I think i’ve done most of what i think is important to complete this painting. It’s pretty far removed from its beginnings. Now time to move on…..

Today it’s raining all day, so good opportunity to practice with my watercolor pencils. Can’t say i’ve got the hang of it yet, but all practice is good practice. So — another view from the house, taken just prior to the rain starting. I was sitting at a picnic table outside, facing the fence i wanted to draw/paint. Life with watercolor very different and requires very different way of thinking from doing oils. And of course with the total cloud cover there are no shadows and light source is very nonspecific since don’t have the direct sun as light source.

Second painting is from a photo i took yesterday during our visit to Dunvegan Castle. Photo is of the library. Obviously i’ve really simplified —- skipped the table, the chair, etc. just wanted to focus on getting the perspective close to realistic.

Note: the reason i keep painting from the house in the morning is because it’s not been convenient to bring along the art supplies while we are on a hike (e.g, Fairy Pools, Talisker Bay, etc.)

We are in Scotland for two weeks. Spent a few days in Glasgow; now here on the Isle of Skye for a week. The area is incredibly picturesque and although i could not bring my oil paints on this trip, i did want to have a travel journal with some kind of visual art. Decided to try watercolor pencils — an entirely new medium for me. So far i’ve over the past two days i’ve been giving this very different kind of making art a try. Below are two views from the front door of the house we are renting. I don’t have good reference photos, but you can get an idea of the immediate and surrounding area from the other two photos, below. I don’t know much about watercolor techniques, so am learning on the fly. Stay tuned for improvements in texture, color mixing, shading, etc…..

I should add that what i’ve learned lately about doing an art journal is that the goal is to get a sketch and the painting done quickly — don’t be too concerned with accuracy. What you are after is a little painting that can serve as a visual memory of the day.