Early Autumn on the Kennet and Avon

Early Autumn on the Kennet and Avon 1
Watercolour and Acrylic Ink on Paper
27cm x 18cm (10.5" x 7")

At the end of October, Elaine and I had a holiday on the peaceful Kennet and Avon canal with Paul, Wendy, and their dog Alfie (see Canal Sketches).

The last day was glorious; the sun shone and the leaves on the tress had just started to change to their autumn colours.

I saw a row of trees that I wanted to paint, but only had time to take a couple of quick snapshots as we chugged past at 4 miles an hour - fortunately, Paul was driving or the photos would be even more hurried.

Yesterday, I realised the trees would be a good subject for an exercise suggested by Ann Blockley in Watercolour Textures. Ann recommends painting multiple versions of the same (or similar) subjects using a variety of different techniques.

Early Autumn on the Kennet and Avon
Preliminary Sketch
Graphite Pencil on Paper
27cm x 18cm (10.5" x 7")

The painting at the top of the post is my first attempt. I started by painting wet in to wet washes on wet paper. The washes blended into each other resulting in a soft focus impression of the scene. I was tempted to leave it like this, but after the washes dried, I couldn’t resist adding some sharper details to the trees and banks.

Early Autumn on the Kennet and Avon 1
Initial Wash
Watercolour and Acrylic Ink on Paper
27cm x 18cm (10.5" x 7")

Over the next couple of weeks, I am planning to paint a few more versions of this scene.