amanda hughes art

Original Watercolour and Silver Ink

Dimensions: w: 60cm  h: 50cm

£300

(mounted in antique white and framed in solid oak)

THE STORY BEHIND THE PAINTING

Although this painting came first this wonderful poem serves as a painting narrative.  I have used its title for the title of my painting, here is the poem:

HARLEQUIN GEMS

Gems, stones, pebbles and crystal

Are the only assets we gleefully haul

Harlequin wonders on the ground stealthily crawl

But monochrome human eyes rarely enthralled 

Red, green, blue, orange and yellow

gems dance in the mid of the meadows

From the rainbows the colors they cling

Blend with sand and river and they do mixing

Some fly, some scramble, and some sleep

Some sing, some dance and some creep

Some make the silent night musical

Some paint the dull place colorful

Failing to fathom these nature's abundant treasures

We miss the chance to relish heavenly pleasures

Copyright © Supraja Kannan | Year Posted 2022 

THE PAINTING'S STORY AND ITS PAINT PLAY

I had four bowls of diluted colour and began this painting by making gentle wash marks and then doing the same with different colours, often overlapping,  This process was both tranquil and calming,

I then added bird shapes.  I wanted the silver outlines which mark out each of the bird shapes to be intertwining just like the overlapping colours.  I then painted the wings and breasts, beaks and heads. The colours were well diluted anda created a wash over the existing pattern pattern.  This created a harlequin pattern.  

I enjoy poetry and art so this  led me (as a poetry lover) to research ''harlequin'' references in poetry.  The poem I was most drawn to is above, ''Harlequin Gems'' I have used its title as the title for this painting in its honour.

I painted this tranquil painting with Michael Harding professional watercolours.  He is better known for his oil paint range.  There is a super vibrancy to this brand's palette which also have a pleasing inky quality similar to some of the Winsor and Newton colours, such as Indigo. 

I painted on Arches paper which is a world  famous professional grade paper.  I was gifted some Arches (rough) and I loved it.  Arches rough (the thicker the better) is now my "go to" paper. This paper is made in France and the only one there to use the cylinder mould process, this combined with natural raw cotton means it is of the highest quality and as good as handmade paper.

Original Watercolour and Silver Ink    

Dimensions: w: 76cm   h: 62cm

* (Sold)

THE STORY BEHIND THE PAINTING

This vibrant and swaying painting was created ahead of the HOT exhibition at Creative Melbourne Gallery.  It is a painting which fills me with positive energy and happy feelings when I look at it.  I was invited to be one of the featured artists for this exciting Summer exhibition.  I painted Monsoon Reed-life to add some extra Southern Hemisphere heat to my collection of paintings there.  

PAINT PLAY

My first dedicated year of painting came when I was in my early twenties and working for a year in Japan, it was so very interesting.  I also visited Thailand for three weeks and travelled the full length from Koi Samui to Chang Rai to the Burmese border.  I am very grateful and relieved that I bravely went and lived and worked in a rural village that year and probably should have travelled more widely in those early years.

I began by painting a wash of summery turquoise and deep blue.  I then hung the wet watercolour sheet upside down on the washing line.  The weather was hot and summery outside and the sky's vibrant blue wash when dry reminded me of an early Summer's morning in Japan when the water rose in the heat of the rising sun after heavy rain in the night.

ARTIST MATERIALS FOR THIS WORK OF ART

I painted this with Maimeri-blu watercolour on Arches paper. I love Arches rough which comes in a thick paper perfect for bolder watercolour styles, as opposed to for finer detailed composition.  There is a richness to its palette.  Maimeri Blu is an excellent quality watercolour made from a mixture of single pigments and gum arabic- no blending powders, no additives, just clean transparent colours.

I painted this HOT exhibition painting on Arches paper which is a world  famous professional grade paper.  I was gifted some Arches (rough) and I loved it.  Arches rough (the thicker the better) is now my "go to" paper. This paper is made in France and the only one there to use the cylinder mould process, this combined with natural raw cotton means it is of the highest quality and as good as handmade paper.

Original Watercolour

Dimensions: w: 69cm  h: 89cm

*(Sold)

(mounted in antique white and framed in solid oak)

THE STORY BEHIND THE PAINTING

I have already had lots of feedback likening the way I paint to African art styles imparticular Tanzanian art, I am thrilled about this.  'Song to Zanzibar' is a nod to several people who chatted with me about Tanzanian art at my Melbourne Festival exhibition.

PAINT PLAY

I began with a long paint stroke of Maimeri-Blu on the thickest paper that Arches have to offer. I committed to be careful as this stroke of MaimeriBlu looked gorgeous bold and confident.  I repeated this motif in different sizes and shades creating rather a lot of bird (or fish shapes or leaping notes).   I love the energy and confidence of this very large painting.

ARTIST MATERIALS FOR THIS WORK OF ART

I painted this with Maimeri-blu watercolour on Arches paper.  I love Arches rough which comes in a thick paper which is perfect for bolder watercolour styles, as opposed to finer detailed compositions. 

Maimeri-Blu is an excellent quality watercolour, it is made from a mixture of single pigments and gum arabic- no blending powders, no additives, just clean transparent colours.

I selected Arches rough (the thicker the better) which is now my "go to" paper. This paper is made in France and the only one there to use the cylinder mould process.  This combined with natural raw cotton means it is of the highest quality and as good as handmade paper.  It is a professional grade paper.  

Original Watercolour

Dimensions:  w: 81cm  h:68

£600

(mounted in antique white and framed in solid oak)

THE STORY BEHIND THE PAINTING

I enjoy colour so very much and I find spontaneous play adds life and energy to the final work of art. "Sensuality" is an example of such a painting process.  I began knowing that I wanted to overlay different organic shapes simply to show off how beautiful the visual display is. It was enjoyable to watch the colour shades and I lost myself to the paint play process, hence the title.  The process of overlapping created colour stories all of its own.  This painting needs to be seen in real life where it can be enjoyed unrushed.

PAINT PLAY

I enjoy watercolour and the vibrancy of Winsor and Newton.  I chose a simple palette from their professional range: Winsor Red, Winsor Blue and Winsor Yellow.  There is a purity to their overlaps I especially enjoy the soft greys and pinks, I can even see  some liliacs and rich reds.

ARTISTS MATERIALS

The paints I used for 'Sensuality' are Winsor and Newton Professional Watercolour.  This range is enjoyed by artists across the world as their unparalleled wide and balanced choice of pigments make them the perfect choice for many painting styles.  

I painted 'SENSUALITY' on Arches paper which is a world  famous professional grade paper.  I was gifted some Arches (rough) and I loved it.  Arches rough (the thicker the better) is now my "go to" paper. This paper is made in France and the only one there to use the cylinder mould process, this combined with natural raw cotton means it is of the highest quality and as good as handmade paper.  It is a professional grade paper.  

Original Watercolour and Silver Ink

Dimensions:  w: 76cm  h: 65cm

£500

(mounted in antique white and framed with french oak)

THE STORY BEHIND THIS PAINTING

The laughing, or singing faces with their varying expressions have been a fun pop-art motif in my work for a few years.   I like to pop one or two paintings like this into my collection each year.  Why?  Well they add humour and intrigue to a collection on show on a gallery wall, or at an art fair.

I love the variety of oranges, browns and dirty yellows and golds in this painting and also the twinned-up birds.  The dots add movement to this painting too making this a vibrant piece all round!

ARTIST MATERIALS FOR THIS WORK OF ART

I painted this with Maimeri-blu watercolours on Arches paper. I love Arches rough which comes in a thick paper perfect for bolder watercolour styles, as opposed to for finer detailed composition.  There is a richness to its palette.  Maimeri Blu is an excellent quality Italian watercolour made from a mixture of single pigments and gum arabic- no blending powders, no additives, just clean transparent colours.

I painted on Arches paper which is a world  famous professional grade paper.  I was gifted some Arches (rough) and I loved it.  Arches rough (the thicker the better) is now my 'go to' paper. This paper is made in France and the only one there to use the cylinder mould process, this combined with natural raw cotton means it is of the highest quality and as good as handmade paper.

Original Watercolour

Dimensions:  w: 65cm h: 85cm

£550

(mounted in antique white and framed with french oak

THE STORY BEHIND THIS PAINTING

I had just painted ''Song to Zanzibar'' and wanted to create a similar, but slightly different painting to develop my collection further.

PAINT PLAY

I wanted to create energy in the upright lines and a sense of each abstract bird shape swaying in different directions having its own dance and life.  I wanted ''abundance'' and simple colour overlaying. The coloured balls suspended in air are to add uplifting marks and also to draw attention to the exaltant bird heads and beaks who might be singing, praying or taking in a warm breeze on a hot Summer's day.

ARTIST MATERIALS FOR THIS WORK OF ART

I painted this with Maimeri-blu watercolour on Arches paper. Maimeri-Blu is an excellent quality watercolour, it is made from a mixture of single pigments and gum arabic- no blending powders, no additives, just clean transparent colours.

I love Arches rough which comes in a thick paper which is perfect for bolder watercolour styles, as opposed to finer detailed compositions.  It is  versitile paper (the thicker the better) and is now my "go to" paper. This paper is made in France and the only one there to use the cylinder mould process.  This combined with natural raw cotton means it is of the highest quality and as good as handmade paper.  It is a professional grade paper.  

Original Watercolour

Dimensions: w:63cm h: 62cm

£300

(mounted with antique white and framed with solid oak)

THE STORY BEHIND THIS PAINTING

It is actually Winter's Soltice 2024 and a stormy one at that and I am staying home and in a painting mood.

PAINT PLAY

I began mark making organic puddle-like shapes spaced out in colour lines to create a sense of travelling upwards and around the painting.   I did this in varying colours creating pleasing colour effects through overlaying too.  It was so windy outside the dashed lines represent the movement of the wind outside as it travelled around me painting here in my art studio standing on the top of a hill in the fields.

ARTISTS MATERIALS FOR THIS PAINTING

I purchased some Michael Harding watercolours, this is a relatively new product on the market as Michael Harding is better know for his oil paint range.  There is a super vibrancy to this palette which also have the inky quality which can also be found in some Winsor and Newton colours, such as Indigo. 

I began with a pattern and was really excited by this.  I could have left it at that but I saw the red petals I was adding and thought how romantic it would be to be showered in rose petals and appropriate for them to be falling on inter- twining skylarks.

ARTIST MATERIALS

Michael Harding professional watercolours on Arches (rough) as chatted about above.  They are impacting, energetic and ink perfect for rose petal red!

For my painting support I chose Arches (rough) which is a world  famous professional grade paper.  I was gifted some Arches (rough) and I loved it.  Arches rough (the thicker the better) is now my "go to" paper. This paper is made in France and the only one there to use the cylinder mould process, this combined with natural raw cotton means it is of the highest quality and as good as handmade paper.  It is a professional grade paper.  

Arches paper gives me the confidence to know I can push watercolour to exciting limits and work small or large, wet of dry.  

Original Watercolour

£400

THE STORY BEHIND THE PAINTING

The story behind this painting is really about the how I wanted to paint birds with strong lines and full of energy using bright colours.

PAINT PLAY

I painted this stylish and clean painting after Song to Zanzibar and Dance of the Birds who both share the untouched white background of Arches watercolour paper.  To compare and contrast with this I wanted to offer a bright painting with a similar design of a group of bird/ fish but with  bright colours popping  against the shine of silver lines.

ARTISTS MATERIALS

Michael Harding professional watercolours on Arches (rough) as chatted about above.  They are impacting, energetic and ink perfect for rose petal red!

For my painting support I chose Arches (rough) which is a world  famous professional grade paper.  I was gifted some Arches (rough) and I loved it.  Arches rough (the thicker the better) is now my "go to" paper. This paper is made in France and the only one there to use the cylinder mould process, this combined with natural raw cotton means it is of the highest quality and as good as handmade paper. 

I can see the influences of Japanese art styles in my work, the nude white sheet left exposed is similar to calligraphy art styles.  

Original Watercolour

Dimensions: h: 51cm  w:  43cm

£180 

THE STORY BEHIND THE PAINTING

The story behind this painting is expressed here in a poem by me as I eagerly await the onset of my favourite season SPRING which has not yet arrived:

NOT YET 

No light just longing 

Not sweet smelling 

Not pure or clean white 

Nor pale yellow 

No purple pleaures pangs

Nor aromatic senses

Alas tweeting

And secret lowered heads 

Old green hiding

Daffodils secret growth spurts

Yet the cat waits at the door 

a little bit more!

ARTIST MATERIALS 

The purity and softness needed made Maimeri Blu the perfect choice.  It is an excellent quality watercolour made from a mixture of single pigments and gum arabic- no blending powders, no additives, just clean transparent colours.  I have a set of 36 tubes (not my 1st set) and this collection offers a fabulous range of yellow and blues, hence lovely green overlaying to be had!

Original Watercolour

* (Sold)

THE STORY BEHIND THE PAINTING

The story behind this quirky painting has two parts: firstly the colour play of overlapping shapes of a simple palette on a dry sheet and my enjoyment creating these just lately.  The second part was my trip to a good friend's house albeit subconscious as I was midway through this 'doodle paint' I saw a turtle shape emerge.  My good friends are keepers of tropical fish, koi fish, hens and latterly an flesh-eating turtle.  

PAINT PLAY

So continuing this tale.. as I enjoyed the purity of colour and its lovely overlaps against the gold I saw to my surprise both a fish face and what could 'in the abstract world' a Turtle.  This inspired the title 'Sea Turtle' for this little turtle-fish painting.

ARTIST MATERIALS

I selected Arches rough (the thicker the better) which is now my "go to" paper. This paper is made in France and the only one there to use the cylinder mould processl this combined with natural raw cotton means it is of the highest quality and as good as handmade paper.  It is a professional grade paper.  

Original Watercolour and Silver Ink

*(Sold)

THE STORY BEHIND THE PAINTING

The tradition of raining rose petals dates back to 609 AD. The falling petals symbolize the descent of the Holy Spirit. Specifically, the tradition is meant to symbolize the tongues of fire- a scene from the Acts of the Apostles.  In the magic realist genre raining flower petals symbolise being showered with care affection and all being well and love and sex.

This graceful painting will add energy to any home and its floral motif for many will add romance and/or a spiritual story.  For my part the rose petals express the love and feelings of guardianship I have towards the skylarks as they ground nest around my home and studio in the nearby agricultural fields.

PAINT PLAY

I purchased some Michael Harding watercolours, this is a relatively new product on the market as Michael Harding is better know for his oil paint range.  There is a super vibrancy to this palette which also have the inky quality which can also be found in some Winsor and Newton colours, such as Indigo. 

I began with a pattern and was really excited by this.  I could have left it at that but I saw the red petals I was adding and thought how romantic it would be to be showered in rose petals and appropriate for them to be falling on inter- twining skylarks.

ARTIST MATERIALS

Michael Harding professional watercolours on Arches (rough) as chatted about above.  They are impacting, energetic and ink perfect for rose petal red!

For my painting support I chose Arches (rough) which is a world  famous professional grade paper.  I was gifted some Arches (rough) and I loved it.  Arches rough (the thicker the better) is now my "go to" paper. This paper is made in France and the only one there to use the cylinder mould process, this combined with natural raw cotton means it is of the highest quality and as good as handmade paper.  It is a professional grade paper.  

Arches paper gives me the confidence to know I can push watercolour to exciting limits and work small or large, wet of dry.  

Original Watercolour 

Dimensions:  w: 84cm  h: 67cm

£650

(mounted in antique white and framed in solid oak)

THE STORY BEHIND THIS PAINTING

This year the fields around my art studio and home have different types of crop growing in them. Two of these crops are rape and winter barley.  We have quite a lot of Skylarks this year whch makes me feel very happy.  Maybe the varying growth cycles of the crops and hopefully their harvest times will be to their advantage as these sweet singing birds breed three to four times a year due to predation. My preoccupation with skylark shapes  has inspired most of my 2024 collection.

Skylarks are ground nesters and also sleep together in clusters amongst long summer grasses / winter barley or long reeds.  My home and art studio stands alone surrounded by agricultural fields and when the barley or rape is high I enjoy the knowledge of ground nesting clusters of young skylarks and their parents stirring and all the other creatures out there which I often try to spy on our night-time security cameras.  

Over the last five years I have seen some very exciting animal sights including a large stag at our kitchen window and a muntjak stroll past as I paint with the french doors open.

ARTIST MATERIALS FOR THIS WORK OF ART AND PAINT PLAY

I painted this with Michael Harding watercolour on Arches paper. These watercolours are a relatively new product on the market as Michael Harding is better know for his oil paint range.  There is a super vibrancy to this palette which also have the inky quality which can also be found in some Winsor and Newton colours, such as Indigo. 

I love Arches rough which comes in a thick paper which is perfect for bolder watercolour styles, as opposed to for finer detailed compositions. 

Michael Harding watercolour are potent and ink offering intense energetic colours and great transparent overlays. 

I painted this abstract larger work on Arches paper.  This paper is made in France and the only one there to use the cylinder mould process, this combined with natural raw cotton means it is of the highest quality and as good as handmade paper.  It is a professional grade paper.  

Original Watercolour and Silver Ink

Dimensions: w: 65cm h: 50cm

£350 (unframed)

THE STORY BEHIND THE PAINTING

I can always see birds outside when I am painting.  I like to pause when I am painting to gaze out onto the open fields through our french doors.  There are alway small and larger birds to be seen.  It is no surpise that I am painting more bird groups these days and fewer people in my celebrations of interconnection.

My lovely home studio is surrounded by pretty agricultural fields, there are two lines of established pear trees nearby and along the generous hedgerows blackberry bushes and smaller plum trees can be found.  The cycle of  farmer's seed and crop and tree blossom combined with bugs and flies makes it an attractive home for small birds and large birds.  My affection for where I paint and the sights I see influences my work and feeds my playful imagination.  Sometimes groups of starlings, housemartins or swifts rest in lines on the roof.  Often little rows of crows, magpies of pigeons will take a moment up there too with just the blue sky behind them.  .

PAINT PLAY

I really wanted to create energy and personality in each bird shape and also indulge in a strong rich turquiose backdrop.  It is called Pencil Birds because of their small pointy faces and sharp beaks.  The birds stand like different coloured pencils come to life.Once the pencil shaped bird shapes were happily in place I enjoyed painting their inner colours and seeing expressions on each bird's face as I went along.

ARTIST MATERIALS FOR THIS WORK OF ART

I have painted this with Winsor and Newton Professional Watercolours.

Winsor and Newton professional watercolours have a Deep Turquoise (Series 4) and I knew I wanted to use this.  The unparalleled wide and balanced choice of pigments of this range made them the perfect choice for bold contrasts and the ablility to create differing shades which hold their own yet also tie the art together due to  shared colour too.  I painted on Arches paper which is world famous and a professional grade paper.  I was gifted some Arches  and I loved it.  Arches rough (the thicker the better) is now my "go to" paper. This paper is made in France and the only one there to use the cylinder mould process, this combined with natural raw Cotton means it is of the highest quality and as good as handmade paper.  It is a professional grade paper.

Original Watercolour and Silver Ink

Dimensions: w: 66cm  h: 75cm

£500

(mounted in antique white and framed in solid oak)

THE STORY BEHIND THIS PAINTING

This painting sees a return to my much loved "clustering up" motif.

Group members touch, maybe nuzzle together and lean on each other.  Their interconnection is expressed by their shapes and physical proximity to each other and also by the shades of colour they have in common as they shift in warmth and depth.  

Every beak is raised maybe in exaltation (in prayer or song) or maybe sighing or simply gazing.  I like how each bird is different, how each one has its own stance and expression.This painting was a delight to paint and I hope my choice of colour and the energertic flows of line express the happiness and freedom in the moment of its creation.  I live and paint surrounded by fields of barley and winter grass grown for cattle feed.  These lovely fields are deceptively high and are home to a wide range of small birds and also larger birds such as pheasants; occasional gatherings of geese; ducks; a funny trio of visiting guinea fowl and a visiting junior heron.   

The skylarks sing above in high Summer and of course as this is the UK we have lively groups of bossy birds such as crows, magpies, pigeons who fight off the buzzard family.  There is nearly always some new arrival or animal event.  Long grasses and reeds grow alongside the running agricultural ditch.  It is paradise, a constantly changing landscape.

PAINT PLAY

The painting play for me was using two warm paints (a red and a rose) and two cool ( deep turquiose and a deep blue) and a warm yellow.  A large range of warm and cool colour shifts are achieved without losing pigment strength.  I get to mix the reds and then split them and then the same with blues the commonality in the mix is the yellow.

ARTIST MATERIALS

I picked out Winsor and Newton Professional Watercolour in this painting as their unparalleled wide and balanced choice of pigments made them the perfect choice.  I especially longed to create a painting with a resolved pink and red clash and complement it with the deep turquoise I so enjoyed in 2022. 

Opera Rose and Deep Turquoise are perfect choices for this.I have painted on a sheet of Langston Prestige a superior-quality 140lb (300grn) watercolour paper manufactured using 100% cotton, the highest quality material for papermaking.  It is tradionally made on a cylinder mould machine acid-free, with an alkali reserve to preserve finished pieces of work and prevent discloration.  This pretty painting will cheer the wall on any home.

Original Watercolour and Gold Ink

Dimensions: w: 68cm  h: 70cm  

£400  

(mounted in antique white, unframed)

THE STORY BEHIND THE PAINTING

This is a sunshine painting, I love the pinks oranges and reds. The weather is hotting up outside and Spring is giving way to a radiant warm, rich palette full of life and vitality.  The colours of the grass, leaves and flowers are becoming rich and vibrant.  I wake up with my windows open so I can enjoy the birds singing their heavenly Dawn Chorus.  Outside smells heavenly.

Several years ago we built our off-grid home on the outskirts of Melbourne. It is the perfect location to enjoy and feel fully connected to the changing seasons and what this means for the land and animals who live around us. 

I paint from home and "Hill-top Lovebirds" is a celebration of these precious mid-life moments painting here in the Summertime.  

PAINT PLAY

I began mark making in yellow and pink.   The organic shapes of pink and green represent falling blossom and leaves.  Outside the blossoms on the pear and plum trees and the elderflowers have blown in the late Spring breeze giving way to the sight of tiny buds of fruits left to grow and ripen. The moving leaves are added as symbols of life and richness and the little hill-top an intimate space and my colours are joyful and rich.  The leaves and blossom fall like confetti.  It is a romantic painting.

ARTIST MATERIALS 

I chose Winsor and Newton Professional Watercolour for this painting as their unparalleled wide and balanced choice of pigments made them the perfect choice.  I especially longed to create a painting with a resolved pink and red clash and complement it with the deep turquoise I so enjoyed in 2022. Opera Rose and Deep Turquoise are perfect choices for this.

I have painted on a sheet of Langston Prestige a superior-quality 140lb (300grn) watercolour paper manufactured using 100% cotton, the highest quality material for papermaking.  It is tradionally made on a cylinder mould machine acid-free, with an alkali reserve to preserve finished pieces of work and prevent discloration.  This pretty painting will cheer the wall in any home.

Original Watercolour and Gold Ink

Dimensions: w:60cm  h:56cm

£250

(mounted in antique white, unframed)

THE STORY BEHIND THE PAINTING

I have wanted to include the songful blackbird in a painting for some time and I very much wanted to capture the deep emotional connection I and so many others have with this beautiful song.  In May 2002, following a show in Dallas, Texas, McCartney discussed the song with KCRW DJ Chris Douridas, saying:

"and I actually just remembered why I'd written "Blackbird", you know, that I'd been, I was in Scotland playing on my guitar, and I remembered this whole idea of "you were only waiting for this moment to arise" was about, you know, the black people's struggle in the southern states, and I was using the symbolism of a blackbird. It's not really about a blackbird whose wings are broken, you know, it's a bit more symbolic." Wikipedia 

PAINT PLAY

This painting began as a Sunday evening doodle.  I was experimenting with dots of paint and gold on transparent blue-grey shapes.  I could see the aerial pattern and seized the opportunity to paint this scene with my blackbird isn't it.  

I am happy with the aerial aspect to the land below.  My free Blackbird has  flown and is sitting high up looking down at the land below thinking and reflecting from its lofty seat on a rock

This reflective blackbird has been painted with a mix of indigo and deep turquoise from Winsor and Newton professional watercolours on thick watercolour paper.  

For the rest of the painting I have painted with Maimeri Blu watercolours.  It is an excellent quality watercolour made from a mixture of single pigments and gum arabic- no blending powders, no additives, just clean transparent colours.

Original Watercolour and Gold Ink

Dimensions: w: 92cm  h:  65cm

£500

(mounted in antique white, unframed)

THE STORY BEHIND THE PAINTING

I wanted to revisit my fish motif.  If you knew my paintings before my 2020 collection you will remember that I painted around 15 works with an abstract woman, fish and bird. Most of these paintings enhance the home environments in and around Derbyshire. 

I do enjoy dramatic art with a bit of a wink!  My blue-eyed fish line up has a positive, friendly vibe and this reflects my fun in the immersive process of painting.  I always have a favourite in my line ups, I especially like the expression in the fish on the far right (why?) the hopeful expression in its light blue eyes offers personality and a pleasing colour dynamic with the dark red backdrop.

PAINT PLAY

Having chosen my main subjects I decided to paint large big trout-like faces. To add Winter drama I chose to paint with bold rich colours. I enjoy the visual experience of complmentary shades and how their shared palettes help bring a painting's differrent parts together. Winsor Red, Winsor Blue (green tint) Winsor Yellow (pale) and Indigo were my chosen paints.  I then like to make these shades pop.  Lots of pop or abstract artists use black or bright blue, or red outlining to add pop.  I use gold, or silver.

ARTISTS MATERIALS

I painted with Winsor and Newton Professional Watercolours who I enjoy painting my boldest paintings with. They are loved by watercolour artists for their unparalleled wide and balanced choice of pigments in my opinion they interact with ink better than oil and acrylic paints.  I chose gold as I think it both compliments these warm, rich colours and its glint makes the paints POP.

For my support I painted on Langston Prestige a superior-quality 140lb (300grn) watercolour paper manufactured using 100% cotton.  It is tradionally made on a cylinder mould machine acid-free, with an alkali reserve to preserve finished pieces of work and prevent discloration.  I hope you enjoy the humour and drama in this piece.

Original Watercolour

Dimensions:  w: 45cm h: 38cm

£150

(Mounted in antique white, unframed0

THE STORY BEHIND THE PAINTING

Spring 2023 is emerging and I am on colour watch for flowers popping up a reminder of the continuing cycle of life outside.  The shades of yellow and purple in succession remind me how much I love to celebrate Spring.  

The softness and femininity of this palette brought essences of Spring to me.  It is a simple little painting but very absorbing to gaze at. 

PAINT PLAY

It was a delightful painting to create and I lingered marking its gentle tranparent colours.  These feminine shades and my pleasure creating them have encouraged me to explore lighter palettes in my work and also satisfied my love of organic shapes. 

ARTIST MATERIALS

Maimeri-Blu watercolours on Arches watercolour paper.  Maimeri Blu is an excellent quality watercolour made from a mixture of single pigments and gum arabic- no blending powders, no additives, just clean transparent colours.

I painted this Spring inspired painting on Arches paper which is a world  famous professional grade paper.  I was gifted some Arches (rough) and I loved it.  Arches rough (the thicker the better) is now my "go to" paper. This paper is made in France and the only one there to use the cylinder mould process, this combined with natural raw cotton means it is of the highest quality and as good as handmade paper.  It is a professional grade paper.  

My affection for where I paint and the sights I see influences my work and feeds my playful imagination.

Original Watercolour

Dimensions:  w: 67cm  h:84cm

£550

(mounted in antique white, unframed)

THE STORY BEHIND THE PAINTING

I live and paint surrounded by fields of barley and winter grass grown for cattle feed.  These lovely fields are deceptively high and are home to a wide range of small birds and also larger birds such as pheasants; occasional gatherings of geese; ducks; a funny trio of visiting guinea fowl and a visiting junior heron.  

In this quite charming scene I have paired two ground-loving birds the friendly wren a guinea fowl, who I affectionately call a turkey fowl. I am drawn to celebrate connection in all of my paintings and the emotions I have towards my subjects.  The three guinea fowl who we see zig-zagging across the field make me laugh.

PAINT PLAY

I began enjoying (playing with) mark-making circles and overlapping and enjoying the colour effects this fun, I created a wing around it and I came up with two subjects for my painting, "The Wren and the Turkey Fowl" came to mind... a title reminiscent "The Owl and the Pussy Cat" by Edward Lear.

ARTIST MATERIALS FOR THIS WORK OF ART

I painted this with Maimeri-blu watercolour on Arches paper. I love Arches rough which comes in a thick paper which is perfect for bolder watercolour styles, as opposed to for finer detailed compositions. 

Maimeri Blu is an excellent quality watercolour made from a mixture of single pigments and gum arabic- no blending powders, no additives, just clean transparent colours. I used Arches paper which is a world  famous professional grade paper.  I was gifted some Arches (rough) and I loved it.  Arches rough (the thicker the better) is now my "go to" paper. This paper is made in France and the only one there to use the cylinder mould process, this combined with natural raw cotton means it is of the highest quality and as good as handmade paper.  It is a professional grade paper.  My affection for where I paint and the sights I see influences my work and feeds my playful imagination.

Original Watercolour 

Dimensions: w:47cm  h:34cm 

£120

THE STORY BEHIND THE PAINTING

Looking down at the bluebells  and sharing stories and getting to know each other. And we still have not got round to that bluebell walk.  

The Chequers Inn is high up at Frogatt edge and is mMaimeri-Blu watercolours on Arches watercolour paper.  Maimeri Blu is an excellent quality watercolour made from a mixture of single pigments and gum arabic- no blending powders, no additives, just clean transparent colours.

I painted this Spring inspired painting on Arches paper which is a world  famous professional grade paper.  I was gifted some Arches (rough) and I loved it.  Arches rough (the thicker the better) is now my "go to" paper. This paper is made in France and the only one there to use the cylinder mould process, this combined with natural raw cotton means it is of the highest quality and as good as handmade paper.  It is a professional grade paper.  

My affection for where I paint and the sights I see influences my work and feeds my playful imaginatioy favourite post walk destination after walking along Frogatt Edge.  Derbyshire is a beautiful and varied county and the walk along the top of Frogatt and Stanage Edge offers panoramic views.  

I love how many of my customers relate to nature and colour in the way I do and I love to exhibit in the county that I have loved since I was 10 years old when we visited the Peak District for walks as a family to see the spring blossoms and newly born lambs.

PAINT PLAY

It was a delight to play about with such gentle colours and create an abstract story about visiting a place again with an important person and celebrate this moment in time in a painting.  Without doubt the gentle, soft palette of Maimeri-Blu and my pleasure experimenting with its colour has slowed down my brushstrokes and mark-making in my smaller paintings. The earth shades and blue dashes represent the water of the Rivers and streams along our journey from  Staffordshire.  The marks of yellow giving way to purple symbolizing the flowers and their role in the arrival of Spring.

ARTISTS MATERIALS 

Original Watercolour and Silver Ink

Dimensions: w: 65cm h: 50cm

£350 (unframed)

THE STORY BEHIND THE PAINTING

I can always see birds outside when I am painting.  I like to pause when I am painting to gaze out onto the open fields through our french doors.  There are alway small and larger birds to be seen.  It is no surpise that I am painting more bird groups these days and fewer people in my celebrations of interconnection.

My lovely home studio is surrounded by pretty agricultural fields, there are two lines of established pear trees nearby and along the generous hedgerows blackberry bushes and smaller plum trees can be found.  The cycle of  farmer's seed and crop and tree blossom combined with bugs and flies makes it an attractive home for small birds and large birds.  My affection for where I paint and the sights I see influences my work and feeds my playful imagination.  Sometimes groups of starlings, housemartins or swifts rest in lines on the roof.  Often little rows of crows, magpies of pigeons will take a moment up there too with just the blue sky behind them.  .

PAINT PLAY

I really wanted to create energy and personality in each bird shape and also indulge in a strong rich turquiose backdrop.  It is called Pencil Birds because of their small pointy faces and sharp beaks.  The birds stand like different coloured pencils come to life.Once the pencil shaped bird shapes were happily in place I enjoyed painting their inner colours and seeing expressions on each bird's face as I went along.

ARTIST MATERIALS FOR THIS WORK OF ART

I have painted this with Winsor and Newton Professional Watercolours.

Winsor and Newton professional watercolours have a Deep Turquoise (Series 4) and I knew I wanted to use this.  The unparalleled wide and balanced choice of pigments of this range made them the perfect choice for bold contrasts and the ablility to create differing shades which hold their own yet also tie the art together due to  shared colour too.  I painted on Arches paper which is world famous and a professional grade paper.  I was gifted some Arches  and I loved it.  Arches rough (the thicker the better) is now my "go to" paper. This paper is made in France and the only one there to use the cylinder mould process, this combined with natural raw Cotton means it is of the highest quality and as good as handmade paper.  It is a professional grade paper.