Summer fun in Torquay - watercolour seagull painting for PPF and WOYWW

Hi folks! I've had a fantastic time this week with the students of Kaplan International English school in Torquay! We've been all over the place, doing lots of activities outside to make the most of the sunshine. An afternoon spent on the beach here, a game of crazy golf there, trips to Living Coasts (the local seaside zoo) and games of tennis and bowls at Torre Abbey - we've really been spoilt with such good weather! Some of the students at the school haven't even experienced one day of rain during their stay!

All this fun hasn't left a lot of time for creativity, but I found an hour or so one evening to finish this painting of seagulls which I started last week. Firstly I drew a grid to arrange the seagulls in, then sketched them out in pencil, taking care that each one was facing a different direction to the next. When I was happy with the combination I drew over them in a fine pen and painted them in watercolours. I had trouble getting the colour of the wings all the same as the paint kept separating once I'd mixed it (cheap paints maybe?!), but as Sam said, seagulls are all slightly different anyway! I'm linking this one up to Paint Party Friday. What do you think?

'Seagulls' - © Clare Willcocks

All it needs now is a frame! Can you spot the teeny line I forgot to draw? 

This afternoon, when I got home from work, the sun was shining and the decking in the back garden was calling! Armed with a juice, my pad and watercolours I spent a lovely hour painting al fresco! I wanted to paint my 'workdesk' for this week's What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday (WOYWW), so here it is! I don't have a set place that I work, so my workdesk always changes!

Watercolour painting in the garden.

Same view, with a few bits and bobs added/moved!

The painting in progress...

Just a quick post today as I'm off for a barbecue on the beach! I love summer! See you soon lovely readers :) Don't forget to follow my blog if you like what you see!

Today I'm linking up at Shabby Nest, Creative Princess and Rhinestone Beagle.

Watercolour paintings in progress (WOYWW and PPF)

Today I'm linking up for the first time to What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday (WOYWW)! I've been painting some little square pictures to make watercolour greetings cards. I've gone for a seaside theme as it's summer!

Working in the lounge, you can tell I live with two men can't you (see left hand side!)

I really enjoy working with watercolours at the moment. It's taken me a while to get the hang of applying a smooth wash but I think I've cracked it! It definitely helps to wet the paper first. I googled 'how to watercolour' which brought up a few good websites.

The amount of times I nearly dunked my paintbrush in my tea....

These paintings are very different to my usual 'realistic' style. I'm used to painting portraits so it's been a bit of a challenge for me to be creative and draw something that isn't in front of me!

Here are the designs I've painted so far, some of them need a little more work, particularly the Torquay one, but I'm happy overall. I'm linking these up to Paint Party Friday :)

Seagulls like pasties...fact.

I LOVE beach huts!

Little country cottage.

 I painted this one with the help of a few reference photos from Google.

I'm working with foreign students at the moment so the topic of good old British fish and chips is coming up a lot right now!

...And everybody knows that they are a seagull's favourite food!

Hopefully I'll find the time to put them together soon and I'll be able to show you the finished cards!

If any of you read my last post and are wondering about how my little peacock painting turned out, here it is, half-painted. I got a bit overenthusiastic with my paint mixing so it encroached on the square around it...oops!

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Tonight I'm linking up at the parties on the following blogs: A Creative Princess, Domesblissity, Hickory Trail, Cornerstone Confessions, Rhinestone Beagle and The Shabby Creek Cottage.