Canterbury Bells, Campanula in Watercolour

Canterbury Bells

Campanula

Everywhere I travel these delightful little flowers seem to have different names. In Norway they were described to me by the name " Bluebells" and they grew  beautifully alongside quiet roads in the natural, wild countryside when I was teaching watercolour workshops there some years ago. In America I also came across them and was given stunning photographs.

Here in England I see them in many varieties and colours, usually purple or white. I love the tiny variety that I have in my garden but last year became fascinated with the giant form that  grow  quite tall with massive clusters of bells hanging from the stems. No wwe hve these in our cottage garden too. I will confess that as a child I always imagined fairies lived inside each little bell shapes. My Grandfather had told me many stories about fairies and elves and I used to believe every word he uttered!

Following my experiments painting forget-me-nots, yesterday, I moved onto to slightly more purple hues in my palette today and was delighted at the early results in my washes.

Summer is a season where my brushstrokes are always lighter,softly gentle. Almost breathing life into my work as I paint. I cannot wait to start a new painting of Canterbury Bells. And this is the exact feeling I aim to instil in my workshops. That magical enthusiasm of wanting to paint and not feeling satisfied until you have moved your brush at least once a day!

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