A Yellow Explosion : Daffodils in Watercolour

A collection of yellow washes, first stages of daffodil paintings in watercolour

I really feel sorry for anyone who doesn't work in watercolour! Its' the most fantastic feeling on earth watching colour flow over paper turning into subjects magically, often in my case by pigment interaction alone rather than by deliberately being painted. Yes, you do need to know how to apply pigment, when ,where,  and at what stage of the paper. being still damp. But once you get into this way of working it is so wonderfully addictive!

This morning I looked at the bright sunshine and just had to paint it. I eagerly reached for my yellow pigments and  started a collection of washes of the daffodils in my garden. There is a gentle breeze today, so the flower heads are moving in my garden and this is a feeling I tried to portray in the first two washes. Inside our cottage I have a vase of very bright yellow daffodils, all clustered together, so this inspired my third wash of deep yellow pigment in a central composition. Under our kitchen window in the garden, there is a bank of daffodils with muscari lining up in front of them . So the lower two washes on my easel are inspired by this gorgeous combination of blue and yellow. Can you work out which wash is which in the image above when all the washes were placed on my easel?

The image below is of the vase of daffodils in my cottage. I have left out the vase and just painted the flowers. There is no detail added yet. This is literally just colour making the flowers appear with hints of shapes in the early stage of my painting. I didn't aim to paint individual flowers and yet they are there already.

 Daffodils bursting to life in the very early stages of a first wash.

The image below shows the daffodils inpisred by my garden, leaning with the force of the wind behind them. I cannot wait to complete these paintings.

Daffodils being blown in the wind by the breeze.

First Wash.

These are all painted on Bockingford 140lbs paper and they are singing with fresh clean colour.

Cadmium Yellow, working at its best!

Please don't forget I have a competition running in the Artist Magazine at the moment. On using yellow pigment. If you have a unique way of painting with it you can find more details on how to join in via this link

http://www.painters-online.co.uk/Painting-Competitions/Info/haines

Spring, Glorious Spring! Daffodils in Watercolour

Loving how these daffodils are emerging on my easel.

The sun is shining and a morning walk around my garden has been a highlight of my day. Daffodils, snowdrop,crocus and primroses are all in flower. Even the cherry blossom and witchhazel are coming into bloom so the variety of colour I see daily is incredible. Adding further temptation for my brushes and palette choices to capture a sense of life in my new collection of watercolours.

I always feel energised in sunshine.  If we had it every day then  it wouldn't be so magical to look forward to. Just like our art because the paintings that don't turn out as you imagine they would, make the ones that  do even more fantastic.

After such a great week of workshops last week it is wonderful to be back in my studio and  enjoying quiet creative time. Right now I am putting all the yellow shades on my palette a good work out. adding instant sunshine to my results.

 I love Spring!

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