Phew...no more watercolour!

I'm giving myself a rest from watercolours. I've found them exhausting and too frustrating, I just ended up doing very little of anything. I'm giving myself a rest and going back to the scripted lessons. Chicken wire 3D sculpture is next, inspired by movement. Hmmmmmmmm..........


For light relief I have just doodled with pastels, these are the result. I have surprised myself. I like them!!!!

 Pumpkins

Lake Hawea surrounds

Lemons

My parents have been staying for the last 3 weeks, I get to see them rarely, so there's not been a lot of art activity going on. I've continued to read "how to", watching dvds and a little watercolour. Also of course planning future ideas.

This is my effort following Nancy Titchbournes DVD. Hope she isn't viewing this!

The main change was using a wash underneath the painting and of course filling the whole page with those pesky leaves!

Practice makes Perfect?

Well for those of you who were wondering if I'd completely given up my course....I haven't.

However, I have spent a lot of time reading, watching dvds and attempting to teach myself watercolours.

Its not easy, there's so much to learn and my pathetic attempts are barely worth exhibiting on a blog! However this blog is about development! so here we are... my shag from the Sounds, an exercise in masking and mixing colours wet in wet

and the Moeraki Boulders, a graduated wash, masking fluid and removal of paint for clouds, wet in wet for the reflections and boulders.

Best of friends

This one was an experiment in oils.
First time I've used oils since I started the course.
It was much easier to get the complexion and face sorted.
I am pleased with the eyes, two pairs, on a level, blue and brown, boy and dog, calm and anxious.
It makes me laugh.
My son hates it.

My dog has yet to show an opinion.

Fish

Mackerel

Fish are my latest passion, this is my attempt with watercolour.

I enjoyed it! using the masking fluid to try and get the slimy reflections. I used yellow and blue paint and allowed it to mix on the paper, something that it hadn't occurred to me to try before, I think it works well. I even framed it!

water colour

I have gone back to the set exercises in my course and have spent the last couple of weeks wrestling with water colour. I've learnt a lot and although I don't have too much that I'm proud of thought I'd put it out there and display some, just so you don't think I've been doing nothing! I think they look very watery, not the bold colours I had in mind...a learning curve I think......

Memories

I've returned to my favourite place. People.

Having had a "chat" with my tutor about the meaning of portraits and the importance of memories and bringing that content into art work, I painted my son. I wanted to capture the warmth of summer, the possessiveness of a 7 year old and his ice cream!

Its a mixture of memory and reality.