This is a piece of bark shed from an oak tree. It is painted on Lokta paper. The uneven texture of the lokta paper helps to convey the roughness of the bark. It is painted in watercolour and details are picked out by fibre tip pen.
Carnival Squash
A beautiful squash that is so appealing to paint with it’s intricate patterns and bright colours.
Honeysuckle
Found climbing through hedges and on walls and fences honeysuckle provides nectar for insects and nesting places for birds. It can grow 5 metres tall and live for up to 2o years. I painted this from photographs I took on a visit to Wisley RHS Gardens in Surrey.
Summer flowers
Convolvulus with Hawthorn on Birch
Looking back at some paintings I did a while ago I found this. I love painting bark and the combination of the colours of the birch, hawthorn and convolvulus make a pleasing composition.
Winter Study
Autumn Collage
I attended a weekend course with natural history artist Amber Halsall at West Dean College recently. We chose from an array of autumn specimens to arrange as a composition to paint. I really enjoy painting the bark and used this as a centre piece to arrange other subjects around.