Contrary Flowers

Bee, Happy; watercolour; May 2020.

When we moved here five years ago I sprinkled some poppy seeds, poppies being one of my favourite flowers. Typically, the poppies did not grow where I'd cast the seeds. They migrated to the opposite side of the garden where, rather than thrive in the sensible flower bed chosen for them, they opted to cling precariously onto life by plunging their delicate roots between the foundations of a brick wall and a concrete path. Every year they've come up more plentiful so they must like it there. Besides, they enliven an otherwise boring wall.

Flowers aren't my go-to choice of subject, as regular readers of this blog will know. However, there they were, bobbing in the spring breeze and looking gorgeous. So I thought why not give it a go? And here's the result, which I've called Bee, Happy. The painting is on A3 Daler Rowney Aquafine, cold pressed, 300lbs, and I've used a combination of Daler Rowney watercolours with Winsor & Newton. Brushes are my usual Royal & Langnickel, a brand I highly recommend.

I'd not intended to include a bee but there were several buzzing around, wriggling into the flowers and emerging with pollen-stuffed jodhpurs, so one ended up in the painting. And then I had another idea....

A Dance of Granny's Bonnets; watercolour; May 2020.

Self-seeding to the point that I have to weed some out each year before the patio becomes impassible, these purple and white aquilegia, or granny's bonnets or columbine - they have multiple names - are looking gorgeous at the moment. These too are humming with a battalion of busy bees which visit from dawn till dusk. And as you can see for yourself, I had a go at painting these too.

Materials and size are as for its companion painting. I wanted to make use of negative space, and was very aware of being well outside my comfort zone while painting these. Richard wants me to frame them for the living room wall. I'm not so sure - but then I'm my own fiercest critic anyway. What do you think of these two watercolours?

Here are the originals in our garden, photographed just this afternoon.

Comments

Mossy Taylor said…

I love the delicacy of these paintings. Californian Poppies are lovely, the colours cheer you. I particularly like the energy in the picture of the Liverpool Waterfront. Some good dynamics there.

17 May 2020 at 16:10

Adele Cosgrove-Bray said…

Thanks for visiting this blog, Sylvia. I glad you enjoyed the paintings.

22 May 2020 at 10:03

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