Messing About on the Water(colour).

Marsh Sentinel; watercolour; Adele Cosgrove-Bray 2015.

This week saw me sailing down the Shropshire Union Canal in a narrowboat. The weather was lovely, warm with bright autumn sunlight which proved perfect for sitting on the prow of the Pot of Gold, eating egg and mayo sandwiches while ducking under towering weeping willow trees and dodging wasps which homed-in on the Victoria sponge cake.

The narrowboat is owned by the Wirral Community Narrowboat Trust, a charitable organisation crewed by trained volunteers.

We sailed past Waverton, and admired the houses whose gardens run right down to the water's edge. Then we left suburbia behind and slid through open countryside, passing by a long, long line of narrowboats with permanent moorings. It was like a floating village, some of the moorings being equipped with wind-power and solar-power systems. Some narrowboats were cheerfully painted, others had more sombre colour schemes, a few looked rather rusty, while others' roofs were crammed with culinary plants or bright annuals.

Everyone found it fascinating, and the trip was greatly enjoyed by all in the group.

Marsh at Dawn; watercolour; Adele Cosgrove-Bray 2015.

I've been experimenting with watercolour painting over recent weeks. I've previously painted in oils, but the techniques used for watercolours are completely different and it's so long since I used this medium that, in effect, I'm having to re-learn everything but I truly don't mind that. In fact, it's been fun. Here are some of the results. Click on the images to see them larger.

Boat on the Shore; watercolour; Adele Cosgrove-Bray 2015.

Landscape; watercolour; Adele Cosgrove-Bray 2015.

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