"Purple Passion"

6 x 6"

watercolor on aquabord (by Ampersand)
$75 + $10 shipping within the U.S.

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Sorry it has been so long since my last post.  I promise to be better.  I've been crazy swamped with substitute jobs and just wiped out tired.  It's always good for my soul to get back to painting. Here, I wanted to loosen up and play with the colors on the board.  I let them bleed a little. I'm happy with the results.

Reference photo was taken on April 13.  I'm not sure what this little wild flower is.  I found it peeking under some bushes above the wall right as you are walking towards the wisteria pergola.  Anyone know what it could be?

"Tickled Pink"

6" x 6"

watercolor on aquaboard (by Ampersand)
$75 + $10 shipping within the US

This painting came easily.  I finally felt more comfortable working on the aquabord again.  Also, you can rarely go wrong getting good contrast when working with complimentary colors.  The pink on the green background was able to pop nicely.

Reference photo was taken on April 13.  The tulips were just amazing.  They'll be ending soon, so if you are local, get to the Gardens!  The color groupings are lovely.  More to come.  They are so tall, too.

"Bell Flower"

6 x 6"

Watercolor on aquabord (by Ampersand)
$75 + $10 shipping within the US

I'm finally back to painting on aquabord.  Ampersand had been back ordered on their small aquabords for months.  Apparently they've come up with a new mixture for these clay coated hardboards.  So far I can't tell any difference from the earlier ones.  I'm glad to be able to use these again.  Love the way you can lift the paint off easier to lighten areas and create highlights.  

Reference photo taken on March 13.  These lovely little flowers came from a Bell Flowering Taiwan Cherry tree.  There are a few to the left of the rose garden along the temporary path made while they work on the new rose garden.  I believe they are putting a fountain in the center.  I loved the shape of these little blooms.  The painting almost looks like an azalea, but the flowers actually hung down like so:

"Turning Japanese"

 

6 x 6"

watercolor on aquaboard (Ampersand)

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I'm back after a fabulous Thanksgiving vacation with family.  This painting went slowly due to all the details.  I'm pleased with branch lines that keeps the viewers eyes active.  I love how this aquaboard makes it easy to pull the whites out.

Reference photo was taken on September 26.  These are Japanese wind flowers.  They are located on the lower terrace.  It's fun watching them all sway together, but of course I like to zero in on the individual.

"Hearts-a-bustin'"

 

6 x 6"

watercolor on aquabord (Ampersand)

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Thought I'd post one with more fall colors.  Back to the aquabord, I enjoyed working on the background circles and liked how the thin branches moved through the composition.

Reference photo was taken September 26.  This is one of my favorite blooming fall plants.  It's a bush that lives in shaded forests and has these cool scarlet pods that burst in the fall. Native to North Carolina, I had not seen one until moving back here and discovering them in my backyard.  There are several in the H.L. Blomquist Garden of Native Plants section at Duke Gardens, though the largest one I've ever seen is in the Culberson Asiatic Arboretum along the path leading up from the North Pond.  I'll post one done in oil soon.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!

"Georgia's Type" 6x6in watercolor on Aquaboard

 

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Took a little tropical detour from the promised roses.  The aquaboard just loves red, so when I saw this lovely bloom, I knew it was destined for a watercolor.  Have you figured out the title?  Georgia, as in O'Keefe.  This flower just seemed like one Georgia would have chosen to paint, though she would have done it huge and straight on instead of a small profile.  Back to roses tomorrow.

Reference photo was taken on July 25.  There were several of these blooms, at the bottom of the terrace where the temporary barrier was put up while they work on the pond.  Most of these (again not sure what they are) were past their peak.  Even this has a slight hole in the petal which I liked.  Beauty. No perfection.

"What's Red for?" 6x6" watercolor

 

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I love how the aquaboard handled the red.  So vibrant! This one also took longer than one session.  I got wrapped up in the background circles.  I also wanted to make sure the greens were right.  Greens can be tough.  The trick is to always, always, always mix your own greens.  No tube colors.  Using a variety of hues adds depth and interest.  

This reference photo was taken on August 8 in the rose garden.  They are all blooming beautifully.  You'll be seeing more roses.

"Reaching" 6x6" watercolor

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This one took longer to paint than the others.  I experimented with layering the paint a bit on this aquaboard.  I am very pleased with the results.  If I'm going to do a painting a day, however, I may need to choose subjects without so much detail.

I don't know what kind of flower this is, so if anyone can help with identifying it that would be great. I know it was on the terrace. The reference photo was taken on April 10.

"Sunburst"

 

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Another tulip.  I was very pleased with how the sky peeks through the trees on this one. I'm getting used to the aquaboard and figuring out how best to layer the paint.  Still, I may have to try some on real paper that's been mounted.  Maybe the next one. . .

The reference photo was also taken on March 31.  I just couldn't pull myself away from the tulips on the terrace. Tip toeing??

"Peeking Daffodil"

 

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I'm getting used to using this aquaboard.  You can pick up colors more easily to leave white. It does not allow for the colors to play as much, though, as you would with paper.  I was happy with the vibrant contrast in this one.

The reference photo was taken on March 31.  Many variety of daffodils are showcased on the terrace along with the tulips.  These were on the lower level by one of the stone benches.  A lovely place to ponder.

"Euphorbia"

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So here is number one.  I realize that some of you may have seen it before, but it truly was the very first of this series. It is watercolor done on aquaboard (from Ampersand).  I've enjoyed using this textured board for watercolor. Colors are very vibrant.  The reference photo for this piece was taken on March 31.  The plant is on the right side of the path just before you reach the wisteria pergola.