Sennen Study by Steve Strode

Just viewed your gallery for the first time and love your work. As a watercolourist it makes me query my wisdom of sticking to the one medium. Great work

Cheers Michael, Glad you like them. It's nice to try the different media it keeps me guessing :-) I think you've more than got the hang of watercolour, good stuff on you're site, it's one paint I think I should really use more. All the best, Steve.

Love the use of oil paint in this, and how you have kept it all so loose in feel :)

This is so very effective. I wish that I could make myself paint oils in a very loose style like this, I always end up doing too much detail. Your colours sing.

Cheers Sarah and Pat, I like doing these quick studies, it helps to loosen me up and not worry about the details when I set a time limit. It's a really good exercise used by the painter Kevin Macpherson in his book, 'Landscape painting, inside and out.' All the best, Steve.

Think I might be able to achieve this level of minimalism on the spot, though I don't do much on the spot any more; I certainly wouldn't be able to stop at this stage if working indoors...... and it has to be said, not everyone appreciates this approach, which from my point of view is just as well! However - as has been said above, really, you've got the lot here with a total lack of unnecessary detail, and have achieved a fresh and lively painting which conveys the sense of place better than a more laboured interpretation would have done. On your point about watercolour, in reply to Michael, it would indeed repay your attention if you brought the same kind of spontaneity and accuracy of colour to it as you bring to your oils and acrylics. A holiday well-spent, it seems....

Thanks Robert, I think if you paint small and set yourself a time limit, as in this exercise, there's no pressure to produce a detailed study. I think it’s a good way of the painter capturing what they consider to be essential. The potential for failure is accepted as not all our ducklings will turn into swans. Good point about the watercolour though. I think in the back of my mind is the fact it’s such a one shot medium that won’t take a lot of messing with, as opposed to acrylic which can be over painted, or oils rubbed off. I think as you note I'd prefer some kind of fluency or spontaneity rather than an overcorrected and labored study, so I would just have to be more patient and more accepting of what I’d consider the many failed attempts. All things considered I think it will still be fun trying as the time seems to fly painting outdoors. It was a holiday well spent with great weather, but a family holiday none the less, I’m back again in October though, with three other artists with nothing to do but paint and draw for a week, can’t wait, though I suppose all that good weather would have moved on. All the best, Steve.

This is really effective, Steve. I can't believe how you can achieve so much with such simplicity. It's lovely.

Thanks Seok, all the best, Steve.