Leafy Sea Dragon

Watercolour

Hahnemuhle Paper

20 x 50 cm

Gifted

 

After looking at lots of photos of leafy sea dragons, I finally understood what they looked like.  I decided how I wanted mine 'posed' and coloured, having such fun with the wet in wet technique. Leafy sea dragons are endangered fish found in Southern Australian waters.  They grow to 8-10 inches and feed on small crustaceans through it's long pipe-like snout.

 

Ornate Pipefish

Hahnemuhle Paper

20 x 50 cm

Watercolour

For Sale

 

Today, I wanted to paint some more fish.  I chose the subject and painted the pipefish and seaweed, then put in the blue background.  My inspiration colour-wise came from Van Gogh's painting of Still Life with Quince.  There is very little turquoise in this painting though - only on the fish.

Big Splash

Watercolour paper 300g

A4 size

Mixed Media

for sale

Here is the painting I completed at home.  The rocks have an orange seaweed on them and limpets, I loved the deep blue rock pools.  This big splash was extremely messy to do, so glad I did it outside.  The grass now has a nice sprinkling of white paint.

Seaweed and splash

Mixed Media

Watercolour paper 300g

A3

for sale

 

Mixed Media

Watercolour paper 300g
A4

for sale

 

I met with some artists from Ely Art Society yesterday to paint "splashes" with Valerie Orchard.  She showed us her sea paintings incorporating splashes, put out a large selection of photographs of sea, rocks, splashes, seaside and basically left us to it. 

 

I chose a couple for inspiration, a seaweed covered rock and a view of the coast.  The large painting was stuck onto a table because I didn't have a board big enough so I stood up to paint these.  It was nice to be able to paint in a loose and expressive way.  Putting on the splash was the hardest part, getting it to behave!  I did ask for advice here and there and we all created such different work.

 

Before I left, I started another one which is being completed at home.  I've already put on the splash and ended up with paint everywhere, it is so tempermental.  I'm not used to messy art!