I have only recently discovered Gelli plates, and even more recently started to experiment with using them for creating backgrounds and images. The whole idea of gelli plates is widely covered on YouTube almost exclusively by artists using acrylic paints, maybe various acrylic inks and similar, but I soon discovered that doesn’t mean you can’t…
Category: Blog
Delicate Dragonflies
It’s been a minute or two since I last painted dragonflies, so today’s video is a treat for me and you. Scroll down to the bottom of this post if you want to see links to some of the dragonfly videos I’ve published before. You can find others if you simply search on google for…
Black-Eyed Susans Simple Style
If you want to create a quick and easy yet friendly and fun little message card or gift for a nature lover, you can’t do much better than to paint a page of Black-Eyed Susans! Who doesn’t love these cheerful blooms which liven up so very many gardens? More than a daisy, less than a…
Mixed Media Rocks!
Sometimes it’s just fun to play around with everything you can lay your hands on! In my “art drawer” beside my painting desk I have an assortment of pencils, pens, brush pens, paints and all sorts of things that can contribute to the look of a painting which might have started out as a watercolor….
Library of Watercolor Bookmark Tutorials
Why Bookmarks? Does anyone read books any more, asked someone a while back on YouTube comments! The response was dramatic, with many people jumping in to say they thought you could never have too many bookmarks! Yes, a lot of people read books online, on Kindle for example – I have one myself. But it…
Paint a Page of Beach Bookmarks
In my latest video we feature my method of painting a page of bookmarks the easy way. You could also use this idea to create a little landscape painting if you don’t divide the page up! Materials For these bookmarks I used a sheet of the Meeden watercolor paper, size 7 x 10 inches, which…
Unboxing the Meeden Artists Watercolor set of 24 colors
Meeden Art recently sent me a 24 color set of their 12ml tubes of Artists Watercolors to try out. It is a remarkably low-priced set and I knew I would be very interested to see what colors were included in the set, and to give them a road test to see how they compare with…
Vintage Violas in Watercolor
Painting Vintage Style Pansies – Simple Secrets to Successful Watercolor Sketches Why not start a botanical sketchbook this summer? Take your box of paints and a small mixed media sketchbook like mine from Canson XL and make some simple but charming vintage style sketches while enjoying the sunshine. Any patch of garden or park will…
Watercolor and Ink Poppies
With the Superbloom in full force at the moment what could be more appropriate than a page of poppies? This quick video will give you plenty of ideas for your own poppy fiesta! Any paints are suitable for this style of painting. Materials Here are the materials I used for this little page of poppies….
Paul Rubens 4th Generation Artists Tube Watercolor Paint
Today I’m talking about using the Paul Rubens colors I’ve been testing just recently. I’ve linked below to the video which looks at them in detail, with complete swatching of all the colors. We’re just posting a second video today demonstrating very simple flower painting and color mixing using these Paul Rubens paints on my…
Discovering Intuitive Art
We talk about Intuitive Art and painting from the heart but where to start? I wanted to share with you something that I’ve found to be immensely helpful and discovered recently – Aboriginal song lines! Song lines are these amazing pathways of traditional knowledge, stories, and practices that are deeply connected to the land of…
Create your own Reverse Coloring Book
Currently, there is a popular trend of drawing on top of pre-printed loose watercolor backgrounds. People are purchasing books with these pages to add their line work on top. But why not make your own personalised reverse coloring book to your own taste? Today, I would like to discuss how and why you might want…
Exploring Watercolor Animals
Adding a bit of whimsical fun to your animal paintings is a great way to make them truly special. If you’re looking for a creative card or gift idea, try adding a few whimsical animals to your work. A delightful creature can really bring a painting to life and give it a unique feel. Whether…
Let’s get Abstract!
We all need more time to relax in our lives nowadays and what better way than letting the paint flow and the brush glide across the watercolor paper? In this video I’m going to talk about how to create a simple abstract without stress. In fact, the whole process is pleasurable and relaxing. What’s not…
Easy Floral Bookmarks to Create
Everyone needs a new bookmark! Come the very first harbingers of spring and our thoughts turn naturally to flowers, and one of the earliest is the crocus. Last month we made bookmarks with a Snowdrop design and this month I’m going to show you how I painted some purple Crocus bookmarks, and just for fun,…
Easy Landscape for Beginners
This landscape is ideal for all beginners, and for anyone wanting to move from painting flowers and leaves into the slightly more challenging field of landscape. So let’s break all the rules – of composition, color theory, and technique – and paint a luminous, evocative landscape we would all love to live in! This landscape…
Easy Abstract ‘Nature’s Dance’
Let’s paint another abstract in soft muted rose pink and apricot, with contrasts of chocolate and ginger leaves to create a warm, relaxing vibe. Easy as pie especially if you have watched the introduction to abstract art video here https://youtu.be/5mE-Ln9v5Mw as this project builds on what you learnt in the first one. Materials paper Fabriano Artistico…
Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit
Happy Chinese New Year! 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit in Chinese culture and I decided to paint a rabbit in honour of the new year. Keeping it really simple I outlined a rabbit in Chinese style, and painted it in a traditional shade of red. Red is considered to be good luck in…