Glenn Marshall - Yorkshire Artist
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..After all, I'm only dreaming......

31/3/2013

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"Blue Forest" Original watercolour by Glenn Marshall
Once I began to paint I dreamed of the time when I would be happy with my work and it would look like I wanted it to look. But more than dreaming would be required.
"Develop an infallible technique and then you can throw yourself at the mercy of inspiration."
I mentioned this theme in my last article but just how do you develop an 'infallible' technique? The simple answer of course is that you never can - especially with watercolour, as there will always be the  element of uncertainty caused when you put wet paint onto paper - but you can try.
I used to experiment with different techniques that I learned from other artists. I used to ask myself what would happen if I did this or mixed that...then go and try it.
I had to discipline myself to accept that not everything I attempted would turn out right or be a finished painting. This was harder than I imagined especially as someone belonging to a generation brought up to admire thrift and not be wasteful, but it was a great exercise. Gradually I learned how to create the effects I wanted in a specific situation and eventually I was able to concentrate solely on what had inspired me in the first place.
It was a bit like learning to drive. At first you have to concentrate on pressing the right pedal, changing into the right gear etc, etc but gradually after a lot of practice, this becomes automatic and you can concentrate on where you are going!
When I finally did learn to relax I began to have fun and this was reflected in my paintings. 



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This was an early stage of the finished painting above. It had started as just a simple exercise in adding drops of different blues onto wet paper and watching the shapes evolve. This is the classic 'wet on wet' technique. By adding different densities and warmer tones of paint depth and distance were created. I also added some salt for extra texturing before painting in some tree trunks and branches after the paper was completely dry. With just a few extra details added these random shapes of colour were transformed into a tranquil woodland scene.

I still spend lots of time 'dreaming' or 'thinking ' about my paintings. Most of the work is done before I even start painting and you don't need a studio for this - it can be done anywhere - so by the time I am ready to put paint to paper I have already worked out I will proceed with most of the painting.
So if you ever come across me staring vacantly into space..."please don't wake me, please don't shake me..after all I'm only dreaming" about my next painting!
Can't sleep - see some more paintings to help you dream
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Because the sky is blue.....cobalt or ultramarine?

26/3/2013

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"At Eventide" Original watercolour by Glenn Marshall
Which is the best blue for skies? More on that later.                                                                                                   As painters we are all trying to transfer the images in our mind onto paper or canvas....that's why we paint. But it can be very frustrating when it doesn't happen! I was stuck in this predicament until one day I was browsing through a magazine in a waiting room. I have no recollection of what I was waiting for but I did stumble upon the answer to my problem. It was a 'zen' quote : "Develop an infallible technique and then you can throw yourself at the mercy of inspiration."  In other words I had to achieve a state where I could focus entirely on the subject without having to worry about how to set about painting it.
So basics first - get my materials sorted.
Brushes - no problem. My wife had bought me my first set - Windsor and Newton Gold Sceptre which comprised a No 8 round, No 2 round (?), 3/4" chisel and a rigger. This has been my basic set up ever since and though I have added a few more over the years I still rely on these battered but good old friends - I know exactly what they can do and reach for the right one for the job automatically. I do get a bit of ribbing from colleagues when I put out these seasoned old veterans - but they work for me and if it ain't broke - why fix it!. The largest brush I have is a 1" chisel brush and I once painted a 5 foot x 3'6" foot watercolour with my trusty set, so I have never bothered with anything larger!

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Here's the proof!
Paints next. One of the problems I often encounter at workshops is just how many colours people have in their palettes. I know a lot of people take up painting on retirement and so a set of paints makes a brilliant gift - if they liked you they'll buy a set of 24, really liked you and it could be 36, and if they thought you were the absolute 'bees-knees' - even 72!
Too many! How can you ever get to know let alone use the combinations in such a number. So when I am asked what do get if you mix quadrionix blue with vertiginous green - I give my stock answer - "Try them, it will be interesting to see how they mix together." I could of course just reply "Muddy Grey" and would be right 99% of the time!
I gradually fixed my palette at just eight colours, two of which are classed as 'emergency' colours which thankfully I use less and less these days, but they are always there ...just in case. I began with and have remained with Windsor & Newton Artists Watercolour paints. I know exactly how they react with  the paper and each other so have totally resisted all blandishments to try something different.
Finally paper. It took me three years before I found somebody to explain the different weights and surfaces of paper. In some respects, the paper you choose is probably the most important decision you make to achieve an 'infallible' technique. I need a robust paper that can take a lot of water - and I do mean a lot of water - will let me use several layers, cope with masking fluid and even let me 'scratch out' if necessary. Eventually I settled on Saunders Waterford CP 140lbs because in addition to the qualities above it has a beautiful look to it.
With these basics sorted out I could then concentrate on the subject I wanted to paint. I haven't yet discovered an 'infallible' technique of course... I'm not even sure that I would like to! Anyway with watercolour there will always be the element of chance where the paint and water will do its own thing no matter how experienced you are. That and the fluidity is what gives this marvellous medium the edge over all the others.
Finally after much study  I have come to the conclusion that ultramarine blue is best for our English skies. It is slightly warmer than the cobalt (and a good deal cheaper - not that this would ever influence a Yorkshireman like me!), so is the one I always use.
Cards and prints of "At Eventide" and other paintings by Glenn Marshall are available to purchase
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Beneath a shady tree....Dane's Dyke 2012

22/3/2013

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'Half Way There, Dane's Dyke' Original watercolour by Glenn Marshall 30" x 22"
I was just sitting here  looking out of the window this morning waiting for the snow to arrive. Although Spring has officially 'sprung' and next Saturday we have the quaint British custom of altering the clocks to BST (British Summer Time...don't laugh!), it seems that nobody informed the weather. So here we are waiting for the snow.
It shouldn't be too bad here on the coast though it is very cold. My son Sean who lives in a remote part of the Peak District in Derbyshire (yes I know it's not Yorkshire but it's close!) could get up to  two feet so could end up snowed in...again!
To cheer myself up I remember this time last Year. Believe it or not the temperature was  round about 70F. I painted this marvellous tree back then. It is situated in Dane's Dyke which is about a mile and a half away from where I live. Originally it was built as a defensive ditch to protect what is now the Flamborough headland. It has very steep sides and would have been a formidable barrier in its time. Back then it would have been stripped of all trees but now after many, many years it is densely wooded. We call it the 'tall trees' walk as the trees have had to grow up the sides of the ditch to get to the light. This particular beech is on the edge of the dyke so has not had to grow so tall; it could spread out instead. It is situated about half way on our round trip from home and provided welcome shade on this occasion. I liked the way the sun was shining through the trees giving those lovely shadows.This is a large watercolour painted on a full  sheet of Saunders Waterford 140lb NOT paper which is the paper I always use. 
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We can work it out...workshop with the Strensall Art Group

20/3/2013

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Cliffs, Sea and Beach - the finished demo
Art workshops can be so much fun. I have just got back from conducting one with the Strensall Art Group. It is always nice to spend time with other painters and these are a great bunch. This is my second visit so I knew what to expect..but the cakes!
Let me explain.  The group have a ritual of taking it in turns to bake cakes each week and bring them to their get togethers. Today I enjoyed date slices and chocolate cake, both superb! Even the coffee was good served in a cafetiere. It was worth going just for these, and they kindly let me bring a couple of samples home for Merice, so many thanks.
When I agreed to go I was asked if I would do a painting of the sea with cliffs and beach. As I now live at the seaside, this was no real problem. What was or could have been a problem is that I hadn't picked a paintbrush up this year.
I have been doing iPad paintings in preparation for a  display  at the Bondville Model village which opens very soon. So it was with some trepidation that I picked up a brush for a quick practice last week. "Oh you'll be OK," said Merice,"It's like riding a bike - you never forget.".
Thankfully she was right. Now I have been extolling the virtues of the iPad for the last six months or so, but really there is nothing like dipping that brush into nice wet paint and setting about that paper...splash on!
We only had a couple of hours, so everybody had to work really hard to produce a first class set of paintings.Once again a big thank you to Strensall Art Group for having me and a special thanks to Bill (that's him on the floor with the hairdryer) for the date slices and the u-boat!
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..On our way home...

15/3/2013

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After the Storm, Bridlington South Beach
"It's so nice to go travellin', but it's oh so nicer to come home!"
I have enjoyed our little break in York. It really is a beautiful city. We stayed in a fine three storied house on the riverbank with marvellous reflections to wonder at, especially at night. I spent a little time sketching figures as they hurried by, carrying out their business and getting on with their lives. Some things have changed of course when you observe people today. The most obvious one of course is mobile phones...nearly everyone on their own who passed was talking to someone on a mobile - what did we do before they came on the scene? Certainly a big change in my lifetime is unisex clothing. When I was young, women wore skirts (and in the sixties very short skirts - but's another story!) whereas nowadays both sexes wear trousers or variations of. Shoes were different too which affected the way men and women walked. In the 'good old days' a man did not carry a bag apart from the odd briefcase or a haversack containing his 'snap'. Back then men had pockets to carry things.  Nowadays everybody carries a rucksack on their back though I have no idea what they put in it. There is less social inter action too- people do not look at you or smile or say a greeting...but I suppose it's difficult when you're talking on a mobile!
Anyway although it has been a very pleasant few days it was nice to pack up and set off for home. We took the long way back detouring through Rosedale Abbey, Castleton and Danby on the  North Yorkshire Moors before finishing up here in Sewerby. 
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There are places I remember...

11/3/2013

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"Autumn on the Ouse"
The River Ouse is a 'proper' river. Do you know what I mean? It looks like a river should - wide with deep banks. It is fed from many sources high up on the moors and by the time it reaches York it is in full flow.However this magnificent river does cause problems. It is notorious for flooding all down in its course. The ancient City of York is one of the main victims and it is inundated annually. Millions of pounds have been spent on defences but nature always seems to find a way to overcome these man made efforts.
I lived in a small village called Skelton for sixteen happy years. Skelton is about three miles north of York and quite close to the river. In days of old the river used to flood all the way up to the village pub, but new flood plains have alleviated that. But the road to Overton is still often impassable by the sheer volume of water.
This painting was done in a calmer moment and was part of my daily walk (floods permitting). I have painted the river in all seasons but Autumn is an especially inspirational time. There was still a lot of mist on the river but it was slowly lifting as the sun grew stronger with a beautiful day in prospect.
We are going back to York for a few days and I am looking forward to renewing my friendship with the delightful River Ouse.
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Look for the girl with the sun in her eyes...

8/3/2013

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Happy Anniversary
"Wanna cup o'tea love?" These were the first words I ever spoke to the beautiful lady who would become my wife.
I had arrived at work that morning and been told that a couple of 'birds' (yup we used to talk like that!) had started and I was designated to invite them into our office for a cup of tea so we could get a closer look! Thirty seven years later I still tell people I was the victim of the demon drink - tea!
We were just good friends for a while ( yes we really were!) but eventually things progressed, we fell in love,  got married on the 10th March 1979, and  have been together ever since.
On our 'honeymoon' we were accompanied by three kids and my mother and dad and on our actual anniversary this year we have two of our grand daughters staying with us, so I thought I would take advantage of a quiet evening before then to wish my lovely Merice a very Happy Anniversary, and to say a heartfelt thank you for being you and putting up with me all these years!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

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..Baby at your breast..

4/3/2013

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"The Dwelling, Hawnby" Original watercolour by Glenn Marshall
One of my favourite watercolour painters is Helen Addingham. She was a Victorian lady who travelled the English countryside recording a  way of life under intense attack from the industrial revolution  It would soon disappear for ever but she left us a remarkable glimpse of what it was like through her wonderful paintings. I know some critics dismiss her work and others like her for coating reality with a 'chocolate box' veneer. Of course it was pretty grim back then for most people but there must have been times when the sun did shine for them, when the pantry was full and the garden full of colourful flowers and abundant herbs. These were the moments she chose to paint for us and why not. Historians do agree now that her paintings of the cottages and dwellings were so detailed that they do form a very true picture of how villages looked in those bygone days before the growth of photography. One of the most noticeable constant features of her paintings are the ladies with young children in their arms but that was how it was - no creches in those days, so baby had to accompany the mother wherever she went.
Hawnby is a beautiful little village nestling in the western fringes of the North Yorkshire Moors. When I first saw this cottage it was in a dreadful state and in need of urgent structural repair. But in my painting I brought it back to life and tried to recreate the cottage how it would have been, complete with mother and child.
Happily, life imitated art!  The last time we passed the cottage was  fully restored to provide home and shelter once again.
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The sun is up, the sky is blue...

2/3/2013

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Winteringham from High Mowthorpe
It's a lovely sunny day today and it looks like winter is finally losing its grip.  We are looking forward to warmer days and this painting is a reminder of a lovely summer afternoon. I set off with Merice from Winteringham on the long climb up to High Mowthorpe. It was worth the effort. We were rewarded with some splendid views over this typical Yorkshire Wolds landscape. This was the view about half way up the track. Winteringham is a small village nestling in the valley. It is dominated by its ancient church which made a good focus for the painting. I added the man sheltering behind the bale as that was just what I felt like doing! Sketched on site, I finished the painting back in  the studio. This is to remind me to go back again this year...come and join me! 
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    Professional artist now semi retired and enjoying being eccentric!

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