Vegetable sketches.

Saturday morning after shopping, I was having my mid morning coffee,
and reading the blogs I follow.
 I saw that Ronelle from africantapestry
who writes and paints was
also having a mental block with her painting.
So I wasn't feeling so bad after reading that.
She describes this as losing her 'mojo'
Her post that day was vegetables.
ah - ha  I thought !

I'd just emptied the shopping bag,

full of colourful fruit & vegetables onto the kitchen worktop, 

and although I don't particularly like painting still life

the colours certainly looked tempting to paint. 

As I'd been lacking ideas to re-start watercolour sketch painting,
 and Ronelle who's style of painting I love

I thought this was an omen, I decided to get painting.

I'd recently been to a craft shop and bought a basic sketch pad, 

thinking this will get me started again.

Then when I feel I've really got my interest back,

I can go back to using my Moleskine journal again.

Paints and palette all ready.

A nice fresh bunch of Radish, almost like a posy of flowers

just waiting to be painted,

and delicious as well.

Painting palette, not touched for so long, all the blobs of paint dried up.
but amazingly just a few drops of water brought most of them back.

After a wobbly beginning, I used my Micron pens
and then mixed a few different shades of green.

 I roasted the Fennel with the potatoes, it was very tasty.

So thank you  Ronelle for the vegetable sketch you shared.

and my followers who have been encouraging me 

to do some painting. at least I've made a start.

When the weather improves 

I'll get out and try some scenic views and buildings for a change.

 I've joined an on-line painting course given by

  Shari Blaukopf 

who paints wonderful street sketches and snow scenes.

I'm hoping I'll learn something.

This is one of her paintings.

Winter snow scene by Shari Blaukopf

I'll be doing some (I mean a lot of ) practise lessons first,

before I show any of my efforts.

I'll say good bye

I hope you liked my sketches

and will come back again soon.

à bientôt

Barbara Lilian

Nearly there

 It's Spring I'm talking about.

If the only way I can see blossom is by forcing it,

why not, give it a try.

Last week I cut some branches of Forsythia

put them in a tall vase and placed them on the window ledge

to force the flowers to bloom.

It certainly wasn't the sun that did it,

as we didn't see much of the sun this past week.

It must have been the warmth in the house.

I love the way the flowers appear before the leaves.

Something new to me, quick painting wet on wet

with a textured finish to the back ground using cling film.
I like it. I'll certainly do some more of this.

I used Winsor & Newton  12x9 in.

Cotman 300 gsm/140 lbs Cold pressed/Not

and W & N watercolour paint.

Still on the board, not quite finished.

Then I colour washed it.

I have Photoshop, but can't for the life of me master it.
Does anyone have step by step instructions ?
something like the books you can buy for 'Dummies'

Then I did this using Picasa.

Would you like this painting for a card ?

Time to reflect on where I'm going with my painting.

à bientôt

Barbara Lilian

Painted Pansies & Primulas.

At this time of the year Primulas and Pansies can be seen in all
the garden centers. Their colourful heads shouting out
 to be bought and planted to give some instant colour
Whether you choose vibrant colours.
 


or these pastel pinks.

When I first learnt how to paint in watercolour in 2008
I was terrified learning the technique of wet on wet, especially for flowers.
I learnt how to let the paint run along the paper I had just wet,
not realizing that the paint would only run where the paper was wet.
After a few mishaps, I loved what I was able to do, knowing I was in control.

 I continued my painting at home using books I'd bought and one
I borrowed from a friend written by a French artist Maryse de May.

One of her pansy paintings from her book.

She paints in a style I particularly like and fortunately in her book there are lots
of diagrams so I am able to follow the technique and adapt it to my style.

I have seen some of her paintings at an Aquarelle Exhibition which is
 held every year in a small town not far from where I live.
St Yriex Aquarelle Exhibition.
 Exhibitors  come from all over the world.
I have the date set in my agenda, as the previous two years
I arrived on the last day about half an hour before it closed

I used the Maryse de May  'L’aventure avec les fleurs ' book as reference
 and practiced a lot that winter.



I remember only too well, as we had a long cold winter
 so that was when I mastered the way of painting wet on wet.

 At that time, I gave everything I painted to family.Then when I got a bit
 more confident a gave them to friends.This weekend while visiting my daughter
 I asked if she still had the painting of the pansies I had given her.
Well here it is for you to see. (I didn't remember it being this good)
I feel quite proud of myself.



Which has given me the push I needed to get back into painting
instead of just dabbling .

So now my paints and favourite paper are out

 ready and waiting for ME.

I think these Primulas would make make nice painted cards.

These  are still in their plastic pots
but look a lot nicer in these decorative metal holders on a tray
which I've put on the wide window ledge, waiting
 to be planted in the garden when the ground warms up.

I have promised myself and Mr France I will do more painting.

 I'll be showing more frequently 

So if you like to see my sketches / paintings please come back soon.

à bientôt

Barbara Lilian