It’s a familiar moment. You sit down with your paints, thinking it will be a quiet, relaxing half hour, and within minutes you’re clenching your jaw, frowning, concentrating hard, and desperately fiddling with a wash, trying to get everything just right. The petals aren’t quite right, the edges feel awkward, and somehow the whole thing […]
Letting the Water do the Work: Painting Blobby Blooms! Read More »
It’s possible to be afraid of colour and of making a mess of a painting, this is something I know only too well and there are many times when I despair of the piece I’m doing turning out useable for a video. But does it matter? In this abstract watercolor floral tutorial I show you
Diving into Colour Read More »
Over the years I’ve been tending to move away from the traditional floral arrangement and go for more of an all-over bouquet pattern, as if looking at a flowerbed from close up. This is a much easier way to design a painting. But sometimes you want to paint a few flowers for a card or
Bouquet Building – how to paint a bunch of flowers! Read More »
One of the sometimes frustrating things about watercolor which we all come up against is the difficulty in making alterations to your painting if you don’t like what you have painted. Yes, you probably can lift out some of the colour you’ve applied, you can keep going, and add pen or other features. But one
Dive into Colour Mixing with Gouache Read More »
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
Vintage Violas in Watercolor Read More »
Here’s a little idea for a sweet gift for a friend or relative who loves flowers and art. Ideal for beginners, as this style of watercolor requires no experience and no expertise whatever to achieve a light, modern look sure to please. You’ll be amazed when you pop your creation in a simple frame and
Winter Watercolor Bouquet Read More »
Earlier this year I discovered the art of journalling. As a former daily diary writer, I found myself attracted to the concept of creating a journal from scratch, incorporating all sorts of mementos and memories along the way. So much more satisfying than pages of longhand script I never re-read, my journal became a reflection
Watercolor Flowers for your Journal Read More »
Here’s a quick and easy floral with a cat which would be ideal to make into a cute greetings card. Use odds and ends of paint and a small piece of paper to create a whimsical moment in your day. This little painting is easy and effective and will banish the blues for a few
Paint a Cute Cat in a Flowerbed Read More »
Loose watercolor for recovery and relaxation I was sitting listening to the birds singing in our garden yesterday and realised for the millionth time how beautiful their voices are! So here’s a hommage to the birds as we go into the hard season for them, to thank them for the joy they bring us every
Find Your Inner Child with Whimsical Birds Read More »
We have a lovely collection of pansies in our garden. Nothing spectacular, but they self-seed every year and every year they come back with their lovely colours and cheerful faces! So every year I have to paint them, of course! So here is a tutorial for Pansies for Spring!
Loose Watercolor Pansies Read More »
Simple Circles for a Creative Afternoon! Would you like to paint something, but you don’t know what? Are you brand new to painting and don’t know where to start? Or would you like your picture to be simple, easy and full of joy? Then why not simply rely on simple basic shapes – for example
Blast the Creative Blues with Circles! Read More »
The eyes have it! Start your whimsical animals with the big googly eyes all the best cute animals have and let your imagination run riot! Get started in whimsy with this easy beginner-friendly tutorial showing you some of the tricks you need to know to get a light and airy feel in your paintings. The
How to Paint Cute Whimsical Birds in Watercolor Read More »
Pretty Sweet Peas are everyone’s favorite, whether you’re a gardener, flower arranger or artist, and as well as being beautiful they have a lovely scent. In fact, in French they are called Pois de Senteur or “scented peas”. So today I’ve picked three colors – Cobalt Blue, Permanent Rose and Sap Green, along with my
How to Paint and Draw Sweet Peas Read More »
On our Facebook group we have a challenge running right now, with a prize at the end of May, to paint a sunflower painting every day until the end of the month. The idea is to use the sunflower as a warm-up for your painting session, and to practice skills without having to decide what
Paint a Sunflower on Canvas Read More »
Who wouldn’t love to receive one of these delicately painted but “oh so easy!” little cards? I know I was thrilled when I received a similar one from an online supporter who gave me permission to adapt her design into the cards I’m showing you now. For these paintings the requirements are absolutely minimal. Any
Floral Cards to make in under ten minutes Read More »
Looking for something really quick and easy for you to paint today, I created these simple, easy and colorful flowers.
