For Claire and Sarah

Claire is a friend of mine, and Sarah is her sister.
Sarah passed away recently and was laid to rest yesterday.

I was thinking about them both and a couple of songs kept running round my mind. Firstly was the old nursery rhyme:

"Row, row , row your boat
Gently down the Stream,
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream"

secondly were some lines from a Stevie Wonder song:
"You are the Sunshine of my Life, forever you'll be in my heart"

I liked the idea of flowers being placed on the water and travelling gently down the stream.  So my flowers are the colour of Sunshine...

For Claire and Sarah, in memory of a life shared, in memory of happier times.
Until the sun shines on your reunion..

Gently Down the Stream

And now... for something completely different!

Good morning, friends!

I have subtitled my blog as a journey... and today's post is all about a learning part of this journey.

Here's the flower painting close up

and here it is on the easel at a distance of about four-five feet away.

Looks quite dramatic for a watercolour, doesn't it?
That's because some of this - Winsor and Newton Aquapasto - has been added to the wash before the paint hit the paper.

This was given to me by my art tutor, Steve Cook last Wednesday, as he thought I was "on the brink of creativity" :)
I have had great fun playing with it - it turns your watercolour washes into a buttery consistency, like oils. I took this painting back to the art class this week and Steve thought it had great impact, and did indeed look like an oil.

I love it!
I painted the picture vertically and I was standing! Made a lovely change from sitting down to work - and helped me free up immensely. It also made a difference in being able to stand back and assess the picture. Not something I do enough when I'm sitting!

I can see me using this a great deal. I don't think my workbox will ever be without it. :)
Next for me to try is a moody sky over a lake in Scotland.. watch this space!