As Autumn approaches I am posting a painting on vellum from last autumn of crab apples. The vellum makes the watercolours look more luminous than on paper. It is necessary to build up the layers of paint gradually to create the density of colour so it is a slow process. Vellum is becoming more popular among botanical artists because of the fine detail that can be achieved on this surface.
In July I attended a day at Wisley painting insects with Cath Hodsman who is a renouned artist specialising in insects.
I chose to paint a hoverfly. When it was finished I mounted it on to Lokta paper which gives it a natural background. Lokta paper is handmade in Nepal and is made from the inner bark of lokta bushes found in himalayan forests.
Next week I will be exhibiting the 3 paintings plus some others at the event below:
Arts Network Sutton
The 65th Open Art Exhibition
4th May – 16th May
Europa Gallery, Sutton Library, Sutton
The paintings will include those shown below.
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Much excitement today as two of my pictures are accepted for the Society of Botanical Artists exhibition which runs from 15th-23rd April at Central Hall, Westminster.
They are the Bhutan Pine and the Late Autumn Rosehips pictured below.
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Update 28 April :This pine cone was sold at the SBA exhibition.
Just for interest this shows the detail in the stem more clearly.
Rosehips finished today and going to be framed to submit to the SBA exhibition in April 2016. Lots of detail in the stem which I loved painting.
Last week I exhibited at the very successful North Downs Botanical Artists exhibition of which I am a member. The venue was at the Old Chapel at St Johns School in Leatherhead and it was a beautiful venue. We had lots of visitors who were very complimentary about the paintings and the venue.
I sold the paintings and the graphite study of the teasel shown below which I was delighted about.
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An image of a Bhutan pine cone drawn in graphite. The Bhutan Pine is native to the Himalayas. It was introduced to Europe in the 1830s and is found in parks and large gardens. I picked this cone up on a walk in France several years ago. It was a challenge to draw but I am pleased with the result. A candidate for next year’s SBA exhibition.
