Practice, Practice, Practice

Before I begin commenting on student's work, let me show you what practice can do. 

The watercolour below is the first that I ever painted. The year is 1960 and I was seventeen years old. I remember taking myself off into a remote field so that no one could see the mess I was about to make. I realise now that my brush was too small and my colours too dry. At the time I considered it to be a complete failure but now I see it as a brave attempt.

 

Move forward to the year 2000. A similar subject but what forty years of practice can do!

From the very beginning I realised that speed of execution to be the secret of a good water colour. The first painting took me fifteen minutes and the second took me fifteen minutes....plus forty years of practice!