The past week was both lovely and productive. It started with an impromptu trip to Minjerribah (Stradbroke Island) last Monday and ended with long days in the studio drawing and painting. We decided that we want to try and get to the beach more regularly during summer. We always intend to but get sidetracked by city life. Plus, over the years the traffic to both the north and south coasts has made a quick day trip too hectic. Still, getting to the beach is always worth the hassle! Our day on Straddie was much needed and just being on that beautiful island did wonders for filling the inspiration tank. I mean, just take a look at this....
Back in the studio I've returned to watercolour painting after a long break. The light in my studio isn't as bright as I would like so I pushed my table from the centre of the room to against the window and it's so much better for doing detailed work. I love my creative space - there is little I love more than being in this room creating things. Feeling so blessed.
I am so loving playing with paint again. I've been reminded how beautiful watercolour is as a medium. All of the runs, bleeds and unexpected marks made by the dry edges of pooled water and pigment really engage me and the whole process is such a joy to participate in. I think I could paint watercolour whales in my sleep at this stage, but I still find it enchanting to bring my whales to life. The two below took on characters all of their own and even I was surprised at the way they turned out. I really felt a bit of whale painting fatigue the past few months, but strangely, when I sat down to paint last week these whales emerged from the page as naturally as the daydreaming that occurs while I wait for each layer of paint to dry.
I feel energised to immerse myself in watercolours again for a while. I have several pieces in the works right now, all in various stages of completion. I'm a lot slower at finishing works these days, sometimes leaving months between sessions on a single piece. But I like flipping between works so having several pieces on the go keeps things interesting and I always end up returning to finish what I started. Let's see what I finish this week!