During this past summer in Montreal, I had the pleasure of spending hours in the Botanical Gardens when the peonies were in bloom. I did a series of sketches using watercolor pencils which, as the name suggest, are colored pencils that act like watercolors when water is added. The drawings were done on a heavier weight but smooth tooth mixed media paper. The sketches will be available soon as prints.
Not all artists work from Nature, but I like to start with more realistic botanical drawings and then use them for references for looser, more abstract paintings. With these I have chosen to paint a series of fans using acrylic paints to which glaze can be added to create a watercolor effect.
I’m just starting this series so I have not yet decided on the type of fan or the look I want. This first paper fan is small (about 10 inches when open) and takes the paint well. The inspiration for doing fans comes from the fan pieces that Edgar Degas did in the 1870’s. (The fan below is Degas’.)
J.Hart-Artist 