“I’ll sweeten thy sad grave: thou shalt not lack the flower that’s like thy face, pale primrose, nor the azured hare-bell, like thy veins.”– Cymbeline, Act IV, Scene 2 I decided on a whim today to paint a sprig of bluebells. They must be flowering in England, I thought. One of the things I miss […]
Shakespeare’s Flowers Read More »
It’s often recommended these days to use Sap Green and Olive Green to paint leaves and trees, which is very different from the way I was taught a hundred years ago. The tradition in watercolour in the second half of the 20th century was to never use green straight from a tube, and my paintings
Mixing Greens and Painting Leaves Read More »
I often use line in my watercolour paintings, in the form of calligraphic marks towards the end, which I feel help bring the work to life. But recently I’ve rediscovered an interest in the actual process of line and wash, using either pen and ink or watercolour pencil and wash. In the effort to get
Yesterday I tried out something completely new and I realised how easy it is to become stuck in a rut when it comes to painting! I came across by chance on Facebook a group which was set up for people who paint in watercolour on CANVAS! I was amazed to think that you could do
Excitement in the Studio! Read More »
I was working on a YouTube video yesterday when suddenly there was a thud on the French door window next to my desk. I looked up, and to my dismay and despite the bird cutouts on the window to help prevent this, I realised that a small bird had mistakenly flown into the glass and
Close up with a Chaffinch Read More »
But it’s a good start! I thought we spotted one solitary swallow last week, but today there is definitely a newly arrived pair in the barn where they nest every year, above the chickens in their old converted stable. where the farm horses used to live in days gone by. Imagine how it must feel
One Swallow doesn’t make a Spring… Read More »
Sparrows are an underrated bird! Cheeky, brave, vocal and everywhere, they deserve to be painted more often! We must have a hundred visiting our bird table each day and they nest in the holly and the ivy all around our place. If you want to have a go at painting these cute birds, here’s the
Who’s a Cockney Sparrow then? Read More »
Some days you just don’t know what to paint! Here’s a tip – think of your favourite artist and use one of their paintings as inspiration! Monet’s poppy fields are a constant source of delight! The other day I did a couple of practice skies before recording a video on painting skies You can see
Monet Inspired Poppy Field Watercolour with Spatter! Read More »
The line between fine art and craft has long been a fuzzy one which continues to be blurred. The addition of salt and granulating mediums to watercolour paintings has been a borderline tactic which personally I mostly resist, preferring to get my effects through more traditional methods. The same can be said in my view
The brusho brigade Read More »
This is a quick true wet-in-wet painting of a candle. What is Wet-in-Wet painting? When I studied anthroposophical (Waldorf) art when I was training to become a Waldorf School (Steiner School) teacher, we spent a lot of time painting wet in wet. It is the first painting method that is taught to children when they
Wet in Wet Advent Candle Read More »
This is a realistic painting of a handsome black Crow. How do we paint the colour black? I remember reading somewhere many years ago that there was no such thing as the colour black, just the absence of colour where all light had been absorbed. For that reason, black would “contain” all colours, and modern
Paper Most of my work is done on 140lb watercolour paper, of various brands such as Hahnemuhle, Fabriano, Arches, Saunders, Canson, Bockingford… you can see I am international in my paper choices! It will therefore vary in texture and colour slightly, but never in quality as I only use the best. I was lucky enough
