29 January, 2008

Saint Wanda, and Watercolour Class: Week Three


First, note that my streak of daily blogging lives on (I did blog yesterday at the HealthSpa blog).

Second, I am indebted to my new hero, Wanda of the California Department of Motor Vehicles. In the space of 8 minutes of the phone, she noted my lost license in case of identity theft, took all my details, and generated a replacement license thingie (photoless but legal) that is mailing out today, and is good until 2012. Hey, a photoless license is bound to look better anyway.

She totally rocked my world, and potentially saved my bacon because I must appear in court (with a license of some sort) at the end of February to face my speeding charge. I, Maria Andretti of the Leaden Foot, was caught in a speed trap on the way to base. Sigh. I was wrong. So wrong. Seriously, I've been pretty darn careful about speeding since I have been here.

Moving on to item the third, we began a Norfolk landscape today. Working from photos of the Hunstanton cliffs at low tide, I produced this. We will work on them more next week, adding details and finishing various things, like the rocky gravelly bit along the bottom of the cliffs.

What I like about this picture so far: the sky came out really well and I think the tops of the cliffs (chalky part) are going to really be good. The sand is a good color mix, and I think the carrstone boulders look nice and seaweedy.

What I don't like: The horrible, horrible shade of blue I used in my little pools (and the patch of ocean, for that matter). I think the water is really blotchy as well. I am really not pleased with the carrstone portion of the cliffs - it should be paler, almost a reddish pink and brown. I can't make it lighter now that it's on.
It's an interesting scene to work on and I think if I paint it again (and again), I'll get the coloring better.

4 comments:

Rosie said...

I recognised those cliffs before reading your post! Brings back lots of lovely memories of going to the beach with my grandmother/ the Sunday School/schoolfriends.

Susie J. said...

I think you're right about the colors... but all in all I think you're picking up the watercolor skills quite nicely. :)

Toni said...

Practicing the same thing over & over is a great way to learn technique. That's how I taught myself to knit when I was a kid--making dreadful potholders for anyone I could give them to! :)

Lynn said...

LOL I wondered what happened to you on the 28th! Well you did say you would blog everyday, you just didnt specify which blog!