Summer Days

Making the Most of Natural Summer Light

Echinacea 

Painted in this afternoons summer  sunshine.

I couldn't bear to be on my computer today so  I am behind with emails, messages and the August Watercolour challenge. Instead of typing I made the most of every second of sunshine today and worked on paintings for my next book.

With whispery soft touches I began to bring an Echinacea flower to life. As its petals appeared softly with the sun shining on my shoulders I felt an inner happiness that is so hard to explain. Sometimes solitude can be a wonderful thing.

My day started with a family of swans arriving at our cottage.Three young cygnets eagerly fed from me and the proud parent watched with almost a smile on their face. Make that beak! 

Thsi afternoon I took a lovely walk with Bailey through a nearby field that is full of wild flowers which created an incredible riot of colour. What fascinated me is that nature placed every single colour you could imagine together in this field. Forget everything you have ever been taught about choosing colours that harmonise for a painting. Because not one of these colours did in the field.  And yet it looked exciting and fabulous. As soon as I came home I tried to paint the feeling of light and happiness that was in my heart.

Maybe that is another secret to achieving a good painting.Your mood and how you allow it to  flow into your results. Mine is light and carefree,and I hope that will show in my finished piece!

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I will add the August challenge soon!