Aberdeen Watercolor

While painting with the Ladies, I decided to start a little watercolor of a scene in Aberdeen, Scotland. Our hotel was just down and across the street from this pub called the Noose and Monkey. Where do they come up with those names? We did eat at the N&M once - who could resist such a name and funky building? It was not our favorite place to eat, but interesting.

Aberdeen is often called the Granite City or the Grey City because the buildings are made from local granite quarries. The mica causes the granite to sparkle. To me, sometimes the buildings are purple, but some have a rose hue to them. When the sun sets, the granite often has a very nice glow. My purpose in this watercolor was to paint in more color so that it was not just a grey painting. I also wanted the painting to be a bit loose, Painting buildings makes me a bit tight and technical and, yet, not. Now, I will set this painting up and walk by it and look at it and see if I want to make changes. A painting is not finished until you have looked at it for a while and decided if you like it. At art with the little girls, one of my students begged, "Am I finished? Please, please, Miss Lou, say I am finished!" My reply - as if she had been a bad girl, "Go to your room and think about this painting for a while."

Every day while in Aberdeen, I walked down this street past lots of little shops and pubs to the Aberdeen Art Gallery and on to the mall. Sometimes I went over a few streets to the main drag of sorts to do some shopping. I often walked to the Maritime Museum and the Provost Ross House, a museum and one of the oldest buildings in Aberdeen. Jesse did this painting from a photo she took at the Provost House. Museums and buildings fascinate me.

I did not go to WF the other day - to take Jes her stuff, but I may go today. She may put some pottery in a little student art show. If I go, I can see the show. I'll let you know how it goes.