Where the poppies are

 

Where the poppies are

watercolour on paper

14.25 x 10.25 inches

(20 x 16 inches mounted)

 

One of the paintings inspired by my recent sketch. This is a wonderful area for poppies with fields and fields of them swathing the landscape with their scarlet glow.

Field of Scarlet

 

watercolour Moleskine sketchbook 8 x 11.5 inches

 

sketched this leaning on a gate beside a busy road, the car pulled half way on to the verge of long grasses. I was nearly finished when a car drew up behind me and a man jumped out. Someone wanting to see what I was doing ? Someone wanting to take a photograph of the view ? Neither -just someone wanting directions to the nearest town...

Garden planter

 

Garden planter

Moleskine watercolour sketchbook page

8.25 x 11.50 inches

 

Sometimes it's good to just paint something for yourself without worrying about how much detail you put in or leave out. Another words to do something just for FUN. Sketchbooks are a great place to do this as well as trying out new ideas or techniques. They are also good if you don't have a lot of time at your disposal

More bales

 

Silage bales

5.75 x 7.75 inches

(10 x 12" mounted)

 

A different field, a smaller painting. I barely lasted. Too much pollen in the air. A very high warning from the met office. I started sneezing... and haven't stopped since. This is the worst day this year - so far!

What a difference...

 

Silage bales in the meadow

watercolour on paper

7.25 x 11.25 inches

(12 x 16 inches mounted)

 

What a difference ! A few days ago when I walked here you could hardly see one side of the field from the other due to the height of the grasses. Today, flat as a pancake and these black plastic-wrapped bales have sprouted from who knows where?

Farm Buildings

 

Farm buildings from the village hall

watercolour on paper

7.25 x 11.25 inches

(12 x 16 inches mounted)

 

Such a beautiful morning this morning. These buildings glimpsed through the trees were just too inviting to ignore.

Fresh Baked

 

 

What to do when it's too wet to paint outside - bake a cake, then paint it!  Another entry for my current Moleskine sketchbook

Another summer's day

 

Buttercups in a meadow

watercolour on paper

5.75 x 7.75inches

(10x12 inches mounted)

 

Two days of sunshine in a row may not seem much to some people but it's enough to get those of us who live in the UK excited! It meant I was able to go out and spend some more time painting en plein air for better or worse. This was done on my usual Saunders Waterford 140 lb paper.

 

 

 

Peaceful morning

watercolour on paper

5.9 x 11.8 inches

 

Here I tried a block of Arches watercolour cold press paper which I found lovely to work on. It was especially useful having a block as it meant I could stand and hold it and my palette in one hand while I painted with the other

 

A good start to June

 

Buttercup Field

watercolour on paper

(10 x 12 " mounted)

 

That's English weather for you - after the recent strong winds today dawned bright and sunny and stayed that way all day with hardly a breath of wind to be found - Hurray!

 

There is so much happening in the rural landscape at the moment you don't have to go far to find something to paint. In fact you could probably choose one spot, enjoy a good paint and simply turn 45 degrees to find another beautiful vista crying out to be captured in your favourite medium.

 

 

 

June morning

watercolour on paper

(10 x 12" mounted)

 

..Which is exactly what I did this morning. I expected there to be more people out enjoying the weather but in fact there were very few.

 

I am hoping it will be much the same tomorrow so I can go out again and lose myself in the

 meadows before the next lot of rain which is bound to come.

 

After the rain

 

After the rain and winds of the last few days it was good to get outside again and see how the views along the footpaths had fared. This sketchbook note will remind me of the fresh greens in the foliage and the fields of buttercups. The forecast for tomorrow is good so I'm hoping to take easel, hat and bug repellent and do some painting (provided the wind has dropped)