Ullswater Cumbria on a crisp sunny morning. Taken from the September page of the office calender. Emboldend by my foray into churning water in Talent I wanted to have a go at something more ambitious. The sky is my first ever successful flat wash that is free of blobs, streaks, brushmarks and irritation. Bit chocolate boxy.!
The Alternative Grauniad Watercolour Club
To wake the soul by tender strokes of art – Alexander Pope
The Alternative Grauniad Watercolour Club 
6 comments
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November 20, 2009 at 10:23 pm
kenatnpl
Excellent picture, captures the churnnig of the water, the rocks and autumn trees all in one.
October 16, 2009 at 6:15 am
suemiddlesex
Definitely not chocolate box at all. It really is a very very good painting. The trees and their foliage on the right and back are just right and contrast well with the dark background on the left and the waterfall itself is full of life and says tumbling cascading water with hints of the sky showing through. Another one I would be happy with on my wall.
October 9, 2009 at 4:17 pm
vivienmr
A bit of a masterpiece! The freedom of your painting style is perfect for the tumbling water, and the birch(?) trees are rather spectacular too. I’m going to be more positive than Dave and say that I hope to be spurred on and inspired by this very successful painting.
October 5, 2009 at 8:33 am
davidworth
This rather shames my effort – but my excuse is that you had more detail and features to play with (and maybe more time)! I like the slightly ‘broken’ way this has been painted – as opposed to a wish washy watercolour. It almost has an oil painting look. Certainly frameable and with Sues portrait, I think the rest of us are beginning to feel left trailing in the wake – at least I am.
October 5, 2009 at 8:20 am
sworth
This must be Aira Force after some rain. The force of the water contrasts well with the delicate silver birches and blue sky (well done for that wash!) I can see the sky reflected in the water. Just as an observation, we went on a walk up Fairfield yesterday, and the smaller waterfalls running down the hillside were pure snowy white, like tresses of hair on an old lady’s head. I noticed it particularly because of Dave’s Dettifoss, but your painting shows also that larger falls do have more colour in them. I wanted someone to explain to my why broken water reflected all colours and gave us white when the still surface of pools allowed light through (meanwhile a rainbow in the drizzle above showed all colours separately).
October 4, 2009 at 9:07 pm
janetedd
Having just been to the Lake District myself I toyed with doing a similar waterfall – thank goodness I resisted. This is very well painted – I am pleased to see some cream colour in the water. I like the colours of the trees just beginning to turn golden, the lightness of the trunks – all very pleasing . Worth framing I would have thought. (The sky is good too!)