Newcastle Paintings
The Christmas break gave me the opportunity to do a new painting to add to the Newcastle collection of prints. My painting titled “Tyne Bridges, Summer Sunset” sold out last year. I wanted a new image to replace it that captured Newcastle’s quayside, the Millennium Bridge and the Sage. This particular view taken downstream from the Pitcher and Piano offers a multitude of contrasting elements to paint.
Millennium Bridge
First you have the loose fluid washes that make up the sky reflected in the Tyne. These expressive, colourful brush strokes are the perfect backdrop for the carefully constructed marks that define the varied architecture. The architecture itself is full of contrasts. Interconnecting curves from the Sage, the Millennium Bridge and the Tyne Bridge are grounded by the crisp vertical lines provided by the buildings and boats.
Further contrasts can be seen by the use of colour. Varied shades of cool blues are balanced by the warmth offered from billowing clouds that are lit by the low summer evening sunlight.
I painted this scene of Newcastle Quayside in stages for the Junction 42 clients. This was to go in some of the creative art packs for the prisons. Unlike this new watercolour, I had to use the same thin paper and cheap watercolour paints that the prisoners would be using. However, I was pleased with the results. I had to keep it very simple as the scale was much smaller and therefore difficult to add detail.
This new original watercolour and limited edition print is available online. It can be purchased in a range of sizes, from A4 to 660 x 500 mm.
The original watercolour and prints can also be seen at our Studio and Gallery in Ponteland.