Iris Watercolour & Sketch

Garden Irises

It's been a wonderful year for Irises in our Tuscan garden. They've been popping up in places I've never seen them before. The first year we were here I'd dash out to photograph or sketch each bloom as it appeared. Such is the abundance this year, I've been a bit overwhelmed. I know I should have tried for a big painting but I've always been inhibited by the benchmark set by Van Gogh.

Katherine Tyrrell, (Making a Mark) has put together a wonderful post tracking her inspiration through Hokusai to Van Gogh to produce a beautiful coloured pencil study after Van Gogh.

I was finally forced to attempt a watercolour when Jean gave me a splendid specimen from her garden. I hate picking flowers and cutting their life short but this one had actually fallen over due to the weight of its enormous blooms.

Abandoned Watercolour

I don't often give up entirely on a painting but something about this flower made me put down my brush. Part of the problem was that I didn't pay enough attention to the initial drawing. I cut corners and had no believable structure to guide me. Anyway I gave up and took some photos instead.

Trying to overcome a glum 'can't paint anything' mood, I went 'surfing' the blogs that so often inspire. Casey Klahn (The Colorist) has tracked down a fabulous site featuring the work of Henri Matisse. I started doodling Matisse-style in awe, as always, of the spirited beauty of his line.

So in the end it wasn't Van Gogh or Hokusai who sent me back to the dreaded iris, but Matisse. Armed with an A3 sketchbook and a Tombow brush pen I ignored everything but the spirit of the iris and I was finally happy with the result.

Sketching and Snowing

Pitt Artist Pen & Pelikan ink wash

When we first arrived in in Tuscany I was distressed at the sight of a crippled old tom cat dragging himself past our house. I thought he'd probably been hit by a car until I saw him one morning, high on a rooftop, hunting!

This is a bit heavy handed as a sketch, but I think it would make a nice woodcut if only I could make a woodcut!

I've been suffering from Snow Envy for a couple of days after seeing Casey Klahn's photos of his new studio sitting in a beautiful snowscape. My inner child was delighted to wake this morning to a small helping of our own snow.

It doesn't seem that long since our favourite neighbour was sunning himself on one of those lounges. It's blowing a gale now and we are expecting more of the white stuff in the morning.

Pastel Diversion

It was bound to happen. I've been following Casey Klahn's blog and admiring his pastel paintings and knowing I would NEVER go there because I can't stand the feel of chalk or soft pastel on my fingers and my only attempt, with an inferior set, looked like cave painting. That was all before I stumbled upon Dianna Ponting's soft pastel tutorial on WetCanvas. So off I went to Arezzo yesterday in search of a 100+ set of pastels. I returned with a 36 piece set, and a little white around the gills at the cost of that. So here I am surrounded by surgical gloves, baby wipes, drop cloths and dust.

Of course I realise the above photo may be the most beautiful pastel associated image I ever come up with. I guess I could always frame that. To be continued........