Pages

Sunday 15 March 2020

Autumn on the Common



Autumn on the Common
watercolour sketch by
Teresa Newham


I took lots of photos of Harpenden Common last Autumn, but none of them felt quite right to use for a painting: the ones from my favourite vantage point were too dull and the ones with the right colour and light were of a view I don't usually paint. But it seemed a shame to waste them.


the source photo in the "wrong" place
© Teresa Newham

By January I needed to get something down on paper, so I began a watercolour anyway - and it was a real struggle.  I laboured over various layers, each one of which complicated matters. Eventually I was forced to admit I'd taken a wrong turn and began berating myself for wasting my time . . .


the time I wasted making this
© Teresa Newham

Having binned my first attempt, I was so cross with myself that almost without thinking I laid down some washes on a new piece of paper, picked up a small flat brush and started blocking in the bushes and trees. Encouraged, I added grass and some shadows.  The result was this lively sketch. It pays not to think too much!


the sketch I made instead
© Teresa Newham





No comments:

Post a Comment