I've just recently completed two new paintings as an ode to Claude Monet, and his love of water lilies.
The first painting was inspired by this one by Monet below. I absolutely love the weeping willow branches hanging down over the pond, and wanted to give them a try.
Water Lilies & Willow Branches
by Claude Monet ~1919
Side note: As some of you know, trees are very special to me. I have my favorites, and the weeping willow is one of them (the other 2 in my top 3 favorites are the live oak & the river birch).
My childhood best friend had a huge weeping willow next to a stream in her back yard, and we would spend hours playing in & among those beautiful branches chatting about anything & everything:) She moved to VA after the 4th grade, and I was brokenhearted for a very long time ... still kinda am:/
But I digress...
So when I saw those weeping willow branches in Monet's painting, I just had to give them a try!!!!!!
And here I humbly offer you my version...
Willows & Lilies ©
11" x 14" mixed watermedia
on 140 lb. Arches watercolor paper
I do especially love how the texture of the willows turned out, and also the lovely reflections of the water lilies in the pond's surface.
Here's some close ups:
And the second painting came mainly from my imagination after browsing what seemed like millions of photos for inspiration:)
For this one, I thought I'd show you some stages of the painting so you can get a better feel for how watercolor works. It's kind of the opposite of other mediums in that the painting goes from light to dark, instead of dark to light. Of course there are exceptions, but normally that's how it works.
Also, I enjoy working wet on wet, so I brush plenty of clear water on the paper before I start. This way the color mingles & travels around. Later on, when the paper begins to dry, I then start adding detail & firming things up.
I also enjoy using watercolor pencils, oil pastels & gouache when I need a dash of this or a hint of that ;-)
Here is the finished painting...
Lily Pond ©
11" x 14" mixed watermedia
on 140 lb. Arches watercolor paper
And here are both of them together...
Thank you for hanging out with me ... Have a fabulous week full of creativity, adventure & perhaps a touch of the outdoors. #Itmatters ... physically, mentally & soulFULLy ❤
I would love to hear from you! You can do so by going to my contact page and sending me a message — your creative heart & voice matter to me.
With love & affection 💕
