Height of Summer Painting!
Cotswolds with The Loose Gang
Hello everyone, and welcome back to this week’s edition of Loose Watercolours! I hope you’re all enjoying the height of summer. Everywhere seems to be bursting with colour at the moment, from cottage gardens overflowing with flowers to hedgerows and meadows at their very best. It’s such an inspiring time of year to get outdoors with a sketchbook and paintbrush.
After the workshop, I treated myself to a short break in the Cotswolds. It was lovely to slow the pace for a few days, wander through the picturesque villages, enjoy the beautiful countryside and, of course, gather plenty of inspiration for future paintings. Sometimes a change of scenery is just what’s needed to recharge the creative batteries.
How has your week been? Have you managed to fit in any painting, or have you simply been enjoying everything this wonderful season has to offer? Whatever you’ve been up to, I hope you’ve found a little time to relax and soak up the beauty of summer.
It was also lovely to see so many of you at our last live broadcast, ‘Floral Friends’ As always, our live sessions take place on Monday evenings at 8pm (GMT). You can join us through either Loose Watercolours or Patreon, as I stream to both platforms simultaneously, so simply choose whichever is most convenient for you.
Why not take a look at last week’s loose broadcast if you’re looking for some artistic inspiration? There’s a lovely gallery below of some of your renditions of ‘Floral Friends.’ Click here to enjoy some more.
If you fancy some painting practice this week, then why not head over to Patreon? ‘Juicey Apple’ is a new tutorial ready for you to try, full of bright, summer colours to you to play around with. If you want to try and paint along, follow the link here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/andrewgeesonloosewatercolours
And if you want more practice, there’s also another tutorial over on the website. This time, the subject is ‘Heather Doorway’ and you can watch it by heading over to loosewatercolours.com
.
I thought we’d take another little look at how to improve your watercolour painting this week with a refresh of our Tips & Techniques series. The subject? Using Miss Rigger brush. Watch the video below a few times to get an idea of how to practice, then put your newly honed skills to good use with few more loose watercolours paintings!
Tips & Tricks Trees & Leaves
What about ‘An apple a day keep’s the doctor away!’ Where did that phrase originate?
Well I have a new phrase for you, “A loose watercolour a day makes the happiness stay!’ What do you think? :-)
Anyway here is a quick loose run through of our ‘Juicey Apple!’
Find the Full Tutorial on Patreon
Just click here: My Patreon Channel
And here’s a quick look at what I got up to on my travels including visiting this famous doorway, do you recognise it?
Hope you enjoy as much as I did!
If you liked the sound of Plein air painting, why not join me on my next painting holiday? If you’ve got some free time and fancy some expert watercolour guidance, why not join me in beautiful Portugal from the 17th to the 24th October 2026, where you can enjoy a seven day watercolour holiday with five days tuition! You’ll stay at an amazing four star hotel, the Vila Do Obidos, and have a fantastic time painting all of the beautiful sights of the Iberian Peninsula.
If you’d like to find out more, you can visit Alpha Painting Holidays at alphapaintingholidays.com, by mobile phone at +44 (0) 1934 733877, or by email at joinus@alphapaintingholidays.com.
And if you’re looking for a lovely little summer treat, then why not upgrade to some new brushes for your painting practice? You can get your very own set of Loose Gang brushes by following the link just here: https://www.patreon.com/andrewgeesonloosewatercolours/shop/loose-gang-brush-set-28089?source=storefront
That’s all from me this week, as the summer sports are dwindling to a close, Toby and I are off to find a good spot on the sofa and my a biscuit each, just the one!. As always, there’s an exclusive tutorial waiting especially for all of you lovely paid subscribers. Your generous support helps keep this Substack going, and I’m very grateful for each and every one of you. This week’s tutorial is ‘Tea in the Wild’ so I hope you enjoy painting along.
Toby and I will be back in your inboxes very soon, but until then, have a wonderful week, enjoy the sunshine, and happy painting!
