Watercolour in the Winter Collection

Stripped back, Clear, Bare, Sky, Starlight, Spiky,

Glass, Darkness, Moonlight, Cold, Ice, Jack Frost, Spindly, Holly,

Firelight, Blankets, Log fires,

Night, Storytelling, Silhouettes, Crystal Blue, Crisp,

Night skies with clouds that are highlighted by the full moon,

Dark, Snow, Sparse, White, Empty, Mist, Frozen, Fresh,

Sharp, Wistful, Wandering.

I like to brainstorm words in my sketchbook and so I salvaged these from last year as I wanted to record them here in my posts about my winter works.  I think they go well alongside these two little pieces below.  I emerged from sleep one morning, dreaming of a smudgy, misty painting, using some of the colours that had been repeatedly showing up in my recent landscape photographs.  From the smoky, softly blended paint, I imagined the delicate and spindly bare branches of trees that we see all over our countryside at this time of year.  The most immediate thing I could do to record the idea was get out my faithful watercolour set, and in fact these two little compositions have captured my waking thoughts perfectly.  

Watercolours are actually surprisingly versatile (in my humble opinion). I love to have them on hand when I'm out and about and certainly for working in my sketchbook.  I'm getting a bit more practiced with them and although I don't think I'm using them academically, I am very happy with my outcomes.  Also there is the added aspect that this set was my Grandfather's and it's a bit like having him on hand to see my ideas and observations, maybe a bit soppy but its true :-)

Mixed Media on Paper Approx. 12cm x 14cm