Sketching and Sketchbook Exhibition

I have been busy preparing for two exhibitions - the first opened on Tuesday night, and the other, the AWI annual exhibition, opens on the 10th June at Juniper Hall - more about that soon.

Chantal and Rooi hanging about :-)

The Sketching and Sketchbook Exhibition features a number of Urban Sketching artists with sketchbooks and framed sketches on display. It's a fabulous chance to peek into the precious sketchbooks of about 40 artists of various levels of experience and to buy framed sketches or larger works inspired by sketches.

It is at the Creative Space, 105 Abbot Road Dee Why. It is on until the 11th June.

I'll be doing an artist talk on the 6th June 2-4 about using sketchbooks in the process of creating published books.

Chris's canvas paintings made a great statement

Three of my paintings - Bo

Opening night.

I've exhibited a painting based on a sketch I did in Jindabyne  - the sketch is in a small Moleskine watercolour sketchbook A5. The painting is a half sheet watercolour, called 'Snow Gum'.

I have also exhibited two versions of paintings created from a sketch I did at the Shaolhaven River. 

On the right is Boyd's Rock Quartet, Shoalhaven River

(The software is playing up and I can't edit this post properly or add captions to the rest so sorry about the random layout!)

Below is the sketch on location - the water really was a remarkable gold as it reached the bank I was sitting on.

On the right is Boyd's Rock Quartet III, intended to really zoom in on the lovely group of rocks that Arthur Boyd painted over and over again. This is a full sheet of Arches watercolour paper.

I've also put in two studies from life - Shells and Jacaranda Pods, and a study of a Venetian Door. 

For more information click here. 

Council website here, 

Facebook page here.

Rembrandt Watercolours

Rembrandt watercolours are the professional range made by Royal Talens of Holland. I had only tried about 15 of the 80 colours shown on the colour chart until I was generously lent a brand new set of 48 by one of my students. Consequently most of these 53 colours shown are painted out from pan colours.

I love the Rembrandt soft pastels, which I have used for many years, so it was good to paint a large number of the professional watercolours at once. The student range is called Van Gogh.

They painted out nicely and I think it's a very no-fuss range. Great colours, a good choice of pigments, excellent earth colours and plenty of single pigment colours. While my plan was to show the full range of all brands, even though I am missing 27 from this range I decided to post them up anyway since there is not much available showing the Rembrandt colours. 

(updated June 2017)

September 2019 - I've created a new blog about Rembrandt watercolours here, based on their updated range.

Rembrandt set of 48 half pans.

Rembrandt Watercolour - Chinese White, Transparent titanium White (not shown), Cadmium Yellow Lemon, Permanent Lemon Yellow (not shown), Cadmium Yellow Light.

Rembrandt Watercolour - Azo Yellow Light (not shown), Cadmium Yellow Medium (not shown), Azo Yellow Medium, Cadmium Yellow Deep, Azo Yellow Deep (not shown)

Rembrandt Watercolour - Aureoline, Indian Yellow (not shown), Gamboge, Naples Yellow Deep (not shown), Naples Yellow Red (not shown).

Rembrandt Watercolour - Cadmium Orange, Permanent Orange (not shown), Vermilion, Cadmium Red Light, Permanent Red Light (not shown).

Rembrandt Watercolour - Cadmium Red Medium, Permanent Red Medium (not shown), Cadmium Red Deep, Permanent Red Deep, Permanent Red Light (not shown).

Rembrandt Watercolour - Madder Lake Deep (not shown, but PR83 so not recommended), Alizarin Crimson (not shown but also PR83 so not recommended), Permanent Madder Lake, Carmine, Quinacridone Rose.

Rembrandt Watercolour - Permanent Red Violet, Permanent Madder Purple (not shown), Cobalt Violet, Mauve, Permanent Blue Violet.

Rembrandt Watercolour - Ultramarine Violet (not shown), French Ultramarine, Ultramarine Deep, Cobalt Blue (Ultramarine) (not shown), Cobalt blue.

Rembrandt Watercolour - Cerulean Blue, Cerulean Blue (Phthalo) (not shown), Phthalo Blue Red, Phthalo Blue Green, Prussian Blue.

Rembrandt Watercolour - Indanthrene Blue, Indigo (not shown), Turquoise Blue, Bluish Green (not shown), Permanent Yellow Green (not shown).

Rembrandt Watercolour - Permanent Green, Emerald Green, Cobalt Green (I think this is actually made from PG19 but my sample was mis-labelled), Viridian, Phthalo Green.

Rembrandt Watercolour - Hooker Green Deep, Hooker Green Light (not shown), Sap Green, Olive Green (not shown), Green Earth (not shown).

Rembrandt Watercolour - Chromium Oxide Green, Yellow Ochre, Gold Ochre (not shown), Transparent Oxide Yellow, Raw Sienna.

Rembrandt Watercolour - Burnt Sienna, Transparent Red Oxide, Permanent Madder Brown, Light Oxide Red, Venetian Red.

Rembrandt Watercolour - Indian Red, Burnt Umber, Raw Umber, Transparent Oxide Brown, Sepia.

Rembrandt Watercolour - Vandyck Brown, Payne's Grey, Neutral Tine, Ivory Black, Lamp Black (not shown).

If you happen to have some of the missing Rembrandt colours and would like to send me a sample, please get in touch :-)

Use the search button to find other ranges of professional watercolour.