Tulips, Drawings and Preliminary Paintings.

                                 Vibrant tulips always a welcome sight in the snowy world of January, especially when you are longing for spring. However, we did have the customary and wonderful January thaw for two days with temperatures on the second day reaching 14C. So lovely!

                                                                One for the drawing board too.

         Drawing on tracing paper saves a step or two, but the drawings can be difficult to see.

                             

A blood root flower and a monarch butterfly with a wee tea pot on the side.

                                    As you can see I've been busy drawing. With a file full of drawings, I have a lot to choose from for painting. 

                                                             

  A dapper fellow.

 A preliminary colour mock-up for a larger painting.

Also a colour mock-up of blue poppies. Usually I don't do trial runs before I transfer to heavy paper for painting, but I enjoyed the process and I wanted to test some colours.  I will be using 300 lb. Moulin du Roy which I haven't tried yet. I used 140 lb Moulin du Roy on these preliminary runs. I find the colour lifts easy, but often the colour looks a little dull, but I like the paper for clean lines.

Command Central. 

The Ikea utility cart was an August birthday gift.  It holds a lot and wheels about with ease.  If you are in the market for one, they are great. (No, most regrettably, I am not receiving any gratuities for saying that.) 

I've named these paintings 'watercolour splashes.' They somehow remind me of children splashing about in puddles.  Wouldn't it be fun for kids to splash about in colourful puddles instead of muddy water.
(Hmmm maybe I am on to something.) :)

'Til next time lovelies...

Cultivate your dreams.

Flora

 As you can see, the blooms of the Sumac match the colour of the Hap Shawl.

I'm on the home stretch on the shawl. Even though I calculated rather well, I thought, I ran out of yarn. O, me. O my!   If anyone happens to have a spare hank of Mithril colourway Sunset at Briere in their stash, I'd be delighted to buy it.

Common Milkweed. Befriend a Monarch Butterfly; if you have room, do plant a sprig.

I'd love to fill an old jug with Cattails.

Wild Tiger Lilies

Fringed Loosestrife

A fabulous tree that reminds me of  the trees that walk and talk in the movies.♥

Flowers speak the universal language.

"The Earth Laughs in Flowers."             -  Ralph Waldo Emerson Enjoy the week!