paintings prints and stuff

Detail of the finished painting below: Mixed media, a still overcast day, dulling colours. Vivien Blackburn I arrived in bright sunshine but it almost immediately turned overcast and soon started to rain - a misty soft rain. Colour dulled and contrast softened, except for the strong contrast of the block of trees with heavy summer foliage, and their reflection, against the pale bright clouded sky. Whole painting: Swithland Reservoir, overcast day, summer. Watercolour and coloured pencil. 10x9 ins approx. Vivien Blackburn A very very still subject, as different from the rough seas of Cornwall as possible but an equal challenge. There was a very limited colour range because of the light and the dense foliage of summer. I may try an oil paint version to see which works best - I have a suspicion that water colour may win. other posts in the series can be seen here

Photographs of Swithland Reservoir: Vivien Blackburn Yesterday morning was sunny with long shadows, clouds and a lovely light. I wanted to go out to take some photos and sketch in the morning - my husband decided to come but wouldn't go until the afternoon. So, of course, the sun went in! I wanted particularly to look at this local reservoir - which for some reason I'd never been round. I'd checked the maps and a single track road went round one side of it. The overcast skies actually made for some lovely light on the water that I think I can definitely get some work out of - minimalist and using that lovely limited colour range and sheen on the water. It started to rain and then we had a thunderstorm, so sketching was out of the question - for me anyway! and he-who-moans-when-bored wouldn't have been a happybunny sitting in the car watching the rain on the water. (when new to driving, I ran the car battery flat by painting in pouring rain with the windscreen w