30x30 Direct Watercolour Challenge - 17 - 20

The last time I posted I was 2 paintings ahead of schedule. I  have painted every day since, but the 17^th painting took so long that I lost a day. Which I made back up by doing two the next day. Here they are

17  The Caffe Tramvaj in Wenceslas Square in Prague. I visited Prague in 2017 and this café is where I enjoyed a cappuccino. It’s one of my favourite cafes anywhere. Is it because the coffee is incredibly good, or very cheap, or because it has the most wonderful staff ? That would be no, no and no. But it’s an old tram! I read in the Autumn of 2024 that it had been shut down for not having a permit. It’s a shame. I am proud of this one – it took absolutely hours to complete.

18 British Grand Prix. Back in 2022 during the challenge month I managed to make a couple of pictures which were actually relatively close to what I saw in my head while I was making them, and one was of a 1950s formula 1 grand prix car . I was proud of it and did sell it. So come 2023 I  did another Grand Prix picture but this one was rubbish. Well, things have been going so well with my 2025 pictures that I decided to bite the bullet and have another go.

19  Okay, so, by the end of Saturday 14^th I had made 16 pictures in total, which put me two pictures,  two days ahead of schedule. Sunday 15th was my birthday and Father’s Day so I didn’t get started until the evening. As a result I only finished it on the Monday. Making picture 18 on Tuesday morning kept me a day ahead. However I still had enough oomph and had a plan for a ‘quick’ picture. I’m not sure which seaside pier this is, but I’ve always really liked piers. 10 minutes to do the sea wet on wet, then leave to dry. 10 minutes to do the sky then leave to dry. 10 minutes to do the light mountains and the dark mountains in the background. 15 minutes to paint the pier. Bish bosh, job’s a good’un.

20 I found it difficult to find the oomph to paint today.- Wednesday 18th. With my broken left shoulder I  have to sleep in an upright position and for the last three nights I have slept very poorly. I  pushed myself, remembering that this makes the two thirds complete mark. It’s a stupid thing but I’m feeling pressure now every time I  make another painting because it’s been going so well and I don’t want to spoil it with rubbish. So this is a statue of former poet laureate, lover of Victorian architecture, and architectural conservationist. It’s situated in St. Pancras Station in London.

So there we are. 20 completed, with 12 days of the month left.