John Gerrie Artwork

March 2026 Newsletter

A Winter That Refused to Let Go

The end of 2025 was fairly quiet, but January 2026 arrived with real force and the harsh weather continued well into the final week of February. Here in the north east of Scotland, we had an extraordinary run of snow, rain and bitterly low temperatures. It felt relentless, and even past difficult winters struggled to compare with the sheer amount of water and cold we experienced.

When the Weather Shapes the Art

One of the biggest effects of this long spell of bad weather was the difficulty of getting out and about to find fresh and interesting subjects to paint for my newsletters. In the end, rather than fighting against the conditions, I decided to work with them.
That led me to paint a watercolour of a quiet backwater not far from my home. At the time, the days were dull, with sleet, snow and a heavy dampness in the air that seemed to leave everything hanging limp and lifeless. It was not the most dramatic subject, but it did become a very useful example of how a painting can quietly take on a life of its own, sometimes in ways the artist never intended.

When a Painting Falls Flat

Artists often choose subjects they believe will make strong and engaging paintings. Yet once the drawing begins and the painting starts to develop, it can become clear that something is not working. What seemed promising at first can slowly lose energy, leaving the finished piece feeling flat and disappointing.
The painting I am showing this month is one such example.

The Artist’s Instinct

As artists, we usually work with a strong inner belief that what we are creating is worthwhile. Most of the time, that instinct carries us forward. Every now and then, though, something shifts. We begin with enthusiasm and confidence, but as the painting develops, that good feeling fades. Even so, we keep going, hoping to recover the spark that was there at the start.

Looking Closely at This Month’s Watercolour

In this painting, I wanted to capture the feeling of a cold winter day. In one sense, that was achieved. The scene certainly conveys chill and bleakness. However, the colours became too subdued, settling into a narrow range of browns, with very little relief from greens, yellows or blues beyond the shadows on the snow.
I added a touch of red in the distance in the hope of lifting the background, but it was not enough to bring the scene to life. The water itself was never going to offer much brightness, and without those fresher notes of blue or green, the flow and interest on the surface were lost.
The trees, which can so often provide strong structure in a painting, also offered little help here. On such a dull day they became little more than upright sticks, edged with snow on one side. I considered whether introducing another feature, perhaps a ruined building, might have given the painting a stronger focal point. In reality, there was no space for that without cluttering the composition. There was also a dilapidated fence in the middle distance, but including it would not have improved the overall result.

A Useful Reminder

What remains is a genuine sense of cold, but not enough else to hold the eye. Too many features have merged together, and although the painting is competently done, it lacks the vibrancy needed to make it a truly engaging subject.
Even so, paintings like this are valuable. They remind us that not every subject will sing, and not every piece will capture what we hoped for. That is part of being an artist. Sometimes a painting succeeds brilliantly, and sometimes it quietly teaches a lesson instead. This month’s watercolour is one of those lessons, and perhaps that makes it worth sharing after all.

Finally


I truly appreciate your interest in my artwork, and I hope you enjoy reading this newsletter and exploring more paintings on my website.
Thank you again for your support.
Until next month,
Happy viewing!
John Gerrie



The Winter Scene Painting
Watercolour painting of a winter scene.

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