1863

This is fantastic! I love this! Amazing! My best one yet! Well, after so long dealing with negative thoughts, it is nice for once to celebrate a success. I enjoyed my time here spent painting. I especially like the finished painting. Do you pop into your 'gallery front room' to pause your busy schedule, looking at a beautiful work of art you have created? I have and do.

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It started a few days before, when my partner took time with me to show me how to make frames from used canvas frames (stretchers). In the beginning, I had gone to a local framer's but the cost had become prohibitive. Having tried myself to make frames and mounts, I realise this is a long-term solution. Buying frames online is fine, but you need to understand the relative sizes of frames, mounts and painting. So, now I had two hanger frames for larger works. The trouble was, I'd need a mount to make it work. I didn't have any mounting card. I know, I have A2 paper. I can use that and cut it down to size.

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I picked up the pad and went back to my set up on the kitchen table. My bottle went. The A2 felt huge, too difficult. I replaced it with the A3 I am used to... The scene for this painting had occurred to me while out on a walk on a sunny morning. Like a gift, I approached the bridge I'd long wanted to paint. I expected to do this from the other side, had taken some photos for this. But no, here was the scene to paint right in front of me. I had to do this justice. And I had to paint it on A2. I had to start sometime!

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The picture of the scene had been displayed on my tablet, while I set up. My process was the same, regardless of the size of paper. Looking at the photo for five minutes, I thought about the grounding tones. I mentally divided up the page into thirds, both ways. This forms a loose grid in my head. That voice chirped up, 'You've cocked it up again. Better start again...' But then, I remembered my tutor saying, 'Start with acrylics. They dry quicker. And, if you make a mistake, you can just paint over.' And so I did. I wasn't happy with the shadow under the bridge. 'That's better', I told myself. In truth, I was really enjoying myself. Something had shifted from the previous week after coming to appreciate painting is just as much about the time and care you take while painting. 

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I don't know but I heard sometimes that oils are for better paintings. My only experience of oils are of watching my partner paint. She is amazing, yet each painting requires waiting till dry. She has a number of paintings on the go at any one time. Acrylics were my 'in'. I'm not sure I'd still be painting, if I had started with oils. I struggle with one painting on the go. The thought of having two or even three started fills me with horror! For me, paint is paint. I love acrylics. It works for me and is encouraging. One day, I'd love to have a go at painting in oils, as I've enjoyed painting with watercolours while on holiday. There is no rush. I won't be giving up acrylics ever, that's for sure! They're brilliant.

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I couldn't avoid it any longer. There was an aching hole in the middle of the page, just below the middle, actually, waiting for a large, stone railway bridge to appear. I went for a wander. I sat back and looked at the composition. 'Just do it!' And it turned out okay, more than okay. The date of construction of the bridge gives it as 1863, hence the title. It was originally built in Otterspool to connect the docks in Garston with a station at Brunswick dock, nearer to Liverpool city centre. A year later, it became part of the Cheshire Lines line between Liverpool and Manchester.

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My goodness, I think I like that. It is shining. I really do like it. What about the scissors? To fit it to the frame! Laughing, no way this was getting cut down to size. It sits on my living room window ledge across two A-frames, awaiting it's own gilt-edged frame!