Sail Away

Well ,it came out very well. I should think that the lady was the hardest part to paint. Anyway, a very nice painting from day 1.

I agree with Sarah, very good especially the boat and the minimal way you've painted the rocks?? she's standing on. I even like the dribbles LOL, not at all messy. I'm really looking forward to seeing the rest.

A real change to your usual style and subject Thea but great to see you branching out and trying new things as you were saying you were going to do, keep up the good work!

Thank you for the helpful feedback Sarah, Val and Ros. You are right, Ros, that this isn't my usual subject or style. It was a very hard painting from such an unhelpful photo but it was a good exercise in really thinking about what I was doing and trying to pay attention to all the things Charles had been talking about. Funnily enough, after painting this one I came across a Charles R version of a painting from this photo and I had made many of the same decisions as he had made about colour and tone - really surprised me I have to say. I'll post the still life tomorrow. It isn't that good as I got a right case of stage fright when doing it and made all sorts of mistakes that I wouldn't normally make.

Chi again Thea thanks for commenting on my very happy dog pastel pet portrait, very much appreciated as always, xx

Nice work Thea and bravo for showing us the result of a difficult painting situation! I don't dare go on courses as a two year-old could do better! You know you're surrounded by other painters who always seem to be managing so much better. I shall certainly read your blog and look foreward to seeing "la suite".

Another great watercolour Thea

I think the sky works particularly well, with those scudding clouds, well done!

A lovely little watercolour Thea, one to be proud of! Day 1 too!!

I particularly like the sails on the boat they seem to appear from nowhere - which is always good in my book!

A lovely watercolour, Thea. I haven't been on this site for a while but I always remembered the lovely looseness of your work. How wonderful to be doing a course with Charles Reid. I've always loved the quality of his flowing watercolours and will be looking forward to reading your blog. Well done!

Day 1 or Day 7, I think you've done very well. The vessel might have been a tad cooler, but the rest is lovely (and I love her posture, resisting the wind in her back - not from it as you suggested). It's curious to see your charateristic brush technique champing at the bit as it engages with the Reidian doctrine. I use old photos too (how similar this schooner is to the one I posted from the Isle of Man!) and find the challenge of not just getting the values right, but choosing the actual colours too, very stimulating. So how was it Thea? How do we access the blog?

Thank you very much Avril, Petra, Lesley, Carole and Debs for your nice comments about my Day 1 attempt. So much to learn as I found out. It will take months to try and put it all into practice I think!

Thank you very much Jeannette. I saw that you were back on the site but haven't had the chance to take a good look as I was in a dreadful area for WiFi and signal last week, but will definitely go and see what you have been up to.

Thank you very much, Kim, for your always insightful feedback. The course was utterly amazing and I learned more about painting in a week than I have in the four and a half years since I started on this jolly hobby. You can access my blog on POL - just go to the blog are and you will find posts under Day 1, Day 2 and I have just added Day 3 this afternoon. My blog is called A watercolour Journey if my recent posts happen to go off the list on the right of all the most recently added. I have also offered to email a copy of all the demos that Charles did if anyone is interested to see them. It helps to have them when you read the blog descriptions of the demos. Just let me know if you would like them.

lovely colours as usual though! I rather like the composition.

Very elegant Thea, I think one of my favourites of yours.

Thank you Gudrun and Fiona - very kind of you to comment and say such nice things. I have just found a much better image of the painting (took some on my iPad and some on my camera) which is a lot brighter and shows the colours better - still too late now.

Hi Thea, thanks so much for your lovely comment on my pastel pet portrait of Gabby the 'weiner' dog! as Americans call them or sausage dogs over here, lovely to get your comment that you like her, as far as me doing commissions, I am wanting to do exactly that, but I couldn't have picked a worse time to start doing them could I than amidst the recession! I am going to start advertising for them and after I put some of my pastels on eBay and put a note on that I was doing commissions I did get a call from a local man who had two Labradors that he wanted a pastel of, a big pastel as well about A2 size with some background as well, he has a friend who is a photographer and he was going to get him to take the photo's, that was just before I did my best pastel work as well the ones I have done most recently, I think I might need to send him an email with those pastels in as a prompt to 'get on with it' and get his photo's done, that would be my first ever commission so I can't wait to get started! Anyway bye for now Thea, and thanks so much for the vote of confidence xx

I love this as well. Re your comment that the lady looks constipated...they all looked like that in those days, stiff upper lip and all that.. You should be well pleased.

Lovely colours as always. I like that I can spot your work in the gallery without having to look for your name! Wish I could paint with this freedom.

I like this! Michelle

I loved your Charles Reid paintings. I went on his course in Stow, so missed you by a week! His way of painting is much more difficult than it looks, isn't it? But what an artist he is. I thought your "Pig in the Middle" was particularly good. I love your sea AND boat in "Sail away" too. Lovely colours.