Bags of Books Lewes, workings

Way back...about four years ago, I painted my first Lewes picture in this style. It was of Bags of Books, but I changed the details behind, making up a few houses! Anyway, this sparked a love of painting in my current style, and I went on..and on...painting my way around Lewes, Brighton, Bath, and other pretty places.
I sold that first picture at an exhibition at the Chailey and Newick Painting Group, at Chailey Village Hall, back in 2008. Bags of Books use it currently on their website.
I have set myself the challenge this week of painting Bags of Books again, this time not making up extra houses, so that I can hopefully exhibit it at the CNPG exhibition again, which is this weekend!
I have a black frame ready and waiting.

Here are the workings...
I sketched the picture out in my sketchbook, working from photographs in a nice warm room! I knew I was aiming for a square finish to fit my frame (no chance of exhibiting this weekend if I needed to get a frame made!)
Once the sketch had dried, I gridded it up (2cm squares) ready to enlarge it to the size needed on my watercolour paper. I buy my paper in large heavy weight sheets, and then cut them to size for the painting, this saves a lot of waste.

I am excited now with fidgety fingers...the picture is drawn and ready for paint. Cant wait to start!! It's Wednesday lunch time now. Will I be done in time to hand in Friday Lunchtime??? watch this space!