Sussex Prairie Gardens

A wonderful array of flowers cut from the Sussex Prairie Gardens for the flower arranging class I went to recently.

Sculpture Block

The SAA sent me 2 Sculpture blocks with a set of tools to try out. Sculpture block is a smaller version of sculpture canvas. It measures 15x15x2.5 cm It's a bit like oasis for dried flowers except denser and firmer. It is lightweight and can be carved with tools. It's rather like making a lino cut although much easier to cut. It can also be sanded.

I used a drawing of my local lavender field that I have previously done in watercolour and as a silk painting. The rows of lavender and the trees make such sculptural shapes and I thought would lend themselves to this. i cut away and sanded the top part of the sky area to make the trees and top cloud stand out. Lower down in the sky I left some of the horizontal marks left behind after carving as they suggested layers of more distant clouds. I carved and sanded the shapes of the rows of lavender then applied a coat of acrylic gesso to seal the whole surface and make it easier to paint. I made some more texture with the gesso. I painted using acrylic paints.

I like the idea of being able to make a 3d surface and textures. I wasn't so keen on the painting part as it felt like painting one of those plaster cast figures we used to make as kids. Maybe thicker paint and more of it would be better. 

I have placed the block in a frame and will probably fix it there using a strong double sided tape.

The block could be put directly on a wall without a frame. A small hole could be made in the back to accept a nail on the wall. Or D rings could be screwed onto the back of the block secured with some glue then cord attached.

With the other block that I have I think I will explore using it to print from.
 I have both sides to experiment with.

I mostly used the 2 tools on the right.

above  extra texture made using gesso

I gessoed and painted the sides as well.

The blocks and canvases are available from the SAA

Poppies Watercolour Plus part 3

Poppies by Tessa Spanton  (c) mixed media

I have used techniques from the previous 2 posts. I used string for stems and buds, glued in place and painted with acrylic paint.

Poppies Watercolour Plus Tissue Paper Part 2

Red oriental Poppy by Tessa Spanton

This is a continuation from my previous post where more of the techniques were described with details of where the full demo can be found at Leisure Painter magazine

 1. Yellow and blue under washes were applied to watercolour paper. When dry tissue was glued over the whole piece leaving a yellow glow under the poppy. Or this can be done after gluing the tissue on.
 The poppy was outlined with pencil and a first wash of red was applied over the poppy.
More tissue was placed over individual petals followed by more painting.

 I mixed some greens using ultramarine and lemon yellow and covered the background.  I started with a big blob of both colours and vary the mixes as I go, to add interest.

 I loaded a hake with the two colours and painted back into the wet paint. 

 When thoroughly dry I created buds and stems by painting around their shapes with a stronger mix. 

I added some more tissue petals.
When dry I drew the hairs onto the buds and stem using a white oil pastel
I worked over the flower to add more depth. (see photo at top of post)

Poppies Watercolour Plus Tissue Paper Part 1

Tissue paper glued onto watercolour paper provides extra texture and is ideal for representing the delicate crumpled texture of poppy petals.
This is what I have given my watercolour classes for the last couple of weeks, as a topic to explore.

This is part of an article I wrote for Leisure Painter magazine Sept 2012, it may still be available to buy from the publisher as a back copy or digital file.

Watercolour paper and acid free tissue paper

The watercolour paper was painted with a 1 to 1 mix of PVA glue and water.
The wrinkled tissue paper was glued in place.

Painted with watercolour either while still wet or when it has dried. above
When dry a white oil pastel was gently used on it's side to leave some white highlights on the wrinkles on the poppy petals. below

For the next study the tissue was used on the petals only. below

Below, this time  the watercolour paper was painted first wet in wet. When dry the tissue petals were glued on and some painted.

Red Poppy flower close up below

Painting Lee Bay

Lee Bay watercolour (c) Tessa Spanton

I have just finished this today. It's a hidden part of Lee Bay near Lynton in North Devon. You have to climb over rocks to get there from the main beach and is one of my favourite beaches. Years ago I painted and sketched on that beach several times.

 It's painted on a hot pressed paper that has a lot of size on it which make the washes slip around on the paper so it won't take many layers without lifting the paint underneath. I made a start on it a long time ago and got it out this week to do a bit of work on the rocks as a demonstration for my classes. They are on that topic at the moment. I went on to finish it after they had gone home.

 The rocks and pebbles on that beach are a range of colours  from blue greys, green greys and pinkish greys. I have heightened the colours.

#NorthDevon  #Leebay #Leeabbey #watercolourclasses

Tulip Time

I grow tulips in my garden sometimes specially to paint. Parrot tulips are not always easy to find as cut flowers so I grow these to paint. They have extravagant showy flowers in exciting colours. Most of them don't flower again the next year.

Every year around 25,000 tulips are planted for the tulip festival at Pashley Manor Gardens in Sussex. I have some silk paintings cards and prints in the exhibition there, I usually include at least one painting a a tulip.

There is also a rose festival later in the year.

above Tulipa saxatalis Bakeri group, 'Lilac Wonder' aka Canadian tulip

This is the most prolific tulip I have ever grown. I started from a small packet of tiny bulbs given to me by a neighbour. It was a couple of years before they flowered and since then they have continued to multiply and flower. Each stem carries 2 or 3 flowers. I have them in several parts of the garden and have given bulbs away.

Below from the left a collection with coordinating colours from Sarah Raven

The others mostly came from Wilkinsons. Red Darwin tulips which are good for repeat flowering and Peach Blossom and Angelique.

 below Parrot tulip from a mixed pack.

Below Parrot Tulips original silk painting (c) Tessa Spanton SWA