shows, I Inked on site. However, I added the watercolour added at home due to icy wind.

St Patrick's Day sketching with my assistant.

On Thursday, Saint Patrick's Day provided the opportunity to get some green paint out as I sketched with some friends in a local pub.

The above sketch was completed on site, Winsor & Newton watercolour with Staedtlar pen in A5 Daler sketchbook.

More green featured this morning, which is why I'm blogging this evening, as I experimented monoprinting using a Gelli plate. Some of these prints I am thinking of working up, maybe with stencils, or watercolour, or.... not sure. Some as collage backgrounds, maybe. Whilst one will become an Easter card to send to my mum.

Now, I'm looking forward to lots of garden drawing, flower sketching, and more spring printing.

What about you? Is spring your favourite season? What are you working on?

Experiments

28/2/2016

Stencil on Gelli plate on old damaged book leaf.

Earlier this week I visited a printmaker friend, Jean Edwards, her work is here, who introduced me to Gelli plates. I really enjoyed it and produced the background above. Once home, I added the stencilled swan. Stencilling is something I have rarely done, but was inspired by Penenlope Dullaghan's homework in Sketchbook Skool.

Ink on watercolour wash.

Those of you who follow me on Instagram ( @suepownallartist15 ) have seen the work in progress on the above piece before. I finished it yesterday, I think, and would appreciate your thoughts on it. Please leave them in a comment below.

On another matter, yesterday I got to give a pen & ink demo at Tindalls,a local art suppliers. I got to meet some lovely people and look forward to running a workshop for them in March.

<<Previous

Rehearsals of Roman River Music

Garden sketchbook

Winter

Neighbours Rooves & Chimneys

Drinking and drawing

Jo dibuixo i tu?

Sketchmeet at the garden centre

Monthly challenges.

It's almost time to send my spring newsletter.
Will you get your copy?

Hello Spring!

Experiments

About me

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Archives

It's almost time to send my spring newsletter. Will you get your copy?

About me

Tags

Archives

It's almost time to send my spring newsletter.
Will you get your copy?