This week was not very productive painting wise... I had a few distractions which kept me away from my easel. But in the evenings when the family were in dreamland I managed to dabble in a few small watercolours 18 x 13cm. Thought they would look good either as a series on a kitchen wall or as a triptych.

Artichoke

Pears

  Pomegranate

 

  Cherry Tomatoes

 I painted Elephants last night.... With great enthusiasm and determination I thought I'd end up with a result that made the viewer think........ WOW!... but alas, it was no where near that.... in fact it landed in the bin.! I am not totally upset about this though... I know I can try it again. I am determined to get this right.  I live in South Africa,  you would have thought I'd have these animals tapped.  With my best intentions... I just can't seem to get it right!!!!! I found some interesting thoughts on transparent watercolours written by Jim Kosvanec........http://www.kosvanec.com/controllingtranswc.html  he wrote......."You can only master transparent watercolor by disciplined study. Knowledge frees the soul to express its creativity. Ultimately, however, the medium cannot be mastered...only handled masterfully."
So seems like I need to go and paint all the hundreds of photos I've taken of Elephants, to master to fluidity of transparent watercolours...... watch this space.......................................

Tails of the sea ... revisited!

This is the re-do of the old fisherman I painted

the other day!!!! It's not exactly how I pictured

it in my mind's eye, but thought Id share it with you.

This one had initial pencil lines to get proportions

right. I'ts amazing to see the differences between

just going in with a brush (as the one below) and

doing a general outline first!

Child Of Innocence

 
Child of Innocence was inspired by a photograph
taken by photographer John Spies, with thanks.
It portrays a little Black Lahu girl captured in a pensive
mood. When I saw this I just had to paint her. Her
captivating eyes grabbed me and the light and shadows
showed a very haunting story of an Opium smoking
village in Thailand where the unborn children were so
addicted to Opium from their mothers that the mothers
had to blow Opium smoke into their faces after they
were born, to calm them down.
Apparently the laws there have changed since then!
But the need to paint this powerful photo of her runs
deeper than just the story behind those eyes!
A watercolour, painted wet on wet and dry brush detail
at the end.

Tails of the Sea...

 I did manage to paint a portrait of a Fisherman.
Went in straight with a brush, no initial pencil.
He could do with loosening up a bit...... so I'll
redo it at some stage.

First Post..... Spring!

Hello, 3 days into spring, here in the Southern hemisphere. I have been in my garden for 3 full solid days now. My gardener was expected back from is yearly leave on Tuesday....... but... didn't pitch. So I put on my garden gloves, hauled the 20 bags of lawn dressing onto the lawn and raked it in.... all alone. Well! as expected the next day I could hardly move. My arm muscles and back took quite a hammering, not to mention my nails which could do with a manicure now as a result! Wonder if I can pick up a brush to paint tonight?