Things can Only Get Better

Latest Blackberry Wash

Full of drama, excitement, movement and glorious colour 

The thing about colour is that you can never get tired of it. The colour exercises from my latest book "Paint Yourself Calm" become totally addictive. I often go to sleep at night thinking about which colours I am going to work with the next day and I drift off into a peaceful sleep knowing that when I paint tomorrow things are going to get better. When you think that we have such little control so often in our lives , having that sense of freedom to put colour on paper when we choose to and how we choose to is quite a powerful feeling.

But if you paint small warm up exercises each day your knowledge of working with pigment will build up gradually in a way that it is only natural that your  washes will definitely get better and better in time.

I am thrilled this morning. I have been experimenting with colour but in a slightly limited way until now. Now I have broken lose. Today I painted recklessly throwing literally every single colour from my palette on to my new very large wash and I love it. I placed some neat Daniel Smith Moonglow on top of my still wet wash and used it to hint at where blackberries will be added later. I let colour run downwards off the paper. I dropped water onto the still damp colour in sections and let it puddle and run.

Just look at my glowing result. It is full of the happy energy that I poured into this piece. I feel as though I am on a glorious adventure into something completely new. I do believe there is an artist in each of us but quite often we restrict them by not allowing them the freedom to shine. We paint what we know and feel comfortable with and yet taking risks is much more fun.

I am so happy that I now want to paint three more large new washes. Each even more exciting.

How wonderful to get such a buzz without even leaving my home!

You can too.

Happy painting.

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