Scribbly Gums Art

At last a few pics of pottery

2010-01-02T17:48:00.000-08:00

I feel as though last year was a merry go round with me holding on for dear life. Hence I have been totally slack and not uploaded photos like I should - but here we go - some photos of pottery that I hope you will love

So here are a few of my lanterns - unfortunately the glaze was a bit ho hum - not what I expected - but I am happy with the shapes and they look wonderful at night!

Swirls Lantern

Gumnuts Lantern
Gumleaves Lantern

Nesting Bowls - I have produced a few sets of these and they are very useful
Some special people have received them as gifts

Un-nested!

All together

This is my first teapot - I am rather happy with it

Like the shape and the wheat decoration
And whats more - it pours well!

Some jugs ............lots of sizes and lots of fun to make

White patterned jugs - I really like these patterns on them

I love the shape of the little one - would look cute with flowers
And the rim of the large one is really sturdy (I found this from You-tube and thought I would try it)

Last ones - the swirly one unfortunately is handle free - a little oops in the studio
But I do love the swirly pattern

That's it for a while - I begin pottery again in Feb and hopefully will do some throwing on my wheel before then..... we never know

Lots of love
C

Hard to keep up

2009-05-30T23:28:00.000-07:00

Phils new sign - for his birthday 2008

I have four blogs and keeping them all going is not really happening but I know people read this cause I get emails which say - I see you haven't updated your blog in a while!!! So I am going to load some scrapping layouts of Scribbly Gums here......

Mum and Dad relaxing with a glass of bubbles!
Watching while we worked - they deserve a bit of time down!

I love the bark on these old trees
They are just so great!

The great news is that we have the sheds up - well almost all up - the roller doors need to be fitted and the water tanks installed! Then we can take some stuff out there which will free up the area a bit! Might go out next weekend and take some photos of the new sheds. Anyway when we come to sell - it will help!

Mum and Dad tree planting ...... hard to believe this was a year ago!!

The story of Scribbly Gums

These guys are actually at our place but they are so cute
I had to include them!!

I hope you enjoy them!
Til next time
Love
C

Two new mixed media pieces

2009-05-23T21:55:00.000-07:00

There are two new pieces on the Tattered Insirations Blog - have a quick visit and let me know what you think

I will be back in a week with more happenings!!

Lots of love
C

Two posts in one day

2009-05-16T19:26:00.000-07:00

Well it just goes to show that miracles do happen

Here are some watercolours I did on our holiday to Far North Queensland..... now you might think I have gone overboard with bright colours - but they are actually true to life - and I sort of like the vibrancy

Purple Bower Plant an Rain forest Berries

A type of bower plant growing in lots of gardens we visited
The berries are from the rain forest - they were great as a filler and to lift the piece
The purple berries are a lilly pilly - they are gorgeous

The bell like purple flowers were in evidence throughout the gardens in the area. This vine was pretty spectacular too - though I think probably a pest because it is so invasive - I loved it though. Funnily enough it was on its last legs when I painted it but I left it for two nights in water adn then it sparked up again like nobodys buiness - might have been all the water colour paint in the glass as I use the same water for the flowers and to wet my brush.

Purple Bower Plant and spent flowers
This is bigger than my scanner
Sorry - but you get most of the picture

The hibiscus type flower (heaven knows what it is) was from outside Nick's Restaurant Yangaburra where the lady inside said I could have a bit to paint - thank you ...... I cannot do them justice taken from a photo

From Outside Nicks Restaurant
I will probably have to search for another name
But they were so beautiful - velvety and lush

And again

And yet again! Sorry to be boring

The lilly pillys were also in fruit and you will see them in the paintings as well - gorgeous colour and form.

Phil (DH) doesn't usually read this but he is so patient with me - wherever we stay there are cameras, pencils, flowers and me busily painting (like a mad woman)..... he usually cooks and then praises my paintings too..... as I said he is a patient man

Phil also does not blink an eye when I stay Stop!! I need to paint that and then I am off picking up and picking off bits and pieces to paint...... Love you babe!!

Thanks for looking - and I promise to try and post more regularly

In the meantime pop into Tattered Inspirations for some more eye candy - there are also some very talented ladies in my blog roll down the side

Love
Carol

Paintings

2009-05-16T18:41:00.000-07:00

Okay well I have actually been very busy creating paintings - but I have a new mixed media blog and that is where I have been popping those pics - I realise that that is annoying for those of you who are used to my art going up here!!!

I promise I will try and be better at keeping this one updated too - I actually have 3 blogs now and there are the links to the other two above - so maybe if you are interested in the art stuff have a look here and also Tattered Inspirations

Okay well I guess I should pop here a few mixed media pieces so here they are:

Bathing at Millaa Millaa Falls
30x30 inch canvas - I am rather pleased with this

Detail of bather ..... I think she has worked out pretty well!

Boab Tree in Broome
Love the colours - they are true to life
1 metre high canvass

Detail of the rocks and sea

Can you see the butterfly??
I love hiding surprises in my work - there are actually 5 in this piece

I will upload some watercolour flowers I did in Qld too - just have to scan them!!

Love Carol

The Damask Pot

2009-02-14T19:19:00.000-08:00

Okay I know it has been a while but here is a pot I threw last year and I love

I call it the Damask Pot, it is glazed inside and on the outside it has trails of leaves and flowers which are raised......

I have also included a few of my recent layouts featuring my pots waiting for firing.... they are back now so glazing them will be what I do next weekend!!

Create like you love.... with passion

Love this place.....

Lots of love
Carol

New Pottery Nook and Pots

2008-12-29T21:16:00.000-08:00

It seems like an age where I have loaded some photos of pottery...... that is probably because of two reasons - first the Canberra Potters Society took down their old kiln shed and rebuilt it. Consequently there was not firing done in the kilns for 3 months - which is a long time!! And secondly with our trip to Tassie I decided not to do pottery in term 4 as I would be there only a little of the time.

BUT

Phil has bought me a sparkling brand new pottery wheel which we have put on the balcony and I have had lots of fun the past 2 days throwing pots...... Oh it was great to be playing with clay again and looking over the comings and goings of the bird life and people from my little vantage point.

Here are a few photos of the pottery nook on the balcony and what fun I had the last couple of days

My pottery nook at the end of the balcony overlooking
the bird life and people in the street below.

Some of my tools of the trade!

The pots I threw Sunday and Monday - pretty cool huh??
The lidded vessels are really cute - should be lovely glazed
and the bowls are nesting bowls designed to sit inside eachother

Think I might need to buy a couple more shelves
if I keep producing at this rate

Here are a few pottery pieces from term 3 classes..... they came up really well I think, and were fired in the new kiln - so the colours are great!

Porcelain Jewelery boxes
These are made in one piece on the wheel then cut
at the leather hard stage - very tricky to do......!!!
The bracelet is my present to me..... love it!

Tagine number 1 - I really like the shape of this
And I love the lid -funny thing though that this is a garden ornament because the glaze has melted the lid to the pot - never mind - it is a cute garden ornament!!

Tagine Number 2 - Shiga Red and Leech Green glazes
I am going to make more of these as I love the form and I really like
how the glazes work together

Matching bowl - like these handles and the way the
Leech Green glazes breaks over the edges of the pot.....

Thanks for your visit - and I look forward to putting up more in the near future - now I have my own wheel - it will be just great!! Love my new wheel!

Love Carol

Feeling rather neglectful

2008-12-27T04:31:00.000-08:00

I have neglected this blog for about a month - but I have more pots to show you and I will get Phil to take a pic of my pottery nook..... on the balcony.... with me on the wheel. Would you believe it rained cats and dogs today when I was trying to throw pots - how bizarre.... over an inch of rain today. Can't complain though....... I just covered the wheel up and then got back to it later.

Anyway - stay tuned I am going to upload some pics very soon.... and sorry for my slackness

Love
Carol

We are back from Tassie

2008-11-24T02:34:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone

We are back from Tassie and I have been painting up a storm - some with shells and others without ...... Please enjoy!!

I loved these gumnuts - they were succonded from a golf course....... thanks Swansea!!

I loved these barnacles on the pippi shell and the delicate gumleaves

How are these Autumn tones in the shells and these mussels are really pink and true to life too!

Never seen one of these before - the nuts were nestled in the brach and bright red topped - just like a rose

I did heaps more and had lots of fun!!

Love
C

We are official!!

2008-10-20T04:20:00.000-07:00

Yep we are now a registered business name - Scribbly Gums Art

Now all we have to do is get an ABN, register for GST and get the website up and running... not much really :)

Anyway - we have a name and we have a sign on a gate!!!!

Love Carol

It's a lovely day

2008-10-14T04:30:00.000-07:00

Tree Planting with Mum and Dad
Here we are planting a 'Summer Beauty' with Mum and Dad

When I was a small child I would wander around and say to every one - 'it's a lovely day' - so I thought I would share a few special photos of the happenings at Scribbly Gums with Mum and Dad last weekend.

Relaxing after lunch watching Phil put together the egrets for the 'billabong'

The egrets in their new home!!

Have a great week everyone

Love Carol

Coastal Trip to Eden

2008-10-06T03:31:00.000-07:00

What is it about the sea and the vast ocean that draws us back regularly??? I love the way the sea smells, the sand on my feet and the sound of the waves.

This time I have had a bit of fun with the seashells - staying away from those pale pastel shades and aiming for the blue black of the mussels.... what fun they were to paint.

These are the shells I was speaking of .....
they certainly don't fade into the background
I rather like their boldness!!

The other one - couldn't help but pop in some flora!

This was rather fun to paint - I loved its structural form and the surprising colours in the leaves and stems - it is a lucadendran (sp?) and it was a challenge to pick a flower as it was planted near the office. Finally we went for a walk at night - I keep telling Phil that it is for the sake of Art (or science) ..... he doesn't buy it - but it does come along for my night snatchings!!

There was this wonderful Callistimen (bottlebrush) and instead of the tube of flowers it had a round form the size of a golf ball. I had to add the grevillia pods on the right - I love those curly bits!

Lillies are lovely in their form but difficult to paint as white on white is a challenge. This has scanned more yellow than the painting is in real like - but you get the feel of it none the less.

This is a little camellia I have outside my craft room which comes back with flowers each year even if I neglect it! It is the one which we all know - but it was challenging to keep to the pink and not make it too exciting!

I added also a few I have done recently..... Please enjoy - and note that these are copyright. I will be adding another step by step later this month!

Love Carol

Our new sign

2008-09-28T02:48:00.000-07:00

We are official .... our new sign......

We took Jessica (DD) and Jason out to see Scribbly Gums today and we installed our new sign that Phil got for his birthday off me!! It goes so well and I am really happy with the way it looks - thankfully so is Phil.

Jason and Phil putting up the sign

Finishing touches

Carlos and Megan (neighbours) also stopped by and wanted to know where the sign came from so they could also buy one ..... looks like it is a winner!

Thanks For looking
Carol

Gum Blossom Step by Step

2008-09-25T15:43:00.000-07:00

Well everyone I thought it was time that I added another step by step to this blog.... the principles are the same as the simple tulip but this step by step is a bit more involved. If you haven't done the tulip step by step I would recommend that you do that one first to get he techniques right. It also explains things in much more depth than I have done here.

You are very welcome to print these instructions and pictures out - they are not copywrite. I want you to enjoy the process and have fun.

This gorgeous gum tree is a few houses away from me and provides colour at this time of the year. I have a passion about gum trees and their blossoms and this particular tree has those great blue green leaves and burgundy stems, with pink blossoms - it blooms in September through til the end of November.

Gather your supplies - gm leaves and blossoms, pencils, eraser, 2B lead pencil for drawing, felt tip pen, tissues, number 4 round brush, water and a watercolour paper pad - I use a 300gsm so I don't have to stretch the paper (yes I am lazy).

The colours I have used are basic ones that I always seem to use, in order left to right:

Derwent Deep Cadmium
Derwent Deep Vermillion
Faber Castell Light Carmine
Faber Castell Burnt Carmine
Derwent Grass Green
Derwent Olive Green
Faber Castell Chrome Green Opaque
Derwent Prussian Blue

You may have to remove a few flowers and buds to make it easier to draw and paint.
Otherwise the design is too complex and with be confusing to look at.
We are aiming for balance.

Carefully draw the gum leaves and blossoms with the 2B lead pencil

With the Burnt Carmine start to draw in the laves, making the
pencil lines and shading heavier where needed.
Colour the cups of the blossoms,
add the stamens
and put in the unopened gumnuts

Add the Olive Green and leave large areas uncoloured
where the light hits the leaves.
Add the green to the nuts

Use Prussian Blue to deepen areas and add the 'blueness' to the leaves

Now add the Chrome Green Opaque
to add depth of colour to the leaves

Use the Light Carmine to colour in the blooms - making the colour
much darker where they come out of the gumnut
to very light near the edges

With the Deep Vermillion strenthen the colour

Use the Grass Green around the gumnuts and add the Deep Cadmium
around the gum blossoms in a circular motion.

With a wet brush (Round number 4) start to work the paint.
Leave the white areas and re wet and dab on a tissue frequently.
Don't over work the paint or it will become muddied.

Work carefully with the gum blossom, keeping the light areas light
Little circular motions are best.
Do the yellow areas last after the pinks have dried well

Once you have finished wetting the paint this is what it looks like.
You may need to deepen the darker areas - just wait until he paint is dry first.

Once the paint is dry outline the painting if you wish.
I use a permanent Statelier 0.6
If you are outlining the painting try to be a bit
'loose' when you do the blossoms as they look a bit
contrived if your pen work is too formal.

Sign your work and enjoy

Love
Carol

Wonderful Magnolias

2008-09-09T03:53:00.000-07:00

Okay I know that many of us love these trees - in Canberra they are spectacular at this time of the year and I always think the flowers remind me of ballerina skirts for some reason.

So I was delighted to find that Jess (DD) is living in a house with a couple of these magnificent trees in her yard. I want to grow some at Scribbly Gums but I haven't planted any as yet, of course.

I think they might be a favourite to paint for the future they are so amazing, velvet leaves, wonderful colours, interesting bark, knobbly stems and fuzzy buds. Unfortunately they fade and go limp very quickly and I really only had just over 24 hours to paint these three. But I hope you'll agree they are just gorgeous!!

Thanks for looking at my paintings.... I hope you enjoyed them.

Please leave a comment so I know you have visited.

Lots of love
Carol

A few watercolours to share

2008-08-30T06:10:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we went to the beautiful Narooma and like always, a few of the bits of native flora 'found their way into my pocket' as we walked around the beach and countryside.

The coastal banksias are always pretty magnificient and I had a great time drinking wine and painting a few of the native coastal banksias....

Here is the early wattle and a unusual seed cluster I have never seen before......

Aren't grevillias sensational. A little night snatch found this gorgeous specimen, the colours are honestly true to life, and I couldn't resist it. Phil tends to drink his beer while I go and pick a sample (or 6) after dark.... the joys and dangers of needing to paint from real life! I tell him it is all in the name of science - Phil smiles but I don't think I fool him! He is very patient with me!!

Thanks for looking...... I will be popping in soon with a step by step as the first one was so popular...... thanks for your support, it means so much!

Love
Carol

PS
For those I send Christmas cards to I have painted the flower for the front which I will get printed soon..... I cannot believe that these wonderful flowers grow in outside gardens - unreal!!!!! They certainly don't in cold Canberra!!

A few photos from Scribbly Gums

2008-08-30T03:34:00.000-07:00

We popped into Scribbly Gums today to do some planting - we planed 10 medium sized trees - red flowering gums, and braclet murtels. Plus a few kangaroo paws, croweas, telopea (warratah) and a ground covering banksia.

It was great fun and nice to have soil that isn't like a rock to dig and plant into!! So after we did a bit of planting we stood back and admired our work.

My kangaroo paw garden - we have lots (and lots - understatement of the year) of wood lying around - so I thought I would make it a feature ..... the kangaroo paws had overgrown their pots so much I had to chop them into pieces - lets hope they make it!! I cannot remember the colour of their flowers at all - but if they are okay out there then I can see that this could become a definite passion (plus I actually like painting them too)

This is the road that goes up to our property gate. On the left all the way along this road is our place - the road is almost one kilometre long.

We are now deciding where to put the sheds so we can spend time out there..... looking forward to some weekends to really know the place. And we saw a scarlet robin today.... silver eyes, choughs and kookaburras. On the way home we think we saw a wallaroo - I took a photo but all you can see is a shape hopping away - so no photo to decide what it actually was.

The wombats have been very busy again and we are finding more burrows. Looks like a wombat paradise.

Cheers
Carol

Simple Tulip Step by Step Class

2008-07-19T17:57:00.000-07:00

I have created a step by step class for you to create this tulip

You can find the step by step class at the left....... under classes in watercolours step by step
Please leave a comment if you would like more - or found it helpful....have fun

Carol

A few tulips - on a rainy afternoon

2008-07-19T01:18:00.000-07:00

What a rainy day - so I painted a few tulips which are so lovely and bright at this time of the year!

These are almost fully blown - I love the looseness of the petals

The centres are so great - I really enjoyed working on this new paper
300gsm rough - it 'blooms' well

Have a great day

Love Carol

A few paintings....at last !!

2008-07-05T22:13:00.000-07:00

Well It has been a while since I updated the site as I have been a bit inundated at work! We have gained new funding and I guess I didn't expect that they would all be approved but they were.....so ..... I am run off my feet!

Anyway enough of that here are some new paintings from our trip to Tilba and a few I have done in the last few days..... Please enjoy

This would have to be my favuorite painting for some time. This coastal bansia was growing near Mystery Bay looking out to see and although the flower was great - I really loved this banskia pod. It has such character. Not only that but it is painted on much smaller paper than usual - A5 size instead of A4 or A3. It was tricky to execute but I love the result.

I am pretty desperate to find flowers in my garden at the moment but this little Happy Wanderer (Hardenbergia) is now putting out its buds even though most other plants are sleeping as it is so cold. The purple is so vivid when it is out properly - but here we are only lucky enough to have buds.

The camilias in the winter garden are a bit weedy due to the drought and probably lack of food.....I took pity on them today and gave them a good dose of moo poo and water so hopefully they will feel a lot better soon. Phil also popped on wetting agent because the drought has made the garden water repellant - hopefully it will rain this week - we need lots!!

This little pink flowering gum is struggling in the front garden with the drought, but low down are a few new flowers ..... this is a bit more subtle in colours than the real colours of the flowers and leaves but I like the quiet feel to this painting.

A few flowers growing in my garden - everything is a bit straggly at the moment. But those jonquils give a real splash of much needed colour to the beds. I am not really a fan of yellow in my paintings as it does tend to look dirty when you shade it - but this has worked quite well I think.

This flowering gum was valiantly putting forth a few early flowers - it usually is covered in blossoms in October. There has been a lot of rain in Tilba over the last couple of months so everything was looking lush and green for our weekend away.

Finally the last painting from Tilba - it is really such a lovely spot.

Thanks for letting me share my paintings with you......

Lots of love
Carol

Pottery - what I do in my spare time!

2008-05-31T18:37:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone

After promising a few photos of my pottery I finaly got around to snapping some photos today!!! Of course if I took photos of every pot and plate I have made it would be so boring so I have tried to keep it to techniques and a few styles.....

Japanese papers - I know this looks as though I sat with a paint brush forever detailing in blue or black - but actually this is Japanese transfer paper. What you do is apply it to a pot which is ready to bisque fire, so it is raw. The papers come in A3 sheets and you apply the paper but dampening the pot with a sponge then section by section placing the paper onto the pot with the damp sponge. It does take a fair bit of practice!

From trial and error though - you must remove the paper once it is dry because other wise it makes a mess of other pots in the kiln - and no one is happy! The print stays on the pot. Also, with a bisque firing people do tend to place pots inside each other - this can't happen with these pots - as we found out - what a mess!!! Anyway we have all learnt the hard way and now have much more success.

I rather like the pot above as I didn't glaze the inside after the bisque firing, just the inside so it can be used to hold liquid and it won't stain.

Pots which have been glazed with a clear glaze over the top of the pattern.....

These are some bonsai pots I have made using the same tenique with the Japanese papers, but they are on Walkers 5A Dark which is a clay that I really love at the moment. Probably because it is so silky to throw and comes out a wonderful biscuit colour. Unfortunately not all glazes that I use come out true on this clay but I have found the ones that look great on it and now use them......

Phil is the Bonsai King of this family, me I just make the pots and collect the little figures - like this great boat with the man finishing out the front and his wife doing the washing out the back. This boat cost me $20 and for the work in it I was happy to pay that amount it was so worth it!!!!

Complete with bonsai - is this case a fig tree and a laughing budda

This is a set of bowls I made for my brother for Christmas. They nest inside each other and get lots of use. We have several here as well and cook with them all the time. Jess and Matt also use theirs and the nice thing about pottery in comparison to ceramics is it takes a lot more wear and tear so they last longer. I love this glaze - as the iron in the clay reacts with the glaze the red can be seen through the creamy base of the glaze - it is one of my favourite glazes to use on Walkers 5A Dark clay.

For something completely different - here is a latte set. The cup and saucer are really rustic and don't have handles on the cups. I love the way these work and comments about them are really positive........

A view from above. These would also be really cool as a herbal tea set as well. I am definitely thinking that I might make more of these for friends at Xmas. I love the fern effect, but will think about some other designs as well - although I think the imprinted fern goes really well with the clay. Walkers copper rust is the glaze (but I am not too keen on the colour - I am still trying to find a green that works well on this clay).

Thanks for looking everyone,
Have a wonderful day wherever you are
Carol

Porcelain Vessels

2008-05-30T23:51:00.000-07:00

I love throwing with different clays and one of my favourite clays is porcelain. In this case I have gone all out and thrown in Southern Ice which is one of hte most expensive clays at around $35 a bag.

With porcelain you have ot be so fussy to cleanliness as it tends to pick up all sorts of grit and I find it drys pretty quickly so you need to watch it and ensure that you turn it at just the right time.

But even with its issues it is like butter to through, I love the way it fires so white and pure and leach green glaze (which I have used here) seems to be made for it!

As you can see by these pots they look carved........ what I have done is used shellack and metholated spirits to paint on a design on a raw pot before a bisque firing, and then when it is dried on the pot wiped away the clay from around the design with a damp/dry sponge.

The tricks of the technique seem to be

Dont use an overly damp sponge
Make sure the shellack and metho mix is thick enough (or use two coats)

When the piece is fired the shellack burns off and leaves the raised clay underneath. In the rose pot the effect with a candle inside is stunning.

Thanks for looking - I hope you have enjoyed it
Love
Carol

Targine

2008-05-29T23:30:00.000-07:00

Here is something that I loved making and with practive I am definitely going to produce more of these. A targine is an African cooking pot with a high lid and a shallow base.

I founf a picture of one with a domed lid which I liked and it is much easier to through than a cone shaped lid. I used Shiga red glaze and then a pale green glaze dribbled over the top, this broke the glaze into interesting brown and blue patterns.

I also made a rice vessel to go with the targine - we will be putting it through its paces this week and cooking an African vegetable stew in it and I will let you know how it goes......

Thanks for looking
Carol

Welcome to Scribbly Gums Art

2008-05-10T10:45:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone and welcome to our olf friends and new to our new blog!

We will post some photos today... when we have a bit of time!

Love
Carol & Phil

A trip to Cairns

2008-05-09T18:50:00.000-07:00

We visited Cairns last week and it was wonderful - warm, sunny and great tropical flowers!!!! So I got out my paints and off I went....

Please forgive me that I don't know some of the names of these flowers but they were so wonderful I had to do the paintings anyway....everything is so lush and gorgeous up there in tropical Australia - I had such a wonderful time - and I ran out of paper - all in all I did 8 paintings but I could have done more there were so many flowers.

Bouganvilia Vine

Heleconia

Pink bush - we thought it looked a bit like a pointsettia... the leaves make up the coloured bracts and the flower is the tiny bud at the top.

Purple vine which was growing through the trees

Heleconia

We visited the Cairns Botanical Gardens on Thursday and found that the gingers and heleconias were awesome - such amazing plants. We will go again next year and then I am taking double the paper I took this year.

Love
Carol

Please note that all paintings are copyright and you are welcome to look but please do not print or copy. I will be setting up a website soon so people can purchase original paintings, prints or cards...... this will link into that new website.

My Watercolours

2008-05-09T13:00:00.000-07:00

Please respect that all my paintings are here to be shared, enjoyed but not copied or printed. They are copyright to Carol Mead 2008. For more info email me - please pop into my profile to send me an email....

I have been painting in watercolours since 1996 when I took a class with the wonderful Janet Twigg-Patterson. I still have many of those first paintings and they still make me smile!

I love the delicate way watercolourcan be applied to paper, the colours and the way it is sometimes very hard to control.

While I do landscapes occaisionally, I usually paint flowers and leaves of the Australian Bush, and if they aren't available any flora is fine with me....... I have my own style of course and while my paintings are not 'botanical', in that they are very exact, they still have a botanical fee to them.

A few years ago I went into watercolour pencils as I usually paint in strange locations which is difficult with pallettes and water. I have painted in caravan parks, on card tables, under dull light, on the bed of hotel rooms, on the ground, on verandas and in the car. Watercolour pencils give me the freedom to paint without the mess.

All I need is:

300gsm watercolour paper
2b pencil, eraser, sharpener
Watercolour pencils (1 have about 40)
A ink pen for lining - black, permanent and fine
A small paintbrush - I use a white size 4
A container of water - I use a vitamin container
Tissues - 2 or 3
A glass with water in it for my flower I am painting

The Paper: While you can get watercolour paper that is thinner (say 190gsm), I have found that it buckles. I am lazy and I don't like to stretch my paper - and I am often not somewhere that I could do this even if I wanted to....so I use the pad of 300gsm paper and I like a rough surface rather than a smooth because I like the effect of the paint int eh furrows of the paper. I don't use the paper though with lots of little grooves......as I don't like the stripey effect it makes. But each to their own!! usually I paint on A5 and A4 sizes, but if I am painting at home I sometimes use A3 but find this to large to handle out in the field.....

The flower: All I can say about this really is it must be something you relate to.... the shape, the colour, the leaves......you will paint it much better if you like it. I love roses..... but I hate painting them, I think it is because I try to draw and paint each petal and they are very complex. But I love lillies, gums, fushias, irises, butterfly bush, daisies, hakeas and so much more so I don't paint roses - I grow and photograph them instead.

Study of the piece: Each painting is unique as I study the flower (or leaves etc) very thoroughly and ensure I know how it is put together (that is the almost botanical bit). And then I have to admit that I may remove some bits I don't want to paint (this is decidedly unbotanical!!).

Drawing of the Flower: The view also might be scewed because I might paint in a leaf or bud....that isn't there at all (the botanical painters will be have apoplexy about now!) for me it is all about the presentation and if I need to put in or take away something then that is what I do.

Watercolour Pencils: I draw it carefully with the 2B pencil and then start to build in colour. In watercolour pencils you need to think not only in form but the colour has to also do your shading of light and dark. There is a real need to practice this and it is the most common reason I have found which stops people developing a love for this medium.

Making Magic: Then I take my paint brush load it with water and blot the excess off the brush onto a tissue and start to work on the paint. The painting starts to take on it's true colours....and it is magic! I paint pieces of the work at a time, say the leaf, before moving on to another area. I take care not to touch an adjacent area of the work as the water (with paint) will run into the next area which I don't want to happen.

Darkening the Painting: I leave the painting for a few minutes to settle while it dries and then I may touch areas up with a darkening colour if it needs it. All I do is hold the pencil and wet the tip with a wet brush, blot as before and then paint in the colour, blending as I go.

Lines on My Work: I also may chose to draw in areas of the plant but not colour them..... This is something I like to do when I think it suits the piece. I then line my work, very carefully and this must be done when the painting is dry, including the part that is drawn but not painted. Once it is very dry, after an hour or so, I gently erase any lead pencil lines. Then I sign it of course!

One day I want to exhibit my work and sell some pieces.

Pink Ladies

2008-05-03T18:16:00.000-07:00

Here are three watercolours that I have completed today - obviously it is a pink day!!!!! There are fairly limited flowers around here at the moment and they all happened to be in shades of pink.... All my paintings are copyright....so please look and enjoy, but do not copy....thanks!!

New Guinea Impatients from our courtyard..... and it is very true of the colours

The beautiful fushias on our balcony - they remind me of ballerinas

The day lillies I bought in a bunch of flowers yesterday

I am quite excited and Lisa from the LSBS would like to purchase some paintings for her parents for Christmas - like me they seem to like the Australian plants. I have been asked before if I sell my paintings but now I feel a bit more confident to do so..... Thanks Lisa

Happy painting everyone.... for more paintings look under the watercolour section on the left.

Love
Carol

Simple Tulip Watercolour Pencil Class

2007-07-19T16:38:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the first class on this site. If you like doing this class please leave a comment and I will do more. This is a very simple tulip for starters - obviously things can get much more involved than this .... but we have to start somewhere!

Please note that this work is able to be printed off to help you if you like. All other works are copyright but the lessons can be copied and shared. Please ensure that if you share with others you recognise where you got it from.... Carol

The finished piece

Step 1 - gather your supplies

Tulip in a bright pink or red - optional but it helps (you can print off my drawing and trace if you wish)

Watercolour pencils

Faber Castell (FC) Purple 194
FC Burnt Carmine 193
FC Madder 142
FC Rose Madder Lake 128
FC Cream 102
FC Dark Sepia 175
Derwent Deep Vermillion 14
Derwent Olive Green 51

2B pencil
Paintbrush (I use a size four round brush)
Eraser
Sharpener
Ouline pen - I use a permanent 0.6 black pen - outlining is of course personal choice
300gsm rough or medium A4 size watrercolour pad (it won't buckle as the thinner papers can)
Tissues
Water
Piece of extra water colour paper for scribbling and painting from later
Glasses if you are growing ol gracefully like me!
Tea or wine are optional extras but can help

The other thing that is helpful is a good overhead light

Gather your suplies

Step 2: Outline
When drawing your flower make sure that you look at how it is put together. How do the leaves come out from the stem. what petals go underneath or over others. How are the stamens formed. All of this is important.

I make a very quick drawing first, remembering to stay within the paper....if a flower is complex I put some dots where the tips of the petals sit. This stops you going off the edge of the paper.

Using your pencil make a light drawing, erasing unneeded lines carefully. Don't rub out too often though as this destroys the way the paint reacts on the paper. You will find it easier to have your pencil fairly sharp, but dulled on the end - just scribble on a piece of paper, to achieve this. You are welcome to print off all or some of the photos in this lesson to assist you!

Outline with a 2B pencil

Step 3: Adding colour
This has to be the fun bit for me - it is a build up of colour and it doesn't only add the colour but also the light and shade. There are two things that are really important - don't be afraid to leave white patches for highlights where the light hits and experiment with surprising colours to get the effect you want. For instance I have used purple in this class to good effect - I often will use bright and dark blue in flowers as a surpriise element.

The other thing to remember is that you need to shade parts of flowers that fall underneath other parts - such as petals and leaves. This drawing is a good study of that - the leaf will help you build confidence.

Again - print off these photos if you think it will help - as you will then see the tonings.

Burnt Carmine

Create the start of the shading with Burnt Carmine. Deepen the areas where the petals sit below hte others and create some outlining to give shape and form.

Madder

Continue to build up colour with Madder. Overlapping the Burnt Carmine, and as this colour is extremely vibrant, deeping the shaded areas. Leave highlights white - you can do it - don't be scared!!

Rose Madder Lake

Overlapping as before and adding a lighter shade into the highlighted areas.

Deep Vermillion

This adds zing to the painting and is really a burst of energy - not too dark though or it will take over!!

Cream

This is a great straw colour and will highlight the stems, leaf as well as the petals.

Olive Green

Definitely my favourite green...... start soft and then really deepen those areas aroung the leaf so the form stands out and you can see the turnover well.

Dark Sepia

Now I know that you probably thought this is such a dark colour and I like the green just as it is. But this really gives the painting oomph! Remember with stems - highlight on one side and shade on the other. Use this colour sparingly - but it works wonders. Use it also to define the tip of the leaf.

Purple

Touches of purple really help the looseness of the painting. Carefully define the tops of the bud, where the petals overlap.

Step 4: Time for the magic
It is so amazing that a few drops of water can really make a painting glow. There are a few things to remember though:

Use clean water every time for every painting
Don't dip your brush into your tea (or wine) it is easy to do!
Have a pad of tissues beside you and and next to your painting hand (so right if you are right handed) - this is so you don't keep taking a fully load brush over your painting to drip and ruin your work
When you load your brush with water, place the tip on the tissue to take off excess - sucking the brush won't kill you but it isn't a gook look - especially if there is still paint on it! No blue tongue lizards here....
Always work on section at a time and never work on adjoining petals or areas as the paint will seep into the adjoining wet section, wait about 10 minutes between working on an adjoining section
Work in small areas, I tend to use a small circular motion for petals, strokes for stems
Don't over work the paint, you will muddy it
If you want a bloom effect - wet the area thoughly.... this will make the paint bloom - typically watercolours do this
Don't go over the highlights - you can lose the highlighted areas by painting over them and the painting will become flat - highlights are good: flat is bad!

Start on the left hand side if you are right handed - a little area at a time. Rember little circular motions and ensure that you use your tissue for excess water.

Tissue pad - use each time you load your brush with water

Don't do adjoining areas.... leave space inbetween - I have done the two outer petals here and then I have gone back and completed the middle section

Competed petals

The green bits

Touch up areas

Some areas will need a little more shading using the extra water colour paper scribble a little pencil on it and use your brush to wet the paint. Add to the area and blend as necessary with a bit of extra water. Here I have used Madder and you can see the patch of paint above my hand.

Before Outlining - you can choose to leave it like this or outline - it is up to you!!

Sign your work you should be proud of it!! Well done!!

Hope you have fun with this.......
Please leave a comment if you enjoyed it and want me to do more step by step classes.

Cheers
Carol