I got a new watercolor sketchbook the other day, a Pentalic spiral bound with 140# paper. I took it out to the patio and painted one of my Christmas cacti to see how the paint and paper responded. It’s pretty nice paper, and it was pleasant to sit outdoors for a bit before the rains hit tonight. This is also a study in direct watercolor – brush, paint, paper, without lines.
We had a leak in the house, and the result was scurrying around doing everything else but find time to even think or go to work. Finally, the leak was contained yesterday. Towels and such could be put away. Now we wait for insurance and contractors!
And finally, I can get back to drawing and painting. This morning, more tulips, done with iron gall ink, prior to applying some paint. Here ya go!
Today my Instagram account is making its debut! I uploaded a picture of this sketch by phone to Instagram, but a phone picture is not the same as a scan. My Instagram account is (what else): journeybypaper. Not sure how it works, but it is here, to the right.
Winter is leaving and the bulbs are emerging. In my own yard, freesias are in bloom, their sweet scent greeting me as I come and go from the house. Other bulbs are found in the stores, as cut flowers or in pots. Daffodils and tulips are the most common. Hyacinths are rare. Where I live, there is never snow on the ground, and if we are lucky, we get rain and a cold wind. Having grown up in the middle of blizzard country, I miss the bulbs – but I don’t miss the weather! So, here are some paintings of daffo-down-dillies and one of some tulips. None are great, but all were fun to do!
Done with daffodils, and moving on to other spring bulbs! While we don’t have the snow to enjoy melt as the flowers emerge, we still enjoy their seasonal appearance.
Tulips were always my winter favorites, along with hyacinths. We never had daffs or narcissus. So, homage to a childhood favorite, the first tulips of the season.
I tried to make an orange using Quinacridone Gold and Alizarin Crimson. Not sure how well it worked. The ink is iron gall in a Hand Book.
Ink, Yarn & Beer 