I'm travelling into a new way of working, a new country, a new language, and a new hobby which I'm passionate about. Come with me for some of the journey...

Friday 17 July 2020

Leafy Watercolours Part II

Hello all!  I will try not to keep you long today... I'm just here to share the next batch of my daily watercolouring for World Watercolour Month.  Rather than following the prompts on offer, I decided to put in some work playing with brush strokes and paint/water concentrations to get my hand back in, as I'd not played with the watercolour paints for quite a long time.  So I have been doing daily leaf studies.  (Sorry it's a bit dark over to the right - it's hard to find a large enough patch of consistent light to have four A4 pieces of paper all together.)


This is the second batch.  If you missed the first Leafy Watercolours, that's where you'll find details of the paper I'm using and the colours in my limited palette.  I'm not sure there's an even progression of "getting better"... they come and go according to what kind of mood/focus/presence I'm bringing to the craft table each time.







So some of my favourites are in the first batch, but there are a couple more this time joining my short list.















I've continued the pattern of masking up the paper and adding background washes on day 1, and then adding leafy designs to both sides on day 2.

So it is daily watercolouring.  It's just not strictly one painting per day!









So let's not hang around any longer.  Here they are in order.  (As I said before, I'm waiting until I have the whole collection before I cut them up into individual paintings.)

Days 9 and 10... (where I suddenly remember how much I like furling the edges of the leaves!)


Days 11 and 12...


Days 13 and 14... (it's that Moonglow magic again - not so happy with the leaves but oh, the colours!)


Days 15 and 16... (the little round leaves make me very happy)


I know which are my favourites.  I wonder which are yours?

Some of you will have seen snippets of these over at my new Instagram page, but I'm trying to keep something back for the blog, which is the virtual scrapbook which really matters to me, so this is the first time the whole paintings have been on display.

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  I hope you all have a lovely weekend, and I look forward to hopping round soon to see what you've all been up to.  Stay safe, stay well, everyone.

In every change, in every falling leaf there is some pain, some beauty. And that's the way new leaves grow.
Amit Ray

I'd like to share these at Paint Party Friday where they are on Week 20 of Year 10.  So happy to have been spotlit there by the random generator last week!
And I'm back to Do What Makes You Happy for Sue's lovely theme at Country View Challenges

38 comments:

Barbara said...

I loved your work last time, and now I love it again, so finely done. My favorites are probably those with the most contrast, especially the fourth one down. Watercolor is difficult for me, these are wonderful!

kathyinozarks said...

So beautiful-I am just learning how to paint with watercolors

Valerie-Jael said...

They are all beautiful Alison, and remind me of leaves on a grey and wet day, really luverly! Have a great weekend, hugs, Valerie

Karen said...

Gorgeous colors ~ Enjoy the weekend!

DVArtist said...

These are simply stunning. I was so glad to some of them featured this week at PPF. Have a nice weekend.

Christine said...

Beautiful work!

Linda Kunsman said...

these are all so beautiful, and I was quite happy to see some of these botanicals featured at Paint Party Friday this week- well done!

Elkes Lebensglück said...

these are beautiful paintings again, i love this softness of colors!
Have a good weekend, hugs Elke

Helen said...

These watercolours are just perfect, delicate and subtly coloured.

Let's Art Journal said...

Wow, your paintings are so beautiful! I love the simplicity and the way you have blended those pretty colours - perfect 😀. I hope you've had a lovely week! Happy weekend! Hugs, Jo x

My name is Erika. said...

These are as gorgeous as the first batch. You do know how to use watercolors Alison. Have a wonderful weekend. Hugs-Erika

Margaret Mifsud said...

Oh my goodness. I think I love these even more than the first batch. The colours are gorgeous and I so adore the delicate leaves you create .. and then, you even furled the edges. Awesome! So beautifully done Alison. Just glorious!! xx

peppylady (Dora) said...

Not sure which I like the best, all very good.
PPF and coffee is on

Kokopelli said...

They are all lovely, but I think my favorites are day 3 and 4 from the first batch. Happy PPF!

craftytrog said...

Love the variety of leaves on days 11 and 12, but they're all beautiful Alison xx

Craftyfield said...

All very good Alison, I think I like the round leaves better too, because there is more contrast (with watercolour it's always difficult to get the right tones as they dry lighter) and the bit of lost and found at the bottom calls to me.
You could try a different approach and try negative painting those leaves ever resourceful Google has lots of images and videos on this subject). Happy painting! x

Anne (cornucopia) said...

These are gorgeous. Fantastic water color painting. They all look life like.

Fonda said...

Your watercolor leaves are perfect!

Meggymay said...

Beautiful leafy water colours, in fact both the posts with this theme look gorgeous.
Yvonne xx

Cocofolies said...

My favourites are the two last days, 15 and 16!!
But what a marvellous collection.. You are buidling such a wonderful watercolor paintings album, Alison! Un grand BRAVO, je suis admirative ! xxx

Dorthe said...

They are so beautiful, I love the tones you mix to make them live and look gorgeous also with the splashes around them- I so want to try, but where are time , Alison - Hugs, Dorthe

Sylvia/LittleTreasures said...

Oh all so beautiful. I could not pick one. They are all unique and loving the various colors. I've Watercolor "hearttrob" I Need to practice Thanks for sharing and Stay Safe.

Chrissy said...

I have no favorites here Alison, I tried to pick one and I could not, that are all perfect in style and colour and I love them all..

Luv CHRISSYxx

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

Looks like I'm incredibly late for the party. I like them all, but Days 9 and 11 are my favorites in this batch. You are making lovely, lovely watercolors, Alison, which makes it so incredibly hard to pick a favorite.

NatureFootstep said...

love your work. I always go to nature and forests and I see light. Many times leaves that looks like yours. And I photograph them. I started to paint but am not yet good at it. Maybe I should try something like yours for a while. :)

Patty O'Malley said...

So beautiful, Alison! Love Days 9 and 10.

Sue said...

These are so beautiful Alison, so fluid and gentle. Take care and have a very happy week - keep on with the watercolouring xx

Lagene said...

Beautiful watercolored leaves!

Redanne said...

Well, I have been scrolling up and down, over and over but I finally came to a decision! The first set are my favourite (although I love them all), the furling of the leaves makes me happy too. Really wonderful! Stay safe and well. Anne xx

Soma @ inkTorrents.com said...

I love your idea of practising and playing with brush strokes and paint/water concentrations. The paintings are so lovely. I love the colours and softness. Couldn't really pick a favourite, like all of them!

-Soma

Etsuko said...

Your watercolor drawings are delicate and natural beautiful, I love them. xx

Jane said...

Hi Alison, your watercolouring is just dreamy and I can see how much you love doing it too. So atmospheric too. Thanks so much for joining our Do what makes you happy challenge over at County View, a fab entry xx

Corrie Herriman said...

So beautiful ! Thank you so much for joining us over at Country View Challenges for our July challenge!
Corrie xx

Anita Houston The Artful Maven said...

You do gorgeous watercolor work. I'd love to see your process on video...hint hint.

pearshapedcrafting said...

Oh Alison, They are all so beautiful! I do have favourites though - 12 and 15. Hugs, Chrisx

Marci said...

So pretty!

sally said...

.... the colours!.......



Sally xx

Neet said...

As you have probably realised I am working backwards in your blog with my comments. Again these are simply beautiful and there is a great deal of softness - a gentle approach to the painting of these leaves. I love how you have used blues and mauves to bring out the colours of these leaves - absolutely beautiful.
Hugs, Neet xx