A time for experimenting, with paper, paint and pears.

I've had some fun, experimenting with paper, paint and pears.

The paper was my sample pack from the very lovely St Cuthbert's Mill.
I usually use their Saunders Waterford Rough paper for my watercolours, but these are all versions of their delightful Somerset Range.

The paint used was delivered by the amazing Derwent Graphik Line Painters.
One of the following pears was painted in traditional watercolour. I'm sure you'll be able to tell which it was.

The pears were from photos kindly provided by Kay Smith. You can see her blog HERE

Why post experimentation? Why not just the worked up paintings?
I believe it's because in experimentation we grow as artists - and for people who follow and view my blog, perhaps you'd like to see that there is a period of simply playing with paint, followed by growth. It might encourage you to try that yourself and not to be shy about it.

So here, you see me experiment and play. I hope you do the same too!

and if you'd like to see them all together, here they are:-

You can see which version of Somerset paper I used in the larger pics.
I hope you have enjoyed looking at these - and I hope you're inspired to go experiment too!

First full week of June Challenge

A painting a day. How hard can that be? Easy, right?
That's what I thought, but once you commit to say yes, sometimes inspiration flies out of the window. Or work gets busy, or there's the book needs attention and always there's the ongoing rehab for the ankle.

So on the days I got busy or inspiration was lacking, I fell back on my favourite fruit, the pear. Just so you know. It is possible to do the challenge, but sometimes a little leeway is needed. That's where my pears come in.

So sorry if I'm not around to visit blogs, but I need to do this. It felt as if some of my painting had become stale, so I'm hoping this will force me to be fresher and grow a little. In fact, perhaps if I'd done thirty different pears, I'd be forced to be even more creative!
But thirty different pears I have not done. I do hope you enjoy viewing what I have done. You'll see some experimentation over the next few weeks.
As ever, I do enjoy your comments, even if at the moment, I haven't the time to reply. Thanks for your patience as I try to grow as an artist.

The week's paintings.

Cider Days

Shepherd Snowman

Pear II

Poisoned Apple.

Roadside Flowers

Herb and Fruit.

Pear III

and finally, here's a bonus one - I had a lady ask me for a pencil drawing of one of her dogs. Not actually a June Painting - so I've not included it in the above section, but drawn in June, so here she is:

Amber

Pears and Comments

I'm still keeping my painting eye in whilst I'm on the writing course :)
Class tonight and then one more next week and I'll be writing totally on my own!

I had some time this morning, so was running through the blogs I follow. Entranced by Judy's hyacinths, I thought I'd try to leave a comment, despite the blinking awful word verification that Blogger has "improved" Ha!

I wrote a lovely long comment, telling Judy how I loved her hyacinths, the flicks and dabs creating the impression of pollen and scent. Really quite fabulous.
First attempt at wv failed, as did second. Third went through, until a little box came up saying that an error had occurred and the comment couldn't be published.

So Judy, and all other friends who use word verification, I'm sorry, but no comments from me. The system drives me mad . Write, fail, fail, fail. Just how I feel about blogger's system. Fail.

Enough with the complaining - here are the pears :)

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.
Will be reading and keeping up with you all.
love
Pat xx

The journey continues

As my sub heading to the blog says, " a journey with watercolour and my dog"
I thought to show you a little more "journey" work today.


Yesterday was a foul day with storms and high winds, so we didn't go anywhere for fresh air and sketching possibilities, we stayed indoors!

These are my sketches, the first in my new journal book, a present from Beryl at Christmas - and the others are two painted sketches of the same subject.

What started me off on pears again was an informative technique post on Painting Friends, by Mollie Jones.
Mollie is very generous in sharing her knowledge. 
She even does so on her blog!
So for those of you who haven't seen it, her blog is HERE
Scroll down from the first post - and there is the technique "smushing"
You're in for a treat :)

Pair and Pears

We have a three day break in the building works whilst we wait for the newly plastered kitchen to dry. So I though I'd come say hello :)

Today is our wedding anniversary  - 22 years.
We're off out in a little while for a celebratory lunch.

I have managed to do a couple of little studies of pears - hope you enjoy them.
Tomorrow and the day after I'm going to visit all your blogs. I just know there'll be some interesting posts I've missed.

Both of these pears were made in four colours - French Ultramarine, Transparent Yellow, Permanent Rose and Sap Green.

Both made on sample papers I picked up at the art show.
The first allowed to bleed wet-in-wet, and the second painted layer over layer, wet on dry.

Belle

Helene

and now a little something for you, in celebration...

If anyone would like to own one of these pears, please leave a comment saying which one you'd like.  If there are many who'd like to own one, I'll draw a name from the hat on Sunday. This is open to all, no matter where you live.
have a great day ! xx

Through thick and thin

I've been busy with the aquapasto again!

Two smaller paintings, both 11 x7 . Arches 140 Rough.

Trying out the two ends of the medium - applying it very thickly and then very thinly on the second.
First painting up is the thick aquapasto

Raw Perry

and the second is the thinly applied aquapasto

The Sea Dog

As always, I appreciate your comments and observations and critiques. 

I've enjoyed using the aquapasto, stretching its limits. I have found I can't blend it too well. But then it is for impasto work, so I will enjoy it for what it can do. 

I am going to return now to watercolour, pure and simple. I'm missing some aspects, like the fizzing of the colours on paper.  There'll be some of each in my future - I love them both!  Take care and enjoy the week xx

Two of us.

When there is no time to paint, sometimes  I draw.  Sometimes I put my feet up on the sofa too :lol:

Last night, whilst Paul was cooking supper (angel hair pasta and pesto sauce for those who like to know) I picked up a HB pencil and drew some fruit .

They remind me of my hubby and I - oddly shaped, but we're a pair too :)

Two's Company

This is my latest attempt at using broad brush strokes.
Because it was drawn and painted in my art club in one night, I have no stages to show you.
I hope you enjoy the painting anyway.

Two's Company

This painting will be added to my Gallery site at
Pat Elliott Paintings

The Three Muses

here's the finished painting. I do hope you've enjoyed the journey - and are maybe tempted to give it a try on a photo of your own.

The Three Muses



This painting will be added to my gallery site:

Pat Elliott Paintings

Click the link to go have a browse.

Pears Four

Now I'm removing the masking fluid.
This is where I found out using a powerful sprayer is not the best idea .
It took almost half of an eraser to remove it, as you can see!

I don't use my fingers to remove making fluid - after the time I got a blister doing just that!

Here's the painting after the mask was removed


and here it is when I have enhanced the lower half to look like marble and painted a first pale wash over the pears.

All I have to do after this stage is paint one more wash on the pears, and she's done.
You'll see the finished painting tomorrow.

Pears Three

Once the poured painting was turned the right way round for the pears, the lower half reminded me a little of marble, so once the masking fluid is off, I will enhance that to look more like marble.



Missy is reserving judgement on the whole painting!

Pears Two

Here in this first picture, you can see I have propped my drawing board up - on the sink.
This is important, because if you use pouring as a technique, it is going to be messy!
And as I am the one who clears up after myself - I try to make life easy.

I wet two thirds of the paper from left to right and poured my colour on, so it runs down the page, like so.


Then I pour my second and third colours on, so I have some contrast in my background to these pears. I haven't said which colours, but you can see roughly which - this way, if you are tempted to play along, you can use whatever you have in your palette and not be worried about having the "right" colour.


Here is what the painting looks like the right way up once it has dried - and before I do any more to it.
If you leave your painting to dry on the board, make sure the bottom of the board is dry. I had to wipe mine down with kitchen paper.



and here is how messy the kitchen sink got! So this is why I say use the sink - easiest place to clean up from afterwards.

An experiment with Pears

I'm having an experiment with pears. which also involves some masking and some pouring.

Come along with me and enjoy the fun of playing with paint !

In this first stage, I make a drawing of some pears. Thanks to Tricia from Painting Friends for the photo. I like odd numbers in a painting, they seem to sit better for me than two.

Once the drawing is made, I took my trusty water sprayer ( recycled as you can see) and wet the paper completely.



After that, I put some blobs of masking fluid on the paper in a random fashion , got down to paper level and squirted the masking fluid with my sprayer so that it moved around the paper. This is the result.


I found out afterwards, that using the sprayer to move the masking fluid was a mistake! The spray was so powerful it blew fluid into the valleys of my rough paper. If you do want to try this, only use the sprayer to wet the paper. You'll see why later.