Hello,
One of the things I enjoyed doing this time last year was taking long breaks from my computer screen to sit in a sunny spot and do some inky doodling mixed with watercolour - just for the fun of it!
The reason I know it was this time last year is because it was around the time of the Contemporary Craft Festival in Bovey Tracey and I have just booked my ticket to go there again weekend after next.
Having done so many new designs so far this year, I've really felt the need to step away from my machine and play with paint again, so have been dabbling with just watercolour this time. Based on my 'Bloomin' Lovely' collection, I've been doodling little birds and flowers - all things colourful & pretty.
I really wanted to see if I could bring the same vibrancy of colour to my watercolour work as I get when I colour my designs up digitally. I also have in my head that if I create little clusters of birds and flowers, I may be able to use the images scanned as repeats and on future products, notecards, stationery, planners etc....
For now though, it's more a case of enjoying the flow of painting and mixing colours without having to click my mouse at my screen...
I used to watercolour all the time when I was an art student, but these days I get very little opportunity. What I did realise though is how much I tend to apply some of the same painting techniques when I colour my designs on screen. I use a graphics tablet and though I frequently work in illustrator to create icons and shapes to use throughout my designs - more often than not for my detailed illustrations, such as my card designs, they are created in photoshop. That's where I feel I can colour in layers and practically 'paint' with my graphics pen - to me it feels similar to working with paint, but without any mess or chance of my kids knocking my water pot over!
I mounted up the paintings I've done over the past week and added them to my Folksy shop. One has already found a new home, but I fully intend to do more of these as I'm really enjoying it and have ideas for more little images to build a collection based on British wildlife...
Here's where the finished paintings are being listed over at my Folksy shop:
I hope to share more with you soon. Meanwhile, it's back to my computer for more commission work, all refreshed thanks to my painting break!
Have a lovely day!
Best wishes
