Delicate Brushstrokes

Daffodils, softly coming to life in watercolour

It is obvious that I am loving Spring this year. My happiness flows into my work as one floral after another comes to life on my easel. I have seen daffodils in bloom since I was a child. There has never been a year where their vibrant yellow has not cheered my soul. Their trumpet formations seem to herald a new beginning each year, welcoming in a season full of hope and joy.

Maybe I am being far too romantic! In my recent paintings I am trying to gain that feeling of  cheerfulness and a fabulous freedom of spirit. The new collection on my easel are painted from the daffodils in my cottage garden.  I have one gorgeous row in paticular, with all the heads facing in the same direction. They look similar to a line of dancers especially when the breeze moves their  pretty heads in time.

I hope to share more paintings very soon. For now, please consider painting what you seeseasonally  as often as possible. But take time to " really see" natures' beauty. 

Don't race past things that deserve a few minutes by stopping to enjoy them !

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A special thank you for all the personal emails letting me know how much you are enjoying my blog.

 I hope to reply personally soon!

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 Violets at The Frame Gallery in Odiham, Hampshire

Spring Violets

£350

This time next week my new solo exhibition "Watermark" will be open at the Frame Gallery in Odiham, Hampshire.

Among my new collection are two very sweet paintings of violets. I am thrilled with how they look in their frames and will be very sad to part with either . So much so that a part of me is hoping that no one likes them! I probably am not the best artist to show in a gallery as I often wish to keep my favourite paintings however I have limited wall space in my cottage!

Please contact the gallery if you are interested in any of my work

The link to contact Jan the gallery owner is 

http://www.theframe-gallery.co.uk/

The Simple Things in Life : Muscari in Watercolour

 Muscari studies on my easel
( Muscari flowers, also known as grape hyacinth) 

Near my studio there are wonderful clusters of grape hyacinth growing. Beautiful blue flowers sit around and under the yellows of taller daffodils in bloom. The colour combination is  magical. So of course each time I look out of my window I see them and naturally I want to paint them.

I have a painting that was included in my first book which I look at each Spring. I loved the mystical effect of the grape hyacinth flowers appearing from an old vintage jug that I own. I had created a still life and loved working peacefully on it. This old, original painting is on smooth Bockingford paper 140lbs. which is perfect for floral work and studies. Bockingford is a beautiful ,almost white paper that seems to make my work stand out more. Adding a dimension of light and a feeling of freshness.

The paper we use is so important to our results.

Here is a close up of the muscari in the painting from my book "How to Paint Colour and Light in Watercolour "

Spring Flowers painted on Bockingford 140lbs paper

I painted a small study of grape hyacinths on a scrap of  rough texture paper today, to highlight the difference in results. I have had to use different techniques as the surface of the textured paper doesn't allow me to lift the lighter sections of the muscari bell formations well. And pigment getting trapped in the pockets of the rough surface  held back my goal of silky petal effects.

Muscari on rough surface paper.

Paper we use in watercolour is a very personal choice but for florals I often opt for Bockingford or Saunders Waterford paper. A good weight but smooth surface.

For now I am going to get back painting and enjoying the Spring flowers whilst they last which isn't long. Spring, a season that we all eagerly wait for seems to disappear in the wink of  an eye so we must enjoy it while we can!

You can purchase my first book via this link

 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Colour-Light-Water-How-Paint/dp/1844484882

Artist Tip: Do vary the watercolour paper you use. You can achieve great things just by experimenting on paper surfaces and weights. Often the wrong paper holds an artist back more than their skill at painting!

Watermark Exhibition 2014 : Animals

 Due to interest in my new watercolour collection I am sharing images, sizes and prices of favourite collectible, original paintings from my solo exhibition at the Frame Gallery in Odiham, Hampshire. The show opens on Friday 4th April but paintings can be reserved prior to the opening.

Please contact the gallery if you are interested in purchasing one  of these paintings via this link

http://www.theframe-gallery.co.uk/

 Little Donkey

62 x 52 cms

£620

 Love

56 x 39 cms

£595 

 

 

Badgered

53 x 63 cms

 £595

Badger Whispers

54 x 46 cms 

£595

Watermark Exhibition : Cockerels

" Best in Show"

62 x 53 cms

£595

 Due to interest in my new watercolour collection I am sharing images, sizes and prices of favourite collectible paintings from my solo exhibition at the Frame Gallery in Odiham, Hampshire. The show opens on Friday 4th April but paintings can be reserved prior to the opening.

Please contact the gallery if you are interested in purchasing one  of these paintings via this link

http://www.theframe-gallery.co.uk/

"Looking Good"

As seen on the Invitation and in the Exhibition Promotion

65 x 78 cms

£720

There is also a beautiful Red, White and Blue Cockerel which can be seen at the gallery.

Simple Things : Forget-Me_Not

 Forget-Me-Not

Colour Interpretation

Sometimes it is nice to paint just because I feel like it. Not for galleries or exhibitions,  for my book or for any other reason. Painting purely for the sheer joy of seeing colour flow across paper. This morning while I wandered around our cottage garden I noticed the first Forget-Me-Nots starting to flower. I enjoy these little blue flowers so much.  I like the romance in their name. I love that they used to be pressed and given to soldiers, as they left for war, with the loving message they represented. 

"Forget-Me-Not".

Such a simple, insigificant flower carries such a powerful name.  I couldn't resist picking a tiny spray and bringing it into my studio to use as a subject for my daily colour exercises. Initially I played with colour combinations and light brush strokes to not only match the flowers, but also gain a feeling of their delicacy. Lightness of touch was a must!

 Matching Forget-Me-Not to watercolour shades. I have opted for turquoise and violet for the petals, using cerulean Blue and Cadmium Yellow to create a spring green for the leaves.

 I have worked on two studies to being my  experimental work on these sweet flowers. The pleasure in simply watching colour flow over paper and pigment interect cannot be described. I do wish everyone painted in watercolour. The feeling of freedom whilst working this way is so special. It lightens your soul and makes you feel instantly happy!

 Watercolour studies of Forget-Me-Not flowers. Light, interesting with a sense of mystery.

 By standing these little studies up and taking time to study the colour combinations, I can decide where to work further by adding detail. Or choose how to begin new pieces for a series.

The two studies side by side.

My favourite piece at the moment is this one, below.

Favourite Forget-me-Not study. 

(Without Detail)

But by the time I have finished writing this blog post I may just have changed my mind!