Admittedly this is another post it has taken me a while to share. Last spring I was treated to a day out at Green & Gorgeous flower fields in Oxfordshire as a gift for Mother's day and my birthday, to spend the day painting flowers at a workshop run by Debbie George.
Debbies work is amongst my favourites, cups filled with flowers amongst them, I own a painting of a beautiful yellow jug filled with blossom which sits in my kitchen. You can find many images of her work here. I really want to keep a note of the day here, for myself as much as for you!
We wandered the flower gardens at Green & Gorgeous, we cut a few flowers, sketched, drew and painted all under Debbie's guidance. Debbie is incredibly generous with her knowledge sharing plenty techniques at every stage. As a teacher, she is inspiring. From those of us who are beginners to those who had some experience of painting already, I am sure everyone went home with a little more knowledge than we arrived with.
I have to say the location was beautiful too. We sat outside soaking up the spring sunshine and were treated to a delicious lunch.
Below is the painting I completed on the day. As a first attempt it is OK I think (by my own standards anyway) though very much an amateur work. I wanted to experiment a little more at home and have a stash of paint already so I bought myself a few more boards and had another go or two. Or three.
My second attempt hasn't made it past a drawing - for now at least! It is still sitting waiting to be finished. Then the third I actually painted - it was an improvement on the first, though I don't like the cup much. But definitely something of a wallflower success...
It has taken a while to produce a painting I really like. Hats off to talented artists like Debbie, it's not easy to create even a small work of 'art' (I use the word loosely when referring to my own paintings...) and it took me a few months to get around to finishing the fourth one!
I decided to limit my colours in my most recent painting, as I do in much of my photography. I find a muted colour palette easier to work with. No, not easier, I just prefer it in my own work.
What I would say though is how much I have enjoyed working slowly on this project. I am pretty pleased with the result of this one though I am not a great painter now and possibly never will be...
But painting four is much more 'me'.
And to finish, I can't resist sharing this photograph of Debbie and her husband, the artist and the photographer x
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