What I Used for This Painting
30x20cm watercolour paper 300gsm taped to hardboard with masking tape. The paint was a sampler of blue, red, yellow and white given to me by my local art supplier of H2O oil. It was quite aged paint and partially dried. I didn't have any medium other than water. She said, "You can make a painting out of this". I looked at it and thought: "Okay, it's a bit dried out, but 'dems fighting words," and gave it a go.
Why This Painting is My Favorite
I drive past this house to and from my daughter's home and did a double-take when the flowering peach was in full bloom. I drove home for my camera and took a few photos. I enjoy sometimes painting very quickly, as in this one where I feel I have nothing to lose, with my primary motivation being to get a feel of a different medium. I think it's turned out beautifully, though I could have done with a bit more white for contrast. It was hard going squashing down the paint with water rather than the proprietary medium.
I love the pinks of the tree and the feel of a home that is very indicative of older Australian houses. Also a shape appeared in the right bottom corner of the picture that brought to my mind an Australian solider returning from the war.
The painting isn't framed yet, and is sitting within my bookcase.
Lessons Learned
- It stretched me to create many colours from a very limited palette.
- It reminded me that I needed lots of white on hand when painting.
