Tuesday 12 July 2016

#95 'Westminster Bridge, London' 8x10"


9,000 steps I took carrying all my plein air kit around London yesterday! You've got to be fit to do this outdoor painting lark :-) This is a different view of the same subject I have previously painted, also different light and weather. It was cold, the wind was blowing down the Thames and it was spitting on and off. 
I was just setting up and a big gust came and blew the whole pochade and palette I caught it but sent my swinging cup of turps everywhere, very smelly!
I was drawn to the bridge and the lovely pale green arches and contrasted shapes. The sun came out once while I was painting, so fleeting, I took a photo and put in where the shadows and light was. The composition took me a while, I painted it 3 times to get it right, fitting in Big Ben but emphasising the bridge, the area I liked. 
It was a complex subject and choosing what to put in and what to leave out, the details - too much fiddling and it becomes contrived not enough and it's wishy washy. I hope I have the right balance!
There were lots of tourists, and I was a target again! This time not only being in their photos but taking there selfie shots, I must have done at least 5.

I did try and reduce my kit, knowing I'd be lugging it around London, so I left my tubes of paint behind and filled my 'Painting Garage' see the photo before I left. It worked a treat, it's a very nifty tool for outdoor work, I would recommend it.

4 comments:

  1. This painting has an unusual quality and the more I view it the more it feels like a London a hundred years ago. You have captured admirably what appears to be a rough sort of day in November rather than a summer's day in July.

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  2. Very impressive, both from the stamina and artistic point of view! You have caught the scene beautifully and conveyed the atmosphere of the day and all those important buildings, the reflections in the river and the windswept feel. I think you are going from strength to strength.

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  3. The bridge leads the eye in but not in a too obvious way. Just lovely, especially the blocks the bridge is standing on.

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  4. Please reserve for me. :-)
    Typical English Summer view! Your blurb is lovely, 9000 steps, and painting in the middle of it, goodness me. It is always lovely to watch someone paint, no wonder so many stopped to talk and 'selfie' with you. The Bridge is excellent, the colours and detail are perfect. The splash of the London bus is also a great addition. Well worth all your effort, well done ff!

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