Salty Rosemary at PaperArtsy

Hello all!  What on earth do I mean, "salty rosemary"?!  Well, I'm sharing a project over at the PaperArtsy blog today, where the topic this month is Tinged Blue.  We're looking in depth at paint-mixing with Surf's Up Fresco Chalk Acrylic as the colour around which everything is revolving... so the surf is the salty part.  And for my creation I've chosen to use one of my most recent botanical stamp sets EAB32 Rosemary Edition - so that's (obviously!) the rosemary part of it. 

My original colour mix was Surf's Up with Antarctic, but I ended up with another palette using Surf's Up with Magic Moss.  Do hop over to PaperArtsy to see the colour mixes, and hear the full story behind how this project developed.  And for a really brilliant exploration of colour theory, and mixing up tints, shades and tinges, have a look at Dounia's amazing introduction post for the whole topic - it's full of helpful images and fascinating detail.  

I hope you enjoy whatever you end up hopping to see, and I hope you're full of the joys of spring, whatever you're up to.  Happy crafting all!

There are infinite shadings of light and shadows and colors... it's an extraordinarily subtle language. Figuring out how to speak that language is a lifetime job.
Conrad Hall (cinematographer)

Swatched florals

Hello all, and happy Spring to you.  After three months working in the UK, I'm just in time for the (later) spring here in the Czech Republic, so it's all go in the garden, getting things pruned, cleared, planted and generally ready for the sunshine.  

I just thought I'd pop in and quickly share some watercolour florals with you - these are usually done in quick 20-minute bursts in the morning when I get up, adding layers day by day, and both pages have more space to fill yet.  But I hope you'll enjoy them.  

And here's one with a colour palette that you don't often see from me...

Here are just a couple of close-ups and process photos.  The initial pencil sketch for the first one was done in the almost-dark, as an exercise in trying to keep it loose.  I'm really happy with it - in fact, it might be my favourite stage of the painting!

Making a note of the colours I've used is a good discipline for me.  I'm still learning so much as I go.

There are so many exciting things going on behind the scenes at the moment, but I'm not allowed to share any of them with you yet!  It's shaping up to be a big year.  I know I've not been a very good blogger lately, but I hope you'll be able to come along for the ride with some of what's coming up.  

Thanks so much, as always, for your company on this creative journey.  Happy crafting, all!

Roses do not bloom hurriedly; for beauty, like any masterpiece, takes time to blossom.

Matshona Dhliwayo

Blossom by blossom, the spring begins.

Algernon Charles Swinburne