The Butt and Boats at Pin Mill

Lovely piece Thea. I did have the same green problem until I mentioned it on the Wet Canvas website and got a list of good mixes, which I now have pinned on my studio wall. That website is a fund of info andI have found it very very useful over the years.

A lovely watercolour indeed Thea! The boats are handsome and the greens look good to me.

I like those greens Thea, lovely work.

Too critical of yourself Thea (We all do it!). Very well balanced and the sky is beautiful.

Lovely fresh work Thea once again, the greens look good to me and the sky is super.

Another good painting I like how you have done the clouds, the boats stand out a very good painting.

Thank you very much Derek, Satu, Val, Majorie, Stephen and Betty for your positive comments. I think the fact that I haven't done a true landscape for a few months has meant that I had to get back into the way of it. This one didn't 'flow' as I was painting it, but then, as Majorie observes, I am hugely critical of myself. Whether this is a positive or negative I am undecided about. I am sure we are all far too hard on ourselves - note to self, must learn to ease up and go with the flow.

Don't doubt yourself Thea, the painting of it gives you satisfaction and the viewing gives others pleasure, it's a lovely fresh painting!

Well, I certainly like it greens and all! The viridian greeny shade of the far boat is particularly attractive. The sky is good and that green (sorry, I keep saying the g word) stripe cutting across the bottom right corner works well pulling the composition together. Lots of interesting shapes in this one.

Yes, I agre with Marjorie, Thea: you are too critical of yourself. This is again a typical 'Thea'-painting. Beautiful!

PS. This has to be "agree" (I was too quick for my keyboard!!!! lol).

Thank you very much Christine, Louise and Mia for your lovely comments. Me and greens have a very tenuous relationship - I need them but actually dislike them. I am not sure why I am so dead set against a particular colour - perhaps it is a gut reaction thing. The bits I really enjoyed doing were the hulls of the boats - definitely had fun with them.

I think this is the one you had been talking about Thea and if so works well ? a la Charles Reid. Following one of your posts I looked at a Charles Reid DVD yesterday and like the way he does his initial drawing - must try it. He strikes me as very much a colourist with only two tones i.e. light and dark so my usual tutor Steve Hall would criticise me for this, which he often does, with my present style. I think you have settled more for mid-tone and light which keeps it nice and soft. I do prefer this 'Charles `Reid' to your 'Judy Whitton' paintings because the shapes are more joined up e.g. I see the barges as one nice big shape and not as two separate objects which makes a nice composition.

Thank you, Alan, for your interesting comment. Charles Reid is actually very much into tone, but in a different way to many other artists. He will use colour to show tone, i.e. use cerulean for the light side of a blue object and then move to cobalt and then ultramarine to show the darker tones. He uses local colour to show cast shadows rather than blue or violet. I tend to be less interested in tone and more in colour and also the marrying of warm and cool. I should pay more attention to tone, but that is work in progress. I don't think I have painted in a Judy Whitton style for a long time now - years in fact and my style of painting does owe more than a nod to Charles Reid's way of handling colour. When you see Charles actually painting I think it is fairly obvious that my style is actually nothing like his, as mine is a lot a lot less free and abandoned (and a awful lot less skilful!) It doesn't seem to be in me to achieve the almost messy look that he does so well. I have learned a lot from both artists but when I sit down to paint now, I make no mental reference to what either have done or would do with the subject I am tackling and just do it my way. I did follow both artist's guidance in the beginning to analyse how they put their paintings together, but I found that you can't paint fluidly while trying to second guess how another artist would paint that particular passage or even the whole painting. It just doesn't work and at some point you have to branch out on your own, armed with knowledge gained, and forge your own way. I think that is where I am now. I am sure things will change as I go along but that is what is so exciting about painting - life never stands still.

Not Successful - how did I miss it? - One of your best

Thank you, Michael, for that vote of confidence - much appreciated. However, I find it fascinating that you think this is one of my best and I very nearly binned it! All in the eye of the beholder and the artist themselves apparently aren't always the best beholders (if there is such a word)! I know I am totally rubbish at assessing my paintings and how I have done. Thank goodness for all the good folk on POL and they way they boost confidences. Without their feedback, and left to my own devices, I think I would have given up by now.

I'm not really qualified to comment on an "academic" level, but what I see is that all your works have a wonderful sparkle Thea, whatever the subject or the mood ; must be the way you use your washes and colours. Very inspiring, I for one would love to have your talent.

What a wonderful compliment, Sharon, thank you so much.

Another gem. No beating yourself up please!