BLUE HYDRAGEAS – WATERCOLOUR PAINTINGS

I have a number of hydrangeas in the garden but they are predominately pink despite adding buckets of aluminium salts to to turn them blue, the colour I prefer. Someone recently told me that the soil also needs to be acidic, so that may be my next approach, but the other day as I was crawling amongst the undergrowth I discovered I actually had a small blue hydrangea which I think was a gift from a visitor. So you got a painting. There may be more of these if I discover the trick of turning the rest blue.

Talking of more: here’s another attempt at my lush gladioli, the subject of the last post. There were a few issues with the first one, despite the overall effect of the main blooms that I was very satisfied with.

Other floral paintings are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

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LUSH GLADIOLI – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

My gladioli have started flowering so I have been tempted to paint them. I have not been satisfied with earlier attempts. This time: well its a bit nearer where I want to be. I started with a simpler background – though I complicated it towards the end. Also focusing in on a few blooms helped. There may be more attempts, though the winds and the rain have taken their toll on the flowers. Still, at least the lawn looks a little healthier.

Other floral paintings are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

NATURE’S RETURN – PASTEL PAINTING

Another one from the Cotswolds. I liked the sculptured, majestic quality of the Yarrow growing tall between the dewy pathways and the tumbling walls. It seemed nature was reclaiming what it had lost.

Other landscapes and floral paintings are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

YEP, MORE SHASTA DAISIES – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

I know I put one of these out in May, but it has been sitting in my pile of dissatisfaction since. Then the other day I felt I knew what to do, so I had another go. Whether this is the case, time will tell, but at the very least I feel I have advanced the cause.

Other floral paintings are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

JUNE’S LILIES – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

Each year there seems to be a race on as to whether our lilies will flower or be devoured by the rapacious lily beetle and their even more rapacious grubs. This year the lilies won – just – so here they are – though I may have exaggerated the number of leaves that remain from the onslaught.

Other floral paintings are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

RHODODENDRONS BREAK INTO BLOOM- WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

Spring slowly moves towards summer and my rhododendrons’ buds start to unfold into blousy blooms. I tried this before, last week, but over-emphasised the colours and deadened the image. This version looks a bit weak, but the freshness is retained and the lefthand bloom captures the attention to my satisfaction.

Other floral paintings are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

ORIENTAL POPPIES – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

I am still persisting and struggling with floral paintings. At present one of my borders is covered in Oriental Poppies, so I thought it was an opportune time to have a go at them. I also wanted to include the barbed leaves which can be a real feature when the light is right. I must admit it got a bit messy at the end on the left hand side, but I did manage to keep the initial washes on the flowers and some of the leaves on the right and am pleased with the result there.

Before this I had a less successful battle with my forsythia which is a real harbinger of spring here. I wanted the contrast against the clear sky. The mass of tiny flowers and leaves was a difficult ask, and in hindsight I think I need to blow up the small flowers even larger for the thing to work and not resemble a blobby mass.

So one out of two is an improvement on my endeavours of late. There may be some repeats coming this way if I start to find ways to resolve some of my issues. Only time will tell.

Other floral paintings are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com