A little touch of (water)colour

Hello all!

It's an age since I've been here, and I'm just dropping in very quickly today with a touch of colour on this snowy day.

I know we're by no means badly off compared to some - I hope you're all staying warm and dry indoors (and probably best off at the craft table) while it's so white and cold out there.

I thought this was going to be a quiet time for me, but it's not turning out that way, so apologies for my continuing absence around Craftyblogland.

Today's post is just some more "watercolouring in"... nothing mindblowing... I just couldn't bear that it had been silent for so long here at Words and Pictures.











I've actually been doing some watercolour explorations of my own, but I'm saving those for another day.

Today, it's just my colour games played out on a couple of pages from the Painterly Days Pattern book.













I've found that when I'm on the move, it's nice and simple to just take some watercolours, water brushes and a couple of pads with me, so that I don't suffer from complete crafting withdrawal.












For longer trips, of course, I still can't resist trying to take a mini-craft-room with me with all sorts of supplies, but the watercolours will do for the shorter jaunts.












And there's no pressure at all with the colouring books so it really is very relaxing.














But at the same time I'm learning about the paints - controlling the amount of water, mixing colours, enjoying the flow.















There are far more complicated patterns in the rest of the book, but I found the simplicity of these circles really pleasing.











As I said on my piece for last month's Vintage Journey Going Round In Circles challenge - there's something very satisfying about a circle.














I may not have been particularly precise about the circularity - embracing imperfection again - but it's definitely delightfully uplifting playing with bubbles.

It's also nice to play with the whole rainbow for once...











... though that didn't last for very long.  The bottom left hand corner took my fancy and was the starting point for the next page.




















On this next pattern I worked with a very limited palette, much closer to my usual favourite combinations.

Using lots of different colours is lovely, but there's no doubt that this felt like coming home!

I enjoyed playing with very light washes (it's amazing how delicate you can be with the tints)...














... and then adding shading in the same colour or in different colours to see the different effects.















I also made myself explore some proper darks...















... keeping plenty of pigment in some layers.














Altogether it's a lovely way to pass a couple of hours in a hotel room (better than watching whatever nonsense is on television, as far as I can see).











It's also been great for increasing my confidence in handling the watercolours as a medium, which is what has allowed me to head off in new directions of my own (coming soon to a blogpost near you - as soon as I get a chance to write about it).











The watercolour brushes are really convenient, but I've found there's a whole world of extra creativity when you use proper brushes.

I'm having a wonderful time exploring it all, and I will confess that I've become somewhat obsessed.












There are lots of fantastic youtube videos, so when I'm not watercolouring myself, I'm probably watching somebody else do it on youtube... 

So, yes, I am actually watching paint dry.  And I find it riveting!





Thanks so much for stopping by.  I'm actually due to be on the PaperArtsy blog on Monday evening, so after this long silence you've got two posts in quick succession.  But I did want to just drop in to wish you all well, and I'll hope to see you again soon, either here or elsewhere in Craftyblogland.

Water supports all our endeavors, from the simple task of making paint flow, to sustaining life. It is the common denominator that all humanity shares.
Sharon Crosbie