How NOT to paint watercolour - Michelham

Hi Jenny, what's the significance of "NOT"? it all works! I think the buildin gs function as a hyphen or a link holding the foliage and flowers together. The whole picture has afeeling of togetherness and stillness: it invites us in.

You are very hard on yourself Jenny, I am no watercolour expert but I know what appeals to me and this certainly does! I particularly love the cow parsley in the foreground.

I think its the trees that I especially like... Very British Rail travel posters circa 1920 Not that I remember so far back. . You must set such high standards for yourself Jenny. I just think this is lovely.

Thank you James, glad you like it, I am disappointed I couldn't do the building justice, it looked really lovely from that viewing point, across the moat, bathed in sunlight. Thank you Christine, I had a bit of bother with the cow parsley, I used masking fluid but when I removed that it was just horrible white blobs so I carefully shaded them with a little green - but I overdid that and had to put in some highlights with a few touches of white gouache. Thank you Sylvia, glad you like it but you are being unkind to British Rail, comparing my poor effort with their excellent and very stylish posters (before my time too). Yes, I set myself high standards, which I invariably fail to reach. I have seen good watercolours, it is a very beautiful medium in the right hands, mine are just not the right hands.

Goodness -for someone who claims not to be able to do watercolours -you have produced two lovely paintings -this one and Mill Lane. In this one I partcicularly like the way you have the cow parsley in the foreground. Sylvia mentions the British Rail posters; I am reminded of Clarice Cliff pottery in a vague way. I certainly like your style in both the watercolours and will be keeping a lookout for more. Are these two recent paintings?

What are you asking of yourself here? If you had wanted to paint a more detailed or characterful version of the Priory - not necessarily the same thing, I know - you would have had to home in on it rather more; you just don't see the sort of impression that you may have been after from this sort of distance. If the building had dominated the painting more than it does, it could easily have overbalanced it - thrown the whole thing out of kilter. It would be interesting to know the size of this - I'm awaiting new specs and having some trouble reading text at the moment, so apologies if it's up there in black and white! But obviously the bigger the painting, the more individual touches you can incorporate: up to a point... As it is - I like this painting; the building doesn't look as old as it certainly is, but that doesn't matter to me because the painting as a whole is what counts. Interesting that you had trouble with the dread masking fluid: because it doesn't show at all - I've tried to get used to the stuff but in the end usually resort to a bit of gouache or acrylic white: could always try a pointed piece of candle wax, instead? As a resist, of course...

As Robert says, no burning of paintings please! He also makes an interesting point about what it is you actually want to create; a painting, not a photograph .... I have never tried masking fluid ... another time!

Jenny, your style is so nice and there is nothing wrong with any part of the painting. It works beautifully :)

Thank you Carol, Robert, Gudrun and Sarah. I would like to create visually exciting painterly masterpieces with flair, loosely and deftly dropping one beautiful pigment into another and see the magic as the resulting glorious & transparent darks reveal the light which sparkles as just the right amount of white paper is left untouched - (in exactly the right place and with the hard and soft edges just where I want them) So I am not asking too much ! Just more than I am capable of. My watercolours always disappoint me, the colour/tonal shift from wet to dry always catches me out and leaves my watercolours looking flat and dull. About 14" x 10", Robert, I don't try to work them much bigger, washes over a big area seem impossible to keep damp. Yes the masking fluid is a pain but at least the white blotches can be adjusted when it has been removed, I don't think candle wax can be removed. I prefer just negative painting but that obviously wasn't going to work for the cow parsley.

Hi Jenny, totally agree with Robert, it's very difficult to create character in a building that is in the distance. But what is the subject a study of the building or the view that incorporates the building. In this instance it must be the later. Also you must decide on your style, full detail like I tend to do or slightly impressionistic. Again I feel that at present you are the later and a lovey style at that. One other thing, if you had detailed the middle and background, then the foreground would have been lost. Just love the cow parsley, no matter what process you when through. Just love your work and the passion you put into it.

Thank you Helen. Thank you Peter, what I notice most about your paintings is the harmony, every element a perfect foil for the main subject, nothing ever jars. I don't even think about my style - I think style just evolves - but I do think about what I want the painting to show, how I would like it to look, and I judge it by how far it falls short of the work of genius that is in my head !