Builth Wells artist releases new watercolour book.A highly regarded artist, writer and tutor has released a new book detailing his techniques and ideas for painting his beloved landscape throughout the year.David Bellamy, who lives in Builth Wells, has written Landscapes through the Seasons in Watercolour, published by Search Press. A revised and expanded edition of David Bellamy's Winter Landscapes in Watercolour, David looks at each season in detail and explores the challenges and surprises they present to the landscape artist. In the fully illustrated book, David explores, through painting, the beautiful landscapes across the UK including those in his own area in Powys.David said: "Many of my books include scenes of Powys, and my new book has quite a number.”"Of all the counties in Britain, Powys is probably the least well-known for its outstanding beauty, outside the Brecon Beacons national park boundaries, and it's a great privilege to live here and record its glorious scenery."Through Landscapes through the Seasons, David shares his techniques for creating seasonal effects, such as rendering hoar frost on trees, creating realistic looking foliage, limiting the colour palette to create mood and how to give your painting misty and atmospheric impact. David also lays out what the best materials to use are in a variety of different situations and the varying ways the artist can handle a paint brush to give a desired effect.A full-time artist and author, David has written over 15 books illustrated with his paintings, and eight DVDs on his techniques in watercolour have been produced by APV films. David paints mainly in watercolour, specialising chiefly in mountain, wild coast, Arctic, and desert scenery. He is also currently working on a book about the Middle East.David said: "My sketching adventures have led to encounters with polar bears and walrus, among other creatures in remote fjords, falling over a crocodile in East Africa, taking painting groups into the Himalayas and the Andes, and exploring deep into the Sahara Desert.”“Even though they smell a bit and make rather rude noises, the bull walrus is one of the most considerate models I have ever sketched. In Nepal, one student managed a superb watercolour sketch of Everest only to get it eaten by a yak as it was drying on a wall”“It has been a great privilege to meet so many wonderful people in so many of these wild locations. Powys has also given me many interesting moments, especially when sketching underground in excruciatingly challenging positions."Through his painting and writing, David also hopes to bring about greater awareness of the threats to the natural environment and is particularly active in conserving wild areas. David also occasionally runs painting courses at Caer Beris Manor Hotel in Builth Wells but has not been able to run any this year due to the pandemic. The events usually attract people from many parts of the world including Japan and the USA. Locally, David exhibits paintings at the Ardent Gallery in Brecon.
