Floating Garden

I'm really enjoying working with waterlilies in this long rectangular format. It's challenging to balance everything in the composition using this shape.
I started with acrylic ink and watercolor in the backyard on a sunny day so all the paint dripped on the ground and I didn't have to worry about my rug! Using watercolor and acrylics I slowly found where I wanted flowers and leaves. There's a little iridescence in this piece.
I've photographed so you can see the edges since it's painted on handmade Shized rough press paper.

"Floating Garden" • Original mixed watermedia on handmade paper • 18"  6.25"

If interested in purchasing this piece click HERE.

Elegant Water Dance

I made great use of my backyard for painting this piece! It was great to paint outside and make a mess and not worry about the rug!!!! This piece started out as an ink and watercolor wash that I was planning on turning into a wisteria painting. After the wash dried I decided to paint waterlilies instead. I used a lot of iridescent ink in this piece so it sparkles in unexpected places in different lights. The piece is painted on Arches 300# cotton paper.

"Elegant Water Dance" • Original mixed watermedia • 22" x 30"

If interested in purchasing this piece click HERE.

More Waterlilies!

I have some long, narrow, rectangular pieces of handmade rough press paper that I've been trying to figure out compositions for. I cropped one of my waterlily photos to be a long vertical and prepared to paint it in acrylic. So I undercoated the canvas and while that was drying, I decided to try the design out with watercolor on one of my long pieces of paper. I used primarily watercolor and added some touches with gouache paint which adds to the richness of the colors and provides a bit of contrast between transparency and opacity in the piece. Next I decided to work with lots of purples on another piece and made a big mess with ink and watercolor with the thought of painting wisteria. After the wash was dry I decided that all the purples would make a better waterlily piece. I made the design similar to the one I had just finished and used white inks and gouache for some of the lighter areas. There's some sparkly inks in the purple piece. I really like the moods of the two pieces as well as the different color combinations.
Both these pieces are painted on handmade paper and I've photographed so you can see the edges.

Left: Afternoon Sparkle • Original mixed watermedia on handmade paper • If interested in purchasing click HERE.
Right: Evening Glow • Original mixed watermedia on handmade paper • If interested in purchasing click HERE.