Inspiration : Our Mistakes, Like Weeds Can Be Beautitiful.

 Five Minute Study on My Easel

Poppy Inspiration

I like to unwind at the end of my working day. Who doesn't! I have so much going on at the moment which is now  quite normal for my art career. I am planning tours, working on my new book and exciting exhibition paintings for a solo show in Autumn. I find the inner child in me still needs to come "out to play" daily. To create just for fun and to learn from observation as often as possible.

Today was an extraordinarily long working day. I will admit as the time to close my studio grew nearer my mind wandered. I have been looking at the  flowers in my garden. Especially in one particular flower bed. Every year wild poppies self seed and grow here, where ever they wish in the otherwise meticulous border. They always add an element of surprise and an unexpected distraction from the  almost perfect display each year. We love them so much that we leave them now but when we first moved into this cottage we considered removing them. How sad that action would have been.  They are delicate and move freely in the Summer breeze. I love them now.

Their appearance reminds me of my workshops and artists reactions when things go wrong in their paintings. Whereas they often see a disaster, I see an added attraction of colour and excitement by the  new watermarks formed where they weren't supposed to be.

Watercolour is a medum that shines if left to work freely rather than  consistently aiming for perfection in each painting. Pigment interaction and fabulous "happy accidents" can equally thrill the artist or lead them to dismay. For me the accidents are just like these gorgeous wild flowers. Determined to blossom and if left alone they do add beauty which would otherwise have been missed.

Artist Tip: Try looking at your watercolour "happy accidents" as wonders instead of disasters. Celebrate them rather than hide them. And in time you will enjoy working with this magical medium all the more if you do.

I very quickly painted a poppy on a scrap of paper  tonight, to close my painting session. I allowed colour to fuse at will.  I loved the beautiful pigment interaction and the sense of flow as colours ran across the paper. I felt free and happy. In my heart I am longing to paint a serious composition of poppies tomorrow. But if I aim for controlled perfection I may just miss the fun I had by being spontaneous tonight.

Food for thought

Weed or Beauty!

Wild poppies in my garden.