Colourful Gardens Need Water

Not getting much time just now to go off on safari for "en plein air" painting sessions so the garden is having to make do. But that's OK because there is plenty at this time of year to keep me interested and occupied. Yesterday I was playing around with my watercolour box in the studio making a mess as usual, when the sun burst out and the garden looked a more inviting place to be. So I de-camped out in front of the big Reverted Rhododendron and set up my easel. Made some loose pencil marks to start with then as quickly and directly as possible I put down bold washes partly to keep it lively and also as Casey aims for, a fair degree of abstraction. You be the judge if it worked or not:

Watercolour on paper, 30x23cm: "Reverted Rhoddy"; I enjoy the directness of watercolour and the excitement - it's a bit like bungee-jumping with a brush: you need the nerve to jump off the edge and hope that the rope will be short enough (and the marks positive enough to make a satisfactory image) and you don't dash yourself on the rocks below because it all went horribly wrong!
This is Leo with his own little watercolour set about to give me tips on how to drink the water out of the jar and get reds and purples on your paws! Look and learn, Brian and Lorraine!

Moving round to the front of the house are these superb Peony Roses which have been blooming fabulously for the past three or four weeks. The problem is that I am a bit shy (ha!) to work out there because it is too open and public and I do not like being seen by my neighbours pretentiously working at my easel wearing my smock and beret! I was going to add that the other problem is that the Peonies are now going over and shedding their petals, but actually this is the way I like them - when they are past their best and the cycle of Nature is moving on to the next stage: Watercolour on paper, 30x23cm: "Perfect Peonies Passing"; Peony Roses are so luscious in colour and fullness it is a veritable cascade of crimson when they shed their petals on the ground. This one is like a scarlet coated Japanese warrior spilling his life's blood on the ground in honourable hara-kiri [seppuku](except that Peonies don't come from Japan, but from Central Europe)(see what you can learn by reading my blog!)

And standing to attention supervising all this goryness are these lovely Lupins:

Watercolour on paper, 30x23cm: "Lovely Lupins"; It's amazing when you really look at your lupins just how many colours and shades of colour there are on the one spike. From pale, pale yellow down through the pinks (on the left) and from pale yellow with touches of green and red as well, down through mauve/purples to purple/blues (on the right). No matter what colour they all have the same wonderful spikey digital leaves. Can't get enough of them!

With the exception of the cat photo these three watercolours can be puchased here: http://www.etsy.com/davidcornelius/