The Unexpected

Close up of a New Painting of Primroses

I love painting shadows so the fall of  soft violet over one face of a flower is really pleasing to my eye.

Sometimes when everything is going so beautifully the unexpected will take you by surprise as it did to me this week. A hurried race to hospital in severe pain started my early morning on Monday and I was kept in for observation. After x-rays, and rest I was allowed to come home. I am really relieved to say the pain is now subsiding and on treament I feel fine again. I have had to take an unplanned break which has given me time to enjoy looking forward to my year and what is planned.

Sometimes not being able to paint is a good thing.We have more time in our minds to see what we want to achieve. I have a full year ahead with some really wonderful exhibitions which I plan to only show exciting work in. Which means I will be loving my time in the garden and nearby locations painting what I enjoy most, from life in amazingly different lights and with a feeling of movement in my brushstrokes capturing what I see in unique results.

In my imagination I see all the gorgeous Spring Flower paintings yet to be approached lightly and in stunning  colours that scream the time of year.

On my positive, as always note, I am so lucky.

It was a good time to be taken ill as this is my quiet month mainly set aside for administration. It is a great time to  recover well and a brilliant time to rest when  the flora and fauna is yet to  come into full bloom.

Spring Posy appearing in watercolour

************************

Sunday: A Day Of Rest

Simple Church Study

I live not far away from Jane Austens home in  Chawton.  There is a beautiful church in the village that has always attracted my brush and I have painted it over the years in many  different ways. But today I really was simply playing with watercolour and gaining a few ideas for my week ahead. I am so fortunate in that we are surrounded by beautiful churches with incredible architecture.

This really is a very simple study, not intended as a finished painting. It is more of an exploration into working with a landscape.

I keep small pieces of watercolour paper for moments like this. Days when I know I should take a complete break but in my heart know that would be impossible. I am a true addict when it comes to working with my favourite medium.

Tomorrow will come and I know my studio is ready, my easel awaits with a clean fresh piece of large paper.

******************

You can read about Jane Austens home in Hamphsire via this link.

http://www.jane-austens-house-museum.org.uk/index.php

Good Intentions

Studio: Primrose Collection 2012

Using techniques from my new book "Atmospheric Watercolours" which will be out in May 2012

My studio right now is full of paintings. Some complete and many waiting for the final brushstrokes. To walk into this haven each day and have gorgeous washes tempting me to work on them is an ideal start to my days.

I have so much on in the way of projects and upcoming exhibitions. Today to enjoy colour flowing, see flowers appearing out of washes and simply allow myself the freedom to enjoy each new brushstroke was heaven.

Over the last week I have communicated with USA and Australia for future workshops.  I have recieved some very touching emails about my work and replied to as many personal messages as I can.

Next week I hope to add to my growing collection of floral work and begin to paint  my next new subjects in a unique experimental style.

Life is great!

******************

Pleasantly Pheasant

The beginning of a new painting of a pheasant

You wouldn't want to eat the same thing every day. It would become boring and the joy of looking forward to meals would be lost.  And yet many artists paint the same subject repeatedly in exactly the same way for a variety of reasons. Maybe they sell well, or they are what the artist is best at painting.

I am a butterfly as an artist. I leap from one subject to the next and yet when I do settle on an idea I will play with it, looking at every way I could possibly improve with each new brushstroke. I have settled with the notion of painting pheasant.  In my mind I can still see the bird in the lane that caught my attention and made me yearn to paint them in the first place. There is an emotuonal connection in that I fell in love with it as a possible painting. I have a beautiful image in my head that I desperately want to portray on paper.

I couldn't wait to start painting today and now have not one but four  pheasants in various stages of development. They are all very different and each is a favourite at the moment. I have changed the washes,  head positions, eyes, feathers yet kept all of the compositions similar.

On this painting I am eager to add details around the eye and work downwards towards the fabulous,proud chest.  But I will put my brushes down and leave my studio with that fantastic high of wanting to race back tomorrow to complete the exciting pieces.

Pheasantly Surprised Again!

I hope when I walk into my studio tomorrow morning I will be "pheasantly" surprised!

***************

Pleasantly Surprised

Pheasantly Surprised

It was only a matter of time before a pheasant popped up in my watercolour collections again. I haven't painted one for a while but as I came home from a trip this week a beauty casually walked across the country lane in front of me.

I couldn't help myself. I put the primroses I was working on to one side and began to paint  the colourful fellow instead, using some of my new water  techniques from my new book.

I am not sure how long I will stay away from painting primroses but I know one thing.

I am having so much fun!

*************

My new book cover!

Here it is at last,

My new book cover!

"Atmospheric Watercolours" will be launched in May 2012.

More details will be added on my blog shortly.

More Primroses in Watercolour 2012

A close up of todays primrose painting.

I knew it!

I knew once I started painting Spring flowers I would become hooked and not think of anything else which is a real worry as I have exhibitions  in the not so distant future where other subjects are more urgently needed.

 New primrose painting developing through layers of colour placement and addition of details.

Having worked on bold  horse racing scenes and my favourite cockerels recently I found  jumping into more subtle, pale, soft shades a welcome challenge at first. I am much happied with todays work. There are ghosts of flowers within the centre and background of each new piece and the colours flow more magically.

I am loving working on the  flower in the foreground of this particular painting as it makes a statement of being the star of the show.

Shadow and petal edge detail brings the first flower to life

By the time Spring really arrives I could be " primrosesd out" at this rate! My studio looks fabulous with flower paintings dotted in every single space. And as always I can't wait for my next painting session to begin.

*****************