Spring in the Yard, a Tribute to Van Gogh in Watercolour

I kept this post in a draft form because it is special to me.   But after reading a post on LI that it is 125 years since the death of Van Gogh.  I decided to post mine to share.

It was a rare opportunity to visit a home garden in spring. For a composition, I looked down from a deck into a garden corner and decided that she's mine. It looks ambitious. It looks overloaded. I knew with the sweeping wash and mute colour movement at the moment in watercolour art scene, I think this is the one that would be avoided by many watercolour painters at all cost. "What are you going to do?" asked one of my friends. "Paint it, I am going to paint it" I replied.  I know people might think I was out of my mind.  At the same time I was not so sure.  Facing the challenge of  nature with its intensity and complexity is not easy.  I might fail but that was the point.  If I did not seize the opportunity to stretch my boundary now, I would never do it.  Looking at all dazzling colours in front of me, I thought about one of my heroes, Vincent Van Gogh.

I thought about Van Gogh because he came from the land of flowers. He was fearless in his approach to painting direct and was brilliant in portraying the essence of nature with its complexity. With that thought, I did not have much to lose but a lot to gain. I jumped straight in capturing the flowering honey suckle wall, the garden furniture set, the pots full of bulb flowers, a small blossom tree and finally few black birds! I though about the tulip fields of Netherlands as I added the red tulips to the pot on the table.  I thought about the blue iris field he painted as I added blues irises to the pots around the table. I tried to keep to colours pure, intense and raw with descriptive strokes capturing features of elements (the technique I saw in his paintings) in the same time I tries to retain the glittering effect of sun light.

This is, if I may, a tribute to Van Gogh, a master who showed me the joy and excitement in nature with his brilliant and "could not be more direct" technique! It took courage to capture the "Wow" factor in nature the way he did.  "That courage and soul have become Van Gogh legacy! " was my thought.

When I look at my " Spring in the Yard", I feel dazzled and happy.  I think I have captured the effect of spring in this garden corner. I realised the biggest benefit of living with art is an opportunity to live with a soul! I feel humble.

Wonderful Exciting Spring Garden

A Summer with You, Watercolour Thumbnail Sketch Seascape

One useful and wonderful exercise in watercolour art is doing five minute thumbnail sketch with one brush and maybe three colours and a small piece of paper .  In this exercise, I think I might have been cheating a bit.  I did not count the colours but picking them straight from my palette at the time.  I think it took a minute to think, a minute to draw ( I skipped this) and three minutes to paint.

The scale of this thumbnail sketch is 16cm x 11.5cm ( or roughly 6" x 4").  In this quick sketch I managed to capture atmospheric of a sunny day, glittering light on water, wet sand, wonderful sky with wind and clouds, Rangitoto islands, its reflection and a happy couple!  I think it does not matter how many paintings I have done.  An experience like this always brings a smile to my face.  A fleeting moment, moving sky, dashing light and the joy of wet feet... is captured effortless.  I can't explain.  I can't analyse.  It just happened. It is really a five minutes of magic! 

Wonderful Summer Day, Mission Bay, Auckland, NZ

Late Winter by the Moor, Watercolour Painting Landscape

I had an idea to explore this scene for a long time.  The day came and we set out to paint it.  I like the tranquility and quietness of the moment in between winter and spring.  It is natural and peaceful.  I used strong colours to capture the contrast and stark feeling of seasons reflecting in foliage of the place and the clear fresh air and sky above with its reflection in water... best still there was still time for a warm cup of tea! :-)  I came home with a painting and its fresh air in my lungs.  I was more than happy! :-)

Quiet and peaceful day in the moor

Door to the Sea, Watercolour Painting Seascape

An outdoor painting at Okahu bay, Auckland.  Along NZ shore are those magnificent local trees.  They have the ability to flourish in incredible tough condition near the shore with strong wind and poor soil.  Because of their strength, they are planted to protect the shore from corrosion.  I use strong greens and dark colours umber, sepia, blues (pthalo and ultramarine) for the tree trunks to note the features of these special trees.  Coming in with  is lapping water to wet my feet and the breeze to play with my hair.  I work hard with the brush to capture movement and vibration of the scene in the same time I would love just to be there all day.. dreaming! :-)
Together these elements gave me a strong vibrant refreshing blue green theme which I am going to include it into my favourite colour palettes.  It was beautiful day with wonderful result!

Beautiful, stunning day at the bay

Nouvelle Calédonie, Gouache Painting

Thinking of holidays by the sea is my kind of off-beat relaxation.  With a piece of paper and a box of gouache colours, I decided to have fun.  Nouvelle Caledonie is a French colony in the Pacific.  I get used to watercolour with its relax and free flow ability and did not realise extra work is required with gouache.  If you like to try, use the brushes that are not intended for watercolours.  Else you might ruin the delicate quality of watercolour brushes especially those that you can not have replacement! I have collected many watercolour brushes during many years and have noticed they have disappeared because people do not make them anymore.

Nouvelle Caledonie, Gouache Painting on paper

STILL LIFE WITH DAISIES, Watercolor Painting Flowers

I collected random flowers with daisy form and set up a scene.  Flowers, vases, fruits and bottles can create interesting composition that are unique to still life art.  A visual interest that is more dependent on the painter taste, mood and style.  It's a bit like a home bake fun!

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Painting Mountain Stream of Southern Alp, NZ

It was a beautiful day.  I decided to be outdoor whole day painting.  I love to paint nature using the natural colours and balance.  I absorb the natural balance by breathe, feel and imagine the interactive nature.  

The painting brought back my memory of the moment I stood and breathed in the air and be taken by the beauty of the place.  Every time I look at the painting I feel the air is fresh as if it came from the mountain stream.  It is an enjoyable memory of our trip to South Island, NZ the end of the magnificent Southern Alp.  At the end of the day, I was tired but happy.  Natural beauty is one of subjects I like to paint.  My heart used to hop when I hold a finished painting of the place in my hands.  Probably just because I love to escape the boring world and into day dreaming!  

Bringing mountain stream to the back yard!

Drawing Manarola, Italy

Another drawing of Italy.  I tried to get down to details of this lovely seaside village.  I must put it till tomorrow.  the light is too dark for tiny doors and windows!!  The photos was unadjusted to show you how dark it is at 5PM.  Time to cook dinner!!

Drawing Italy

A cold rainy day again!  there's so much rain lately.  The light was low.  There's no sun.  The light was low.  I decided to do some drawing with a hope that one day when the weather is right I can use it for a painting.
The challenge of Italy kept me focus for good hours.  I tried to keep the buildings and the paving in perspective.  If the things were done right, I would feel the space and its grandeur.  Practice with perspective is great fun!
There're few details to be adjust to keep the tilling perfect, some shading at the smaller building.. but I think I leave it till the painting day! .. I love the characters of those buildings .. the reflective light of sky, buildings and people..  that's a lot!  .. I know.. I will have to think hard how to get them painted the watercolour way!..

Porch Garden, Watercolor Painting Garden

It' was a rare occasion that I had, painting a porch garden on site.  This was the home of one of the friend of the Society.   The house came with a large garden but I thought the porch garden was so charming.  It had a few Spanish plant pots.  A large slice of an old native tree that the owner had decorated and kept it for a treasured memory.  It looked like a gigantic wooden plate.  A hand crafted chair made with collected pieces added charm.  Cushion and floor rug added comfort.  It obviously was made with a creative spirit.  This painting become my piece of fond memory!

Feeding Time, Watercolor Painting Garden and Animals

The palm around the pond was left to grow wild to protect the fish from the king fisher, heron and sometimes duck and cat.  There were a lots of fear.  Sometimes they didn't even come up!  t take the opportunities of feeding the fish to make them get used to me, my voice, reflection of feeding hand and the click of the food jar.  They know and the get excited.  I love the joy they have.  I used strong vibrant colours and pattern to record the moment.  Hope you like it!

Petunia, Watercolor Painting Flowers

Color intensity was used to illustrate and emphasise the floral pattern, feature and the intense heat of summer.  I enjoy the pattern of this flower.  They are the announcer of my every brilliant days right through till autumn.  

Hunting Lesson, Watercolor Painting Animals

One morning I had a surprise visit of a duck and her ducklings right in the back yard.  I was thrill to see them.  The mama showed me how she taught the little to look for worms.  By the look I guessed these ducklings were only three days old..  learning.. learning and learning is the way nature progresses.. me, I like to learn too!.  Everytime I paint .. I learn something.. no painting is ever the same! :-)

Last Night Dinner, Watercolor Painting Still Life

Running ou of idea?  One day I forgot to do the dishes.  I look for thing to paint in the morning.  Here it was.  I painted it before doing the washing.   The dishes or the painting?  The painting.  The painting goes first! else I would have lost the subject! :-)... it pays to do some logical thinking! :-D  this is one of my personal favourites.  Hope you like it!

Cows at Headland Edge, Watercolor Painting Landscape with Animals

No one told these cows to go there.  They just go straight there one after another and lined up at the edge of the headland.  They caught my interest.  I followed them at a distance to see what they did.  After I set up my gear under a tree near by.  I started to draw.  Some enjoyed the grass, some actually stopped and gazed at the sun over the sea.  By the look they love the light glittering on the wet grass, they love the view!  I love the light under their round belly!  I think they were rushing to the edge to enjoy the breakfast with sun rise, sea view and fresh grass!  I am amazed that the cows love the same view as I do.  I was pleased and stunned at the result of the painting.  At first I only tried to capture one.  Now I got the whole lot painting direct!...  never know what I can until I try.  The results often surprise me..

A moment later, the cows walked back in line to the opposite end of the field.  Then it's time for my cup of tea!

Cows in the Park, Watercolor Painting Landscape with Animals

I like the mix of pattern and colours of the herd of cows.  The morning light threw their shadow toward the foreground and gave back lighting effect!  and the park setting with different foliages make the scene so tempting!  When I finished and looked at the painting, I feel happy.  Couldn't get better, a magnificent outdoor theatre for the cows!  They are really glorious!

Outdoor Painting Studio

Looking into a photo folder on my old computer, I found a photo of one of the outdoor locations that I was enjoying in last summer.  I always try to keep my gear as light as possible.  I sometimes put a bag with a stone on the back of the easel to stabilise it.  This is one of the lucky day that I got to be spoiled with wind shelter and shade.  There were bird songs and cattle in front of me.  Now you know why I love trees!  and a little breeze just blew all the stress away

Day Dream With Wild Flowers, Watercolor Painting Figure

I love wild flowers.  They tend to take my mind away for a moment of joy and peace.  Let's the wind blows the sorrow away!  Hope you enjoy it!

Meditating with wild Flowers, water-colour on paper

Heaven On Earth, Watercolor Painting Figure

This is my painting in a day dreaming mood. Talking to birds? Yes, "human is never good to be alone" said the Bible! :-D  I love to see all women enjoying themselves. Honestly, I've never been enjoying diagrammatic, static and soul-less or fragmented or just a torso nude!  so here's the whole thing of a happy woman :-D :-DD! Love to paint pictures to make women feel good being women!
One of my favourites I keep for myself. Have a fantastic day everyone!  Enjoy! :-)

Beautiful exotic water-colour painting

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Afternoon in Tropical Garden, Watercolor Painting Landscape

There were so many possible composition in this tropical garden.  I was attracted to the lily pond, the gan a in full bloom and massive leaves of the tropical plant that might be seen only in the deep jungle of a tropical forest.  There were lovely mama duck and her three duckings enjoying the water.  I love the tropical feel.  Down the stream were trees up to 50 m tall.  The foliage creates an ambience with dazzling tropical flowers.. I wanted them all. I must admit I was a bit bamboozled with the choices and then the battle to take them all in.  Here it is.  I can't keep my eyes off it ..  I can feel how Monet managed to put down the colours of his garden .. I can imagine Van Gogh with the blue iris field.  He had the birds I ave the duck and the ducklings... can't be happier! :-)

Beautiful ambience of sunny afternoon in a gorgeous featured tropical garden

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