Hippies

Collection of some of my hippy paintings

I love Hippeastrums (amaryllis) and grow different ones every winter.There are many hybrids & cultivars to choose from and this year I chose a 'Mont Blanc'.It is a snowy white one (with those sparkly crystals) ,as the name implies and I wanted to paint it in gouache on a dark background,for impact. But as it's opened over the days it is quite clear it is not a Mont Blanc at all! The wrong bulb had been put in the box. However it is a most beautiful double variety called 'Dancing Queen' and I have sketched its progress.

Its the first double I've drawn;quite difficult keeping perspective and not getting lost in the multiple petals! As I made colour notes the second bud burst with a pop and started to open in front of me!

I quickly took this photo which I will use as reference with the sketches if I decide to do a painting.

I will get another white flowering bulb for a gouache study (if they manage to put in the right bulb!!)

Happy new year too!!

Autumn Treasures

Just finished the Autumn Treasures painting;putting in the seedpods, crab apple, little oak leaf and 2 dandelion seedheads to fill the gaps!! An enjoyable painting for all the detail in there,which is my favourite part of the process. Also playing with the paints to get more interesting biege,brown -autumn colours. I love Dan Smiths Quinacridone gold for this palette but I found that it is very staining!

 I hope you like the painting. 

Happy Christmas - Nadolig Llawen  xx

Nearly finished

Heres the latest picture of my autumn treasures painting.Its coming on slowly but surely as I've been away visiting family and friends aswell. Added the cone and red berries and more contrast to the rest.I must finish soon as I've an Amaryllis(Hippeastrum) flower about to burst that I've got to paint !!

Winters here

Winter has now well and truly begun here, with cold, short days. Fortunately no snow yet in Wales but there is further to the north in England and Scotland. I've not been painting much as there were  bookings in the hotel ,coupled with a lack of energy.

Here is an autumn study I'm still working on;below I have yet to paint in some bits! but it shows how it will look when finished -hopefully.The little acorn cups were quite difficult and shows the need to draw correctly before painting-the Fibonacci spiral is used for drawing various natural objects,like pine cones,pineapples, sunflower centers and these little acorn cups.

Take care xx