Party girl

This week I have been working on my series of sketches of Newcastle. I`m loving working on this series, because I get to sketch the place I love. Having only lived in Newcastle for just over two years, everything is new and exciting for me, so everywhere we go, I find more and more subjects for painting and sketching. I`ve a feeling this series could go on for quite some time.

Swing bridge with Newcastle behind.

Painted by the artist Sharon Douglas.

A2 Cartridge pad and zig pen.

My next painting for this week is a painting in my watercolour series of works on Newcastle.

This painting is just a few miles from our house. It is a place called Seaton Sluice.

We go here quite often, because there is a lovely pub there, that do lovely meals. Birthdays are a good excuse to go.

Seaton Sluice,

Painted in watercolour by the artist Sharon Douglas.

Size 15x11"

.............and finally, I was looking through some old photographs looking for a subject to paint at our monthly oil painting session,

 When I found the photo of my daughter, Danielle, I couldn`t resist painting it. She was about 8 years old, when the photo was taken.

 It was during our Christmas dinner, when she started putting the streamers out of the party poppers on her head. Then she pretended it was her hair, and began posing and pouting as I took a photograph of her.

........she`s still a poser now....lol.

Party Girl, Danielle.

Painted in water mixable oils,

by the artist Sharon Douglas.

Thanks for looking at my paintings, I hope you have a lovely week. Don`t forget to come and look again. I post new work every week.

I`ve had a lovely week

Drawing and painting as usual :-)

Oil painting sketch of St Mary`s Lighthouse.

Painted by the artist, Sharon Douglas

Size 12x9"

Oil on canvas paper.

Another painting to add to my every growing series of paintings of the North East.

I`ve painted St Mary`s lighthouse lots of times, and so has every artist who lives around this area, but I`m striving to paint it from different angles to the norm, and in different lighting and weather conditions, so my paintings stand out from the crowd.

Watercolour painting "crystal and nectarines" painted by the artist, Sharon Douglas.

Size 22x15".

Painted for a demonstration at St Andrew`s art group.

It was really nice to be demonstrating again, for the first time in over 3 years. My health put a stop to all my teaching and demonstrating for the last few years.

 I was worried about doing it in my wheelchair, because I`ve never done it from my chair before, but everything went ok. I just set the table up in a different way to how the average able bodied person would work, and I managed fine.

I got lots of great feedback, which was really nice, so I wouldn`t be worried about doing it again.

Quayside Market, below Tyne Bridge.

Sketched by the artist Sharon Douglas.

Using Zig pen on A2 size cartridge paper.

I loved sketching this, it is to be part of a series of sketches of  Newcastle.

I`ve decided to work on 3 different series of paintings/ sketches of Newcastle and the surrounding areas. I`m doing a series in watercolours, one in oils and the last in zig pen sketches. That little lot should keep me busy for a VERY long time. Although I will be doing other stuff in between, to give me some variety.

Lately I`ve been doing alot of experimenting using different mediums, and techniques, hopefully I will come up with a unique and amazing technique that  no one has ever done before...........watch this space. 

nearly forgot my motorbike

While taking my daughter to the orthodontist in Newcastle I spotted this motorbike, and I just had to photograph it, to paint back at the studio. I would have liked to paint it on the spot, but there was so much detail, and I`m sure if I`d have tried the owner would have come back and rode off into the sunset..........and I don`t think my daughter`s school would have been too pleased to find that we`d spent the day painting instead of getting her back to school asap after her appointment.

The size is 15x11". on Arches rough wtaercolour paper.

M.Grahams watercolours.

I painted this over several days. It was a very detailed painting to work on, but that`s the sort of subject I like..........lots to engage my mind.

Happy easter.

I`ve been good, I haven`t had any choclate............yet!

Instead I`ve been sorting out this weeks paintings to add to my blog.

........and here they are.....

This first one is the hydranger that I painted last week or the week before. It had a yellow background, which I wasn`t very happy with.......... and niether was my cat, it seems........

She walked from my paint palette straight through my background..:-o

.............so the decision was made I had to paint it dark to hide the mess she had made......lol I`m glad the background is darker now, because it makes the flowers and crystal pop out more, and increases the impression of a bright summers day. ( I also added a few darks in the crystal to tie it all together.

The next painting is an oil that I did last night......

Tynemouth Priory.

12x9"

Tyneham oil painting sketchbook.

Using watermixable oils.

I have to say, I`m loving working with these water mixable oil paints. I`m still getting used to them yet, but I`m loving playing and experimenting with them.

I have also painted a motorbike this week, but I forgot to photograph it, so I`ll be back........