Watercolor Batik Tulips

 

With a few tulips blooming in the garden, I'm capturing them in watercolor batik on rice paper! While many frozen spring blooms are re-emerging from the ground, a few tulip blooms are posing up, though they are short.  It's the perfect thing to paint in this medium, where I can blur the background away and let their beauty shine.  Painting number 4833 to 4833 days. 

Pink Tulips

 

What is sweeter than the fragrance of potted tulips in the house?  I brought these home from Family Tree Nursery and had to do a quick painting before they fade!  I have a fondness for pink tulips, and brought some home last year, too.  After they fade and die back, I put the pot outside to plant the bulbs in the garden.  When I went to plant last year's bulbs, the three had multiplied to 9 - just like magic!  They are in my front bed waiting for their signal to emerge!  I'll plant these out there, too, when they fade.  Painting number 4799 in 4799 days. 

Blooms!

 

It already feels like spring inside the Family Tree Nursery!  What a great place to sketch with friends and 4 generations of my family in attendance - totally fitting for FAMILY Tree Nursery!  They are so gracious to welcome us into their lovely space.  The pink tulips featured returned home with me, along with special seeds and a couple of herbs.  I enjoyed a few lemon balm leaves on my salad today!  The ground is soft and I'm already weeding a few of the early henbit for my chickens to enjoy!  It sure doesn't feel like February!  Painting number 4789 in 4789 days.  

Pink Tulips

 It was lovely to paint at Family Tree Nursery with family and artist friends this morning!  Mom, Michaela and Kirby joined me - making 4 generations here, today!  Kirby picked out a new jade plant with a little bunny to hang off the pot, and we all enjoyed hot drinks.  The fragrance of the tulips was irresistible, and i bright them home along with lemon balm and two stevia plants.  And a few more seed packets, lol.  It's so nice to be welcomed into this beautiful, tropical place in February, even if it was 73 degrees today!  Painting number 4787 in 4787 days. 

Pink Tulips

 

I LOVE squeezing in a quick painting of my pink tulips on this very busy day!  I wish they would last for months instead of days, but our strong winds are tossing them about!  I plant these fragrant beauties each year, but they don't multiply like my daffodils do.  In fact, they seem to sink into the ground and simply cease to flower after a couple of years.  I'm going to enjoy them while I can, and immortalize them in my paintings, because too soon they will fade away.  Painting number 5153 in 5153 days. 

Flaming Flag Tulips

I love these fancy tulips in the garden!  My first of the season, the Flaming Flags really show off their stripes - and they close up with the sun!  I have two new fountain pens - TWSBI Minis, one with a broad nib and one extra fine.  I love the rich line of the broad nib for edge work, and the extra fine is perfect for those sketchy lines making up the composition.  I have the white one loaded with my fav Levenger's Raven Black and the silver is filled with De Atramentis Archive Ink (which does not move with water).  I really love the rose gold details of the white pen, and both are super smooth writers.  Super fun to spend a little time in my garden today with a couple of new toys!!  Painting number 3015 in 3015 days. 

Artist Tulips

Another full day spent in the gardens - weeding, planting and mulching.  These gorgeous Artist tulips are almost full blown now, so I'm painting them before those petals drop.  They sure have put on a show this spring - I will definitely get more of these!  Painting number 2667 in 2667 days.

Artist Tulips

I bought these tulips in the fall for one reason only - the name!  How could I possibly resist a tulip named after my profession?  Wow!!  What a showstopper!  The very large, fancy, feathered blooms twist and curl, showing off at every turn!  That color variance is fabulous!  I hope these multiply beyond measure, for I will surely move them to every bed on the place!  Painting number 2660 in 2660 days.

Orange Tulips in Vase

A beautiful Easter morning turned windy and cold by late day.  Burning wood down at the pond until the rain really started, we headed for the house and dry clothes.  Once our late lunch was under way, I went out to find these poor tulips beat to the ground.  I brought them in, covered most of the others, and now I can get a little painting in.  The winds are blowing strong and it's going to 25 degrees tonight.  The multiple of spring blooms sure were gorgeous today.  I wonder what will be left after this.  Painting number 2656 in 2656 days.

First Tulips

It seems so early, but my first tulips are up and shining brightly in the sunshine!  Even though this day has been completely full of hard yard work, I just had to take a few minutes to capture this!  The ink around the edge is my new Robert Oster ink - Great Southern Ocean - and wow!  What a cool color and spread it has when wet!  I actually thought I had another color in this pen, and didn't intend to use this, but I did not have time to run into the house, so I just used what I had.  I like the pleasant surprise!  Painting number 2645 in 2645 days.

Purple Tulips Miniature

Spring always has me checking the flowers to see which ones are emerging, looking for those delicate blooms to paint!  Only the crocus are busting forth, but the daffodils, tulips and paperwhites are not far behind.  A few beautiful days and they will be immortalized with paint!  Painting number 2270 in 2270 days.

Purple Tulips

It has seemed that winter would never end, but it is beginning to feel like spring out there!  The only tulips blooming around here are the ones picked up at the store!  So, as I work on larger paintings, I slip in a miniature for today's post.  Painting number 2263 in 2263 days.

Tulip Bouquets miniature

Quick little tulip bouquets by special request! Painting number 2244 in 2244 days.

sold

Bucket of Tulips

Art Mob day at the Mission Antique Mall found me trying a new medium!  When I arrived home from painting yesterday, this beautiful antique tin "palette" was waiting for me!  I love how something with vintage charm can be repurposed to a unique paint palette!  Right down my alley!  I bought it from a sweet little shop - madebymish.bigcartel.com.  I filled mine with GOUACHE from a fancy pants set I've almost never used - and jumped right in when I arrived in site.  I painted two ATCs and this is 6x6.  I started with ink drawings, moving to gouache.  I worked pretty wet, though I know I can get more "full strength" with this medium.  I liked the way it moved today, very like watercolor.  I am going to enjoy experimenting with gouache!  Painting number 1889 in 1889 days.

Pretty in Pink

Pretty in Pink
Oil on unstretched canvas, 4x4
purchase here

My pink tulips are now blooming - and although they are on the small side, they add a wonderful cool hue to the garden.  I have used both brush and knife to paint this small 4x4 inch painting.  First, I sketch out the composition as I want it, and then start laying in those colors until the canvas if full.  Then, I work with the knife, skimming over the first layer with new color - either darker or lighter then the first layer.  I pulled an ultramarine blue over the deep green, and white over the pinks to define the edges of the petals.  To add interest, I have popped in a few little touches of color - radiant turquoise, naples yellow pale and radiant magenta.  The key is to only lightly drop these in, too much negates the energy of having just a little.  Painting number 855 in 855 days.

Elizabeth's Tulips

Elizabeth's Tulips
Oil on canvas panel, 10x8
New Harmony Quick Paint - purchase here

This was painted during the hour and 15 minute quick paint at the New Harmony plein air event, First Brush of Spring.  With such a short time limit, I decided to take the pressure off and paint something fun - tulips!  The bold red blooms were very large, and some were full blown in the bed.  I tuned out the whole event while I painted, oblivious to what was going on around me - just me and those tulips, the light and the shadow.  When I did look up, people were already framing and heading to check-in, so I popped this in a frame to stand in line with the rest.  Painting number 842 in 842 days. This is the shortest quick paint I have ever participated in - 75 minutes long!

on location

Yellow Orange Tulips

Yellow Orange Tulips
Oil on unstretched canvas, 4x4

These glorious tulips shine in my garden like beacons of light!  Their sunny, orange color is so cheerful and bright - even on a dark and stormy day!  I started with a pastel sketch, and filled in the main colors for the initial block in. The next step was treating the edges - whether to leave soft or hard, pulling with the brush, then laying in with the palette knife.  Next, I deepen the shadow areas with the knife, and finally pop those highlights.  I like the zoomed in format of the composition - it gives the painting a dramatic flare!  I am painting several of these this week - trying to capture the beauty of these blooms before they fade away, not to be seen again until next year.  Painting number 837 in 837 days.

Open Red Tulips

Open Red Tulips
Oil on unstretched canvas, 4x4"
purchase here

Oh my goodness - what a VERY full day!  My day was completely scheduled until I arrived home tonight after Michael's baseball game - and when I did get home, I sure didn't feel like painting.  Then, after grabbing something light to eat, the creativity started to creep back into my veins.  Before I knew it, I was choosing something I love to paint - flowers, and a tiny canvas - only 4x4 inches square.  I had taken this photo in the morning - which is a good thing since it is now way past dark!  I tried a couple of new brushes today - and they are synthetic!  I ALWAYS use natural hair brushes, but I really liked the feel and bend of these in the store, so I brought them home.  And guess what - I love them!  Connoisseur 2102 - in a 4 and a 6.  I think I will be buying more of these.  We'll just see how they do with the next three weeks of heavy plein air painting!  Painting number 832 in 832 days.

Tulip Drama

Tulip Drama
Oil on wood panel, 5x7
purchase here

A couple of days ago, one lone orange tulip opened up - my very first one of the spring.  I meant to paint it that day, but life got in the way.  Here it is, two days later, and several had opened up - making a much better composition and set up for painting!  The bright , cheerful orange shade was perfectly displayed against the dark background this early morning.  After sketching, I blocked in the colors loosely with a large bristle brush.  After getting my darks in - mainly ultramarine blue deep and greenish umber, I worked out towards the upper corner, adding in yellow and sap green as needed - only suggesting the background foliage and blooms. Once all masses were in like I wanted, I started having fun with my palette knife, cutting in with bold color from the edges of petals.  I next loaded up that knife with straight ultramarine blue deep, and cut from the edges of leave and stem for the dark background. This created a dark that pulled back from the flowers, creating a wonderful depth.  I normally pop my brightest highlights at the very end, and so I knifed on a little radiant yellow and cad yellow medium for the thickest final touches.  Happy Easter to you all, it has been a day full of food, family and egg hunting!  Painting number 827 in 827 days :)