A New Medium

My birthday was yesterday, and my children decided, in their infinite wisdom, that it was about time I tried something new. My gift was a small set of acrylic inks in delicious colours! They hadn't found any blues, kind of important, so I was told to get myself some more and they'd pay. I found a great deal and ended up buying six more colours and also some Atelier Interactive acrylics - heck, if I have to learn a new media I might as well throw myself into it!

It's kind of scary starting out with a totally alien material - learning what it will and won't do, how it differs from watercolour, but it's scary in a good way! Watercolours will always be my passion but it'll do me good to play with the bright acrylic colours too.

A short session with my new paints/inks shows how exciting they are going to be! This was a very quick sketch with no real planning but I kinda like it!

Tulip Rainbow #2

I wasn't thrilled with my first tulip painting (Primary Tulips) so I immediately started again with a different reference image! I'm very happy with the way this one turned out, there was no masking involved, colours were allowed to move and blend, but overall the effect isn't busy.

Tulip Rainbow #2, watercolours on paper, 14x10

Summers End

Back to the catch-ups! I saw this hydrangea while visiting Bodnant Gardens in North Wales last September. I love the colours that the previously white flowers (although technically they're bracts) turned as they faded. It's quite muted for me, but I really like how it turned out!

Summers End, Watercolour, 14x10 inches

Primary Tulips

It's tulip time - the shops are full of colourful bunches, and I can never resist buying a bunch of mixed colours. I think the recent snowy weather got to me and affected my palette for this painting!

Primary Tulips, 10x14 inches on Fabriano Artistico watercolour paper.

Sunburst #2

Here's my finished sunflower! I'm very pleased with how it turned out, especially that I managed to retain the freshness of my colours and looseness of my brush strokes. It's very easy to overwork watercolours and make the colours muddy.

Finished, but no photo yet!

The sunflower is done, and I can honestly say I'm glad! Sometimes I start a new work and feel incredibly excited, but the process is interrupted and I lose the real excitement and end up plodding along. That's what happened with this sunflower.

Oh well, here's the final progress image!

Nearly There

This is taking so much longer than I anticipated! One more push and it should be done though.

Sunflower - more progress

The weekend is always busy in the Harris house, with people in and out constantly, so it's nice to find even a few minutes to paint amid the chaos!

I got a little further with the background (or setting) for the sunflower, and jumped in with my darkest darks in the centre.

Sunflowers - continued

I had a little more time today, in between the housework and cooking! I'm trying to keep it loose and fresh, while the pencil lines are there, they are only a guide.

Roses are.... orange?

Another catch-up, I find roses incredibly difficult to paint but every so often I challenge myself. This apricot/orange rose was one of many gorgeous flowers in Bodnant Gardens, North Wales, and I had to try painting it.

Antidote to winter

On these long, dull, cold winter days I look for something to cheer me up, and that usually means painting a bright flower. This time it's a sunflower, from one of my own reference images.

I started out by sketching the outline then masking a few highlights. Once the masking fluid was completely dry I quickly wet the paper using a large brush - doing it quickly leaves a few dry areas which will stay white when pigment is added.

Here it is after the first pass - Azo yellow and gamboge wet in wet.


Now the individual petals need form, more wet in wet but one at a time, using azo yellow, gamboge and quinacridone coral.


I'm excited about this one, but life always gets in the way so this is all I've managed to do today - very frustrating!

Something new!

I don't claim to be a great portrait artist - I struggle with getting a likeness, I much prefer the freedom I get from painting flowers! But, in the interest of improvement, I had a go at painting my youngest daughter, Katy.

Not content with the challenge of painting a portrait, I then chose a reference where Katy was smiling, all teeth! I'm mad!

After a week of stress, I'm done.

Purple or Pink?

Echinacea, commonly known as purple coneflowers but they're usually a lovely, cheerful shade of pink! This was alot of fun to paint.

Purple Cone Flowers, watercolour, 14 x 10 inches

Original available for sale, contact me by email for details.

Simply Summer!

This, to me, is what summer is all about - beautiful flowers and blue skies! It's pretty much my favourite painting from last year.

Giant Daisies, 14 x 20 inches.

Trying again!

I've been pretty useless at this regular blogging thing, I'll try to do better.

I suppose this should be a catch up - I've done a fair amount of work over the last few months, some good, some not. Now where to start? Well I finished my second attempt at Summer Sorbets, and this was much better than the first!

I suppose it would be sensible to post one every day, so you'll have to wait for the next ;)

Summer Sorbets #1

This one didn't work how I wanted it to so it's already being done again!

10x14, watercolours on Fabriano 140lb cold press.

I'm going to try to remember to take progress images while I paint Summer Sorbets 2, watch this space.

Thrill Me, Honey Honey, Thrill Me!

After spending a fantastic day in the garden of a good friend, I looked through my photos and was instantly drawn to one of honeysuckle flowers. I remembered the delicious scent, the bees buzzing around the delicate flowers. I had to paint it!

Thrill Me, Honey Honey! 14 x 10 inches, watercolour
on Fabriano Artistico 140lb.

Lilacs and Pansies

My last two watercolours, both from my own photographs (something I always aim to do - to be original it's important that the whole creative process, from reference to final painting, comes from you. Occasionally I am inspired by a photograph which isn't my own, in those instances I would make sure I had permission from the photographer to use their image before starting to paint. Respecting the copyright of other artists is vital!)

The Sweet Scent of Spring: 10x14, watercolours on Fabriano extra white 140lb paper

Black and Gold: 13x10, watercolours on Fabriano extra white 140lb paper

Both will be available as prints or cards from Redbubble

Some recent work!

I've been a busy bee, got lots of painting done. It's nice when you find your muse and painting is fun again!

Now what was first? Hmmmm.

There were the Liquorice Allsorts, lots of fun this one, and even the "black" is watercolour! 13x10, and available for sale.

Next.......Dawn on the Dee, a small watercolour landscape, a complete change from the vibrant colours of the allsorts.

Now I went crazy! lol "The Clash" - pink and orange gladioli, 10x14 watercolour.
I'm still painting, today I finished Black and Gold, which will be in my next post!

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