Hypericum

Did I mention it was hot?! I noticed, after my last post, that I've been complaining about the heat in nearly every post. Well, today we got cool air and rain - and what a relief! It wasn't so long ago I would have loved that heat and non-stop sunshine but not any more. I guess I spent too many years in the Middle East and the novelty wore off! (Actually, it's probably old age but I prefer the other version...)

Anyway, last weekend, when it was still baking, I painted these lovely berries, sitting at the kitchen table. I don't buy a lot of cut flowers but just at the moment there are some really interesting things around. I bought an unusual bunch which included these and set about painting them. Trouble is, the heat gets to me as quickly as it does the flowers so I only got one little painting done before everything faded. I planned to do three or four little sketches of the different flowers but spent too much time trying to rescue this one. I really enjoyed the berries and their lovely little leaves, but the two larger leaves are a bit of a disaster! I knew I should have just left them unfinished in pencil to highlight the berries, but I thought I needed the practice. A lot of layers later, and they are just about presentable but I really should have planned ahead, done one thing or the other, not piled on wash after wash and completely over-worked them. Then I got a bit of staining blue paint on my finger which I transferred to the paper and had to do a blue background to cover it up!

Not that it's a big deal - this is another page in my little Moleskine that has now become a sort of plant diary. I like that a theme is developing but it's also where I'm trying out things and learning so I'm not too worried about the end results.

I don't normally worry about the names of things either but I was interested to find out more about where these are from, and having got the name, I realise we have some growing in the garden! I'm not sure we have the same variety but I shall be checking to see what the berries look like when it's finished flowering!

To pick up on something shiny

It was my birthday a few weeks ago. Normally I do a post about the art books I ordered but this year it's been so incredibly hot, I haven't had the energy. I do want to highlight one of the treats that arrived in my letterbox though as these are extra special! These are two of Andrea Joseph's Molezines and the word that came to mind as I opened the envelope and saw these was 'exquisite'! They really are beautiful little works of art!

I was surprised to see that she has called her Moleskine No. 1 'refuge of the roads'. I know we share a love of Joni's music but that album (Hejira) is my all time favourite. I keep thinking one day it will bore me, one day it will sound dated, but it never does. It sounds just as beautiful as when I first discovered it (so long ago, I can't remember) and it's the one album I can put on and instantly feel 'in the zone'.  Moleskine No 2. continues the travel theme but this time illustrated by the souvenirs brought home which I think is such a brilliant idea! Above are two of my favourite pages from each.

I have to say, not only were the two little zines beautiful, but also all the little cards that come with them. Each zine has a glossy card of explanation (and drawing), there is a lovely card with one of her illustrations, a business card with a perfectly drawn, crumpled five pound note and even the stamps on the envelopes have a little drawing. Such attention to detail! As I said, they are exquisite and even more lovely in the flesh than they look on the screen.  But don't take my word for it - get on over to Andrea's Etsy shop and see for yourself!

In a blue, blue sky

I drove past a field of sunflowers this morning and had to stop and take a photo. This summer has been a scorcher (when it eventually arrived!) so the farmer must have a bumper crop this year. I've never seen so many bees buzzing around each head - they were definitely 'having a field day'!

A snail's pace

Two pages of drawings in as many days is surely a record for me! It was a busy day of sports so I broke off to watch the Moto GP and the Wimbledon final during this. A good day for the Spanish, I wonder if they will make it a hat-trick and win the World Cup too?

I collected some leaves on Saturday evening, thinking ahead to what I was going to put on the page and found out that maple leaves and Clematis leaves fade very quickly so they have to be picked and painted on the day. When I went out to get a Clematis leaf, I spotted this little snail and thought he would be fun to include. There is a snail out there on the wall that hasn't moved for days. Well, just my luck to pick a hyperactive one! He is very cute though, I'll have to paint some snails sometime.

 It's incredibly hot here at the moment so I've relocated downstairs to the kitchen. Apart from being cooler, I think I needed a change of scenery, so to speak. If there is one thing sure to kill off a conversation, it's someone asking 'OK what shall we talk about?'. Having a room of your own to make art is a luxury, I know, but going in there, it seems to ask the same question. A little break may help me to appreciate having my own space again!

Painted on Saunders Waterford HP paper with Sennelier, Winsor & Newton and Schmincke watercolours.

Chinese Jasmine leaves

It's much too hot for sitting and painting in the garden now, so bits of the garden are being brought in to paint instead! The Chinese Jasmine is one of my favourites, not for the flowers or fragrance but for the colour of the leaves. They are mostly green but the odd one turns bright orange/red and it's such a striking effect. There are quite a few on the turn now so I have plenty of material.

This was painted in a small watercolour Moleskine using mainly Schmincke's beautiful Translucent Orange mixed with varying amounts of red and May Green with hints of Indigo and washes of lemon yellow.