Pigeon Cove and some new paper

Each time I go to Cape Ann, I return to my favourite painting spots. I don’t always have time to sketch but I take lots of photos so that I can continue painting when I get home. This time, besides returning to Pigeon Cove, I also returned home with some new paper: a block of Millford watercolour paper from St. Cuthberts Mill.

I’ve been reading about this paper and seen a few people using it online. One of my favourite watercolour sheets is Saunders Waterford paper, and this one is from the same mill. What makes it a little different from their other papers is that it is hard-sized, meaning it is made to stay wet for longer. It’s a block of paper so I couldn’t wet the paper on both sides but it seems to perform as advertised: both the initial sky wash and the first glaze on the foreground rocks stayed moist and glistening for a longer time than I am used to. This test was done in the controlled environment of my studio. It will be interesting to take it outside where wind and heat usually dry the paper too quickly.