Work in progress

I have several unfinished pantings upstairs in my studio but it is far too pleasant outside to be stuck indoors. The garden has really taken off in the past couple of weeks and is currently decked in full summer splendour. Time to get out the watercolours then.

In the images below, I am trying to capture the sense of chaos which is evident in my garden at the moment. This probably says more about my lack of horticultural skills than evidence of any kind of plan. The roses in particular have excelled themselves this year.

I have chosen to work in watercolour for this one, partly because of the convenience, of transporting materials out of doors but also because I think it is easier to capture the delicacy of the flowers and the translucent effect of the sun shining behind the subject.

The finished piece

I feel I’ve captured some of the sense of growth and heat in the garden on this warm day. Not sure I have quite depicted the contrast between light and shade as well as I would have liked or the translucency of the foliage in the sun. This is partly because of my tendency to ’overwork’ an image if I don’t get it right straight away. I need to learn to live with, what I consider to be mistakes; at the very least to use them as learning opportunities.