Medium/Support/Size
Watercolour and graphite pencil. 16" x 12" 300gsm cotton paper.
My Thoughts About This Challenge
I was casting about for some inspiration and I was drawn to the photo, I think I have taken artistic licence to the limit here and I can claim only the most tenuous link to the finished piece. However I haven't painted anything in some months and I am so excited I must submit it.
After the coldest winter in 46 years, grass in the West of Ireland is scorched pale yellow ochre and burnt sienna and only a hint of green is peeking through. I think that is how there is so little green in the end piece, even though the photo was of green fields.
The dry stone walls are a dominant feature in the landscape here, and similarity so in this piece. Something about the gate really attracted me, and I originally intended that the gate be a rusting relic. However, having first painted the H-iron piers I decided that a similarly strong gate would hide the wall, so it is brand shining new!
I did five initial pencil sketches and the composition gradually changed in each, starting from something close to the photo and moving viewpoint so that the hill was eventually lost behind the stone wall, which I brought forward. I don't think I have ever used straight lines in a piece before but I like the composition even though it is thoroughly "square."
Lessons Learned
- This has been my first EVER attempt at watercolour - I'm rather ridiculously, undeservedly, pleased with myself!
- I don't feel that I solved the problem of straight lines by shortening them.
- By the way, the gate is open - I have had a comment from my boyfriend "there's something wrong with the gate"!
