The wilful nature of watercolour

It is feeling increasingly wintry here in Melbourne. Lots of rain. Puddles my daughter can't resist.

I think that is why I started today with big splashy puddles of watercolour.

I love the willful nature of watercolour. The unpredictability that used to bother me is something I really enjoy now.

And I have learned to be patient enough to let the layers dry before continuing. Art is helping me learn to slow down. I take this sort of thing as a most excellent excuse to go and make another cup of tea. (You are right. One never should need an excuse to make a cup of tea.)

I added more layers of colour. Dropped in different reds and purples. Enjoyed watching what they became. Because you never really know what you are going to get with watercolour.

And what I ended up with is one of those oversized, generous blossoms like peonies or roses. I love all those layered petals and the sense of abundance they leave with me. I can't help but see little whimsical faces everywhere, even snuggled into the base of one of those blooms.

I couldn't resist taking out my Derwent Inktense pencils. I like drawing into the still wet layers with them. The inktense colours are so vibrant when they meet with the water. And of course, being pencils they make small, controllable, detailed marks possible.

Explore more of the Flower Faces Series and the other monthly series.