Jessie Spring Art

Some WIP Copper Art…..playing around with Wheatbelt landscape designs, black cockatoos and Quangdong trees.

‘Rocks’
Watercolour & Gouache on Arches 600g paper.
220x220mm

Today I practiced painting rocks using granulating watercolour pigments and decided on a flat, opaque cobolt blue gouache sky.

What do you think of the sky?

‘Nest’
Daniel Smith watercolour on Arches 600g paper.
220x220mm

I have finally realised I am an artist who most enjoys working small.
I feel totally chilled out working small and it helps with practicing my technique.
Small pieces encourage the viewer to look closer.
I have been experimenting with interesting papers, recycled, cotton, round, square, torn edges.
No words can explain how much I love a birdnest! They’re a tricky subject that teaches me to observe.
The first most important thing to observe is the direction of light.
I work the values out by first laying down light washes and gradually building up areas with darker washes. This gives the nest depth and the eggs appear round, not flat. I have plenty more to learn about this and I’m getting better with practice. Watercolour requires patience. One never stops learning.
I find I prefer to self teach as it is very gratifying to development my own sense of style.
If I stuff something up I don’t give up, I just evaluate what I have learnt from my mistakes and that paper is turned over to use again.
Practicing small is the best way to learn….and it saves on expensive paper!

In loving memory of David Lynch.

Falling Julee Cruise · Floating Into The Night · Song · 1989