Spring Fever Strikes Again!

Double Daffodil Inspiration

Spring Fever has well and truly hit me. I cannot stop painting daffodils!

I am wandering around my garden looking for each new exciting clump of flowers that create magical inspiration for me. Some blooms are all facing forward neatly in a row. One group has flowers facing three different directions which is fascinating to work on as a composition.

I thought it would be fun and interesting for my blog followers to see how I work.

Firstly I obviously choose my subjects and observe colour, shadows and how light plays a part in the effect I would most like to achieve. To get to this point  as an artist you really do have to learn to sit still patiently and just look, minus a brush in your hand! We are all far too impatient in life. Learning "to see" is so important and a skill many of us don't realise we need to practise more.

Then I have two options on how to start a painting.

1) I can go straight in with a wash of the colours that I see. I aim to capture a " ghost" of the subject in this initial wash. As I never use a preliminary sketch beforehand or pencil lines to guide me, my imagination is free to add colour where I wish. A whispery hint of the subject is aimed for, minus detail which can be added later in the next stages of the painting process. I try to "breath life" into my work at this stage, and it is such a magical feeling when it actually happens in that you can see the subject long before any definition has been added.

 A daffodil " ghost" wash. The subject is mysteriously there minus any detail, But like this, the work is far too abstract to call a complete painting. It needs further brushstrokes.

Or my next option.

 2) I can paint one flower quite seriously and use it as a starting point to add " ghost" flowers around it. As in the painting below.

A more detailed flower on my easel. Painted as a starting point with more expressive " ghost" half finished flowers surrounding it.

I am having such a fantastic time. In fact, I am loving working on these floral paintings so much I have almost forgotten I am suffering from a bad head cold!

I now cannot wait until morning to work further on my Spring collection!

Artist tip for the day? Paint in cheerful colours to lift your spirits and brighten your mood. It works!

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