Ornaments On A Tree
Tag: sky
Watercolour Canvas
A little while ago I stumbled across a ‘Watercolour Canvas’ product in Spotlight, a material and craft store in my local area. Not that I’m all that experienced in Art but I didn’t know there was such a thing called Watercolour canvas. I thought canvas was for mediums other than Watercolour.
It is made by a business called ‘Semco’ and although it is branded ‘Artist Quality’ I’m not sure you would class it as such bearing in mind where it is being sold, the minimal cost and the fact that the term, ‘Artist Quality’ seems to get put on a lot of materials regardless of whether it is or isn’t ‘Artist Quality’. It comes in a range of sizes just like normal canvas and is available in a board or in stretched form.
My first attempt on a board is below, an image using a reference photo I took on our third trip to Norfolk Island, earlier this year. I did a light sketch of the image in pencil, then sketched over the pencil with pigment liners then started painting. The paint sticks sometimes and glides across other times and I used about 3-4 layers in some areas.
I particularly liked the painting in weathered boat areas.
My second attempt on the board is below, a rather simpler, straight Watercolour image. Painting the ocean was particularly challenging as the paint hardly seem to stick to the canvas with the first attempt to apply paint. After letting it dry, I applied more paint and the original paint seemed to get disturbed so, in the end, I used less water and a bit more paint and painted very lightly.
I have a few more boards left and look forward to experimenting with them, though I might apply some Gesso first to see what that does. I also have a couple of stretched Watercolour canvas 8×10’s here, one of which I’m experimenting with.
All good fun!
Till next time!
Written by David Johnson
31 July 2022
Winter Sun
Dusk…A Special Time
Earlier this week we were treated to some beautiful colours at Dusk.
I was inside during this time, painting and I happened to glance out of the window at just the right time. The images below were snapped with my phone as often the colours will disappear quite quickly, and as someone once said, ‘the best camera is the one you have on you at the time…’.
I hope you enjoy ‘Mother Nature’s Art as much as I did.
Written by David Johnson
28 July 2022
Bumboras Beach – Norfolk Island
In February this year, Susan and I visited Norfolk Island for the 3rd time, this time to celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary.
The first 2 times we went there (1997 & 2007), I was deeply entrenched in Photography. Whilst I took photos again on my DSLR, I also took a lot of reference photos on with my phone camera for when I returned.
The image below is one such image.
On Saturday last, I chose this image as my reference photo for Day 1,220 of a Watercolour Sketch a Day.
In 3 visits to Norfolk Island, this was our first visit to this popular picnic spot. The island in the distance is Phillip Island.
Materials used:
- Moleskine 200gsm Sketchbook
- Staedtler Pigment Liner 0.05
- Winsor and Newton Artist Quality Paint
- Neef Watercolour brushes
I think I am getting better with my sketching/painting of rocks/boulders and am happier with the bottom half of the image than the top half.
I will have another attempt at this on a small scale and then would will aim to do an A4 size.
If you are ever on Norfolk Island, don’t wait until your 3rd visit to visit this beautiful spot.
Till next time!
David Johnson
6 June 2022
Renew
No. 7
Light That Inspires!
Over the years, both as an enthusiast Photographer (entering competitions up to International level) and Photographic Judge (up to National level), I have been asked, ‘what is your favourite subject?’
I imagine that people are expecting me to say things like, ‘landscapes, seascapes, people, architecture etc’.
My answer is simply, ‘light and its effect on subjects’.
Light of course needs shadow to create contrast so maybe I should say that my favourite subject to photograph is, ‘light and shadow and their effect on subjects’.
Here are a few images of ‘light and shadow’ that inspired me on our recent trip to Norfolk Island.
Till next time!
Written & Photographed by David Johnson
30 March 2022
Horizon
actors on the sky stage
One of the things that I must admit that I haven’t done for a long time is lay on the ground at gaze at the clouds as they drift on by…
It is something that I remember to be quite a meditative experience. One such time was during a bushwalk (hike) in the Blue Mountains, West of Sydney Australia. We were on our way out to a place called ‘Ruined Castle’ which was a rocky outcrop that looked, from a distance, a little like a ruined castle.
On the way out we came across a large expanse of flattish rock so we stopped for a rest and I remember laying back and gazing at the sky. So relaxing. Only the sounds of Mother Nature apparent with a gorgeous blue sky as a backdrop to the clouds, changing shape as they did, moving about like actors in a Play.
Sitting here typing this, my mind is cast back even further to my school days back in the 1970’s when, at lunchtime, I used to lay on the grass sometimes and gaze at the clouds. Again, so relaxing. My mind would drift off and be thinking of great memories but also thinking about the future as I lay there in the present.
Of course, clouds have entranced me in other ways as well. My Photography interest dates back to my childhood but in particularly from the early 1980’s when I became serious about it as a key interest.
The images included with this article are all taken on a phone and have been captured mainly on my walks over the past few years. Clouds have fascinated me for as long as I can remember and will continue to do so. Light, and its effects on objects fascinates me too, but more on that another time.
Below, I have included some cloud images that I found particularly interesting. Sit back and enjoy these actors as they dance across the stage of the sky!
Written by David Johnson
October 2021
Communicating Creatively 