A study in acrylics

A limited palette of ultramarine blue, yellow ochre, burnt sienna and titanium white, using acrylic paints. As an experiment, I wanted to try out this combination, to see what range of tones I could achieve and if the result was satisfactory? 

Two figures walking in surf on the beach. 6x8 ins acrylic on board. I will try this with cad red, ultramarine blue, yellow ochre and white. The so called Zorn palette, uses cad red, Ivory black, yellow ochre and titanium white, where blues and grays are achieved from the black, and a whole range of tones from white to the Ivory black.

Daily Paint Works Spotlight artist.

I am pleased to say that I have been chosen as the Daily Paint Works spotlight artist for the week. 

http://dpwnews.blogspot.ie/

Country cottage

I am terrible for not posting regularly... I have been oil painting mostly, trying to progress with themes, with varying results. Yesterday, I had one of those rare moments when I did some watercolours in conjunction with oil painting. Most unusual for me. It's perhaps frustration with oil painting, that drove me to try and rescue some good watercolours, to be even better. I am sure everyone has those paintings that are in a folder, that are not quiet there, but one is unsure how to finish, leave, or just reject? I will post more on this subject at a later stage.

The painting below is not one of those, but a watercolour painted in one go, wet in wet to give harmony and looseness all in one. A rural cottage 7x 11 ins Hahnemuhle 140 lbs paper.


josephmahon.faso.com

Cat on a ledge

A watercolour from a good few years ago. More than I care to remember, lol. A cat called Toosey, on a ledge. Waterford Saunders 140lbs paper. 7x6 ins.

josephmahon.faso.com

Cockle picker, Dublin bay.

A loose watercolour style here. A lone person picking cockles on picturesque Dublin bay, a painting from a while back. The palette was fairly limited, cobalt blue, raw sienna, a touch of burnt sienna and a bit cad red light for the small tower in the back ground. The idea was to capture the mood and atmosphere, plus the openness of the bay. I like to experiment with painting, both in watercolour and oils. One tends to stick to a routine, or method,but experimentation is good.

Out of a comfort zone, challenges an individual  technically and ephemerally. The results can be surprising, not that this piece is hugely experimental, it's just a limited palette... I tend to be much more experimental with oil painting.

josephmahon.faso.com

11x14.5 ins 

Figures, reflections on a beach.

 I like to push watercolour and see where I go at times., to create a mood or atmosphere. This is a painting of dusk and two figures on a beach, with reflections of the  fading light on the wet sand. I used plenty of water to achieve the wet look on the sand  and the reflections, with minimal detail for the figures.

josephmahon.faso.com

Dusk on Sandymount beach Dublin.

A man and his dog on Sandymount beach Dublin, near dusk one summer evening. Watercolour on Langton cotton paper 8x11 ins. The colours are quite muted in keeping with the scene at the time.

josephmahon.faso.com