The Wedding

November 25, 2011 by Erin Hill Sketching

For me this is a larger work. 16 X 18 inches or thereabouts. Now doing some bigger watercolours in this sketch style. Weddings are very much part of the scene at Balmoral Beach, particularly on weekends. There were 7 groups having photos taken in the rotunda, and on the bridge to the Island when I was sketching there. The background is perfect for Wedding pics like this and the lighting is gorgeous anytime.. I’m amazed how each group can sweep […]

Categories: Art, Beach Paintings, Watercolour Painting, Weddings • Tags: art, Beach Views, Original Watercolour, Water views, Weddings

Corner Flowershop

August 14, 2011 by Erin Hill Sketching

Back to my sketches. Working to gather a nice cross-section of  ‘Homes, Gardens & Vistas’ for my exhibition starting Sept 2nd. Our Open Day for everyone to pop in and see the show will be on Saturday Sept 3. This corner Flowershop just down the road from my Studio, was a must for my sketch collection. Great eye appeal, as in classic small building with potted shrubs at the front door, and an old bench displaying big bright orchids and […]

Categories: Art, Art to enchant, Drawings & Sketches, Sketches • Tags: Composition & Colour, Flowers, Location Sketches, Original Watercolour

Afternoon Shadows, Manly Beach

June 15, 2011 by Erin Hill Sketching

This is a Winter beach painting. If it was summer, you’d hardly see the sand for people, and the shadows would be much less. Winter can be the best of both seasons. Clear blue skies, no wind, calm seas and no humidity – and warm. I do put clouds in my paintings anyway, cos I love them. The shadows at this time of year are very dramatic from late afternoon on, and I like the moment when I add that […]

Categories: Art, Landscapes, Manly Beach, Watercolour Painting • Tags: art, Beach Views, Manly Beach, Original Watercolour, Water views

Morning Walk, Fairlight

June 10, 2011 by Erin Hill Sketching

Been awhile since I’ve done a watercolour.  I need to keep a good selection of small local paintings in watercolour.  Of course I’ve been doing the soft acrylics, but are much bigger. I love the long morning shadows. It means in a big foreground area such as in this painting, where nothing is happening – put in the long shadows and it pulls the composition together nicely. This walkway is an ‘off leash’ for the dogs too. So on a […]

Categories: Art, Plein air painting, Watercolour Painting • Tags: Composition & Colour, Original Watercolour, Water views

Re-visit the Rhone Alpes France

April 5, 2011 by Erin Hill Sketching

The reach of the internet is a wondrous thing. Somebody had seen the earlier painting of these toll houses and asked to buy the original. Absolutely. We had some correspondence and a smaller size was decided. If you live in an old cottage in Dorset, wall space is limited by beams, doorways, staircases, chimneys and more. And it doesn’t need to be mailed. The client is visiting Sydney so will pop in and pick up the finished painting. Easy. I […]

Categories: Art, Family & Friends, Painting in France, Plein air painting, watercolour • Tags: France, Location Sketches, Original Watercolour

Women Artists Worth Seeing

September 8, 2010 by Erin Hill Sketching

It’s funny how things work out. I’d seen Galleryeight on ‘Art Forum’ and liked the sound of the people, the venue, the Artists they are attracting, and decided it might be a Gallery I’d like to show in myself. There was an Opening happening on Tuesday night so Milton and I decided to attend. It’s in the historic part of Sydney town right next door to the oldest hotel which is a tourist attraction in itself. It’s not a big […]

Categories: Art exhibitions, Contemporary Art, Great places to exhibit, Painters • Tags: Exhibition space with feeling, Galleries, Original Watercolour, Visual Arts

Turquoise Water – Manly

August 24, 2010 by Erin Hill Sketching

Drum roll. Da daaaaa. The painting is complete. Last week I went to Manly and did the drawing and this week the painting has happened. Although I had photos I decided against referring to them at all. The drawing was to be my reference and I’d done the simplifying there. The scene is a bit complicated when you actually view it, with one large wharf, and another in front of that, so lots of detail I decided to lose. It’s […]

Categories: Art, Manly Beach, watercolour • Tags: Composition & Colour, Harbour happenings, Original Watercolour

Milo the Cat at Monet’s Garden

June 25, 2010 by Erin Hill Sketching

Milo likes to get about. I realised he must have followed us onto the train to Vernon, then got himself to Monet’s Garden on the bus that takes you to the village. He must have loved the peace and quiet of no other visitors, when we painters were there by special arrangement. We had just one hour so I wouldn’t have noticed a thing except my pad and pen working at lightening speed. The feeling was pure joy to be […]

Categories: A Cat in Paris, Drawings & Sketches, Plein air painting • Tags: Line drawing with Watercolour, Original Watercolour, Paris Icon

The Toll houses of Pont en Royan

June 8, 2010 by Erin Hill Sketching

Another of Jackie’s great finds. Painting locations which are different, challenging and historical. Pont en Royan is one of the villages high in the Vercors national park in France. These gorges are some of the most famous in Europe. The medieval toll houses are 16th century and actually suspended over the river. It is breathtaking I can tell you. At the time tolls were collected at the pass from traders wishing to pass through the gorge. People still live there […]

Categories: Painting in France, Places of note, Plein air painting • Tags: Challenging Compositions, Original Watercolour, Travelling Painters