By the river

Good image Robert..I think the whole painting has a strong vibrant look to it..

Like the strength of this ...amazing the difference the paper makes.

Robert, you are back amongst us, you have been out of action for ages! Great to see you back, love this deeply coloured riverside view, lovely tall grasses and the tree and rickety fence on the other bank just all works so well

I think the sky is the most impressive part Robert and it ties in wonderfully with the other strong elements of the foreground.

Yes, a very strong image. I tried the rough type of paper a few times. I prefer smooth. Whether that makes my paintings any better is another matter! I must get my watercolours out soon.

Great watercolour Robert! Rough paper is an experience in it's self and the result is stronger and deeper than on smooth surface. I think that you have handled it very well. I especially like the foreground on the right hand side and the lighter grasses leaning over the stream.

Great composition and I really like your use of colour.

This has a lot of vitality to it, Robert. Great strong colours and lovely light on the grass. I find Fabriano much more lively to paint on that Langton, Bockingford which, to me, perform in a much more pedestrian way. Fabriano Rough isn't that easy to paint on, but you have managed it with aplomb.

I did enjoy painting on the Fabriano - it just seemed to accentuate the colours, and give me more tooth than the Bockingford; Alan, I think, is less keen on it, because he says the rollers with which it;s made leave marks on the paper which fill in with paint..... I didn't find that with these quite small samples, though.............. I agree with Thea that it's more sympathetic to my way of painting: still looking for the perfect paper. Actually, I think I may have found it with Arches, but it's very expensive .... I'll keep searching, anyway.