AFTER some brief announcements, the chairman introduced Dermot Cavanagh to give his watercolour demonstration.

Dermot is well known for his BBC television series Awash With Colour. His chosen subject was Doe Castle in Donegal with its seaside setting and mountainous background.

He explained his technique at every stage of his painting and also discussed and advised on general watercolour topics.

His advice on brushes was that a small number should be used, he only uses three, but that you should get to know their characteristics really well.

Similarly with paints, with his chosen 12 colours he was confident he could reproduce any colour that he encountered without recourse to specialised colour mixes.

He was emphatic that only well sized, reputable watercolour paper should be used.

As his painting developed – sky then castle then sandy beach – Dermot kept up a stream of advice on colour mixing, application of washes and blending. With the sea and distant mountains completed, he concentrated on painting the foreshore details, showing how he uses his scraping technique to render the dark, weed strewn rocks.

With his impressive painting finished, Dermot concluded this informative and entertaining presentation to his appreciative audience.

The next meeting will be at St. Luke’s Memorial Hall, Evesham Road, Headless Cross on Wednesday, May 7 at 7.30pm when Roy Lang will demonstrate Seascapes in Oils.