Shanghai Watermarks

Watermark Influences from Shanghai

Anenome Magic

I owe so much to my mentor from Shanghai. She patiently taught me how to hold a brush to create a magical variety of brushstrokes  in order to create incredible shapes. By simple placement of limited colour and by careful management of the application of water in exactly the right spot the essence of many subjects  can come to life. I have come to combine my Chinese studies from living in Asia with my own techniques over the years to form flowers of all varieties.

On my studio desk is a vase of purple anenome that are at the point of  needing to be discarded. Painting flowers  whilst they are faded often leads the artists eye to more abstract  shapes which can be really pleasing to the eye. These shapes are often far more interesting than when the flowers are fiesh and new in their early stages of  blossoming.

The dying heads of the anenome have wonderful petals  leaning downwards away from the seedhead which contrast so well with the more fuller flower.

 Dying anenome with petals  in a downward formation exposing the seedhead.

Watermarks created by accurat eplacement of  water has formed the petals here.

In China I worked with wonderful inks on ink stones  along with my bamboo brushes. This morning I have used my Chinese paper and  fallen back into through my memories to the sessions with my elderly mentor. They could paint flowers in a way that the viewer of her finished work could feel like weeping with emotion at the beauty they were witnessing from a few simple brushstrokes. 

She inspired my artists soul and lives on in my heart to this day.   In her memory I am bringing her into my next book as  her words on composition are the most incredible I have ever heard. Taking the artist into a train of thought that logically tells a story  about placement of every brush mark and colour  placement.

 Anenome Seedhead

Influenced by Chinese Brushwork and compositions.

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