The joy of designing a garden means lots of trips to established gardens and centres to study plants. I need to understand how they grow, what light and soil suits them best and which plants will provide year round colour for my cottage. I always choose plants I wish to paint. I look at shape,colour and texture. This is how I work with my paintings also. This makes my compositions interesting.
Last year I became entranced with hydrangea in its' many varieties. I bought some for a Spring workshop and loved how artists fell in love with their shape. A year later and I am still very much in love with the plant. I especially love this painting because what you can't see adds so much more impact than what you can.
Study the flower in the distnace that is hardly there behind the main cluster. It says so much with so little detail. The flow of dark green through the centre brings a wonderful connection between all the individual blossoms.
It started like this with the central flow in place and developed gradually.
Another simple play of colours created this next study which was the start of a new addiction to my painting these flowers.
Another composition and collection of ideas for future work.
The more you study the same subject, and the more frequently you paint it the stronger the fascination appears to be.
The saying " Practise makes perfect" holds true in so many ways. But I usually ask artists attending my workshops to only paint subjects that make them feel excitement when they pick up a brush.When you are bored with your work it really shows in the results. At the moment I am now in love with painting hydrangea but if you know me well you won't expect them to appear on my blog tomorrow. Like a thistle seed in the wind my energy and creative soul will be carried at will to the next subject and my brush will be moving eagerly to capture it with a variety of texture and colours in each piece.
It is Monday, a whole new week lies in front of us to cover paper with colour.I aim to make this week the best ever in my work.
How about you?
I love trying to paint these flowers. Key word being "trying". I've yet to master them. I will, one day, win my battle to complete a painting of hydrangeas that I am happy with. Until then, I admire your representation of them in your style.....they are lovely.
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