Hen, Chicks, and LOVE

Odd may it sound, but this is a painting which I'd like to express love!

I'd always want to paint a hen or rooster and it is one of the many items what I set to paint earlier at the beginning of this year. Then, a friend of mine who owns a gallery asked me to do a painting under the theme "LOVE". So, I combine the two!

I took this painting quite seriously and did a lot of teachnique studying. I'm glad that I could handle "wet-in-wet" and delivered the fluffy texture of the little chicks quite well. But on the other hand, I wasn't able to present the hen's wings. I suppose I should have used "wet-on-dry" instead overdoing with all those strokes.

Anyway, this is the largest painting I've done so far. "A2 in size" ie 42cm x 59cm. I'd to buy large brushes for this, and finding a table big enough to work on wasn't that easy either! Having said all these, I enjoyed painting this piece a lot. I enjoyed the entire process, from searching on ideas, to digging into the various painting techniques on my book shelf, to shopping at the art shop for big size paper and brushes, interacting with the shop keeper learning about the different brands of paper and watercolor paints, to trial run on smaller paper, to finally going ahead with final painting.

Winsor & Newton watercolor (made in England!)

59cm x 42cm

Arches Aquarelle Water Color paper 140lb CP

The Willow

Last but not least, the forth painting in May!

This is painted, once again, against a guidebook. Technique practice here is using "Sponge". It didn't start off too well, but I got the hang of it when getting to the end. That's the idea of PRACTICING, isn't it?

21cm x 32cm

Winsor & Newton watercolor

canson monval 140lb cold press paper

(2010 May)

The Habitat

Momentum is going very well and I did this painting straight after the "On my way home". This is a practice painting following a guidebook. I was practicing some basic technique like graduated washes. Slightly better control in this one versue the "On my way home".

21cm x 32cm
Winsor & Newton water color
Canson Montval 140lb cold press paper

(2010 May)

On My Way Home

A mix and match painting!

I was reading a water color painting guidebook and saw two pictures. One has a herd of elephant moving through the bush, and another one with a goat feeding alone on the field at dawn. So, I mix them together!

If I were to paint this again, I'd put more clouds to the sky and arrange them in a way to project a better composition and add depth to the painting.

21cm x 32cm

Winsor & Newton water color

Canson Montval 140lb cold press paper

(2010 May)

Saki

This is painted against a piece given to me at the water color painting class some 4 years ago. I like it because of the rich and vivid color. And to make the painting experience more fun, I did "splattering" (but perhaps a bit too much!)

21cm x 32cm

Winsor & Newton water color

Canson Montval 140lb cold press paper

(2010 May)

A close up

A third painting in April, whoohol!

It may not look anything special or sophisticated, but this is my best painting following the "Happiness". Why? It's my own creation, not following any guidebook nor copying other painters' idea. It is painted again a photo which I took while visiting a botanical garden some months ago. I have to creat the composition, the color tone, choose the techniques etc all by myself. Very satisfying.

If I were to paint it again, I'd make the bud less prominent and merge it to a more sophisticated wet-in-wet background. I'd also paint the branch in more details.

30cm x 38cm

Winsor & Newton water color

Saunders 140lb cold press paper

(2010 Apr)

Deep in the Blue

The momentum is going well. I managed to do two paintings in April! I forgot about the item lists which I set at the begining of year, otherwise I would have painted something as missioned. I was flipping through various guidebook and thought I should go back to the basics. Here is a painting done following the guidebook, practicing washes and monochrome etc. Believe it or not, the painting shown here is actually the second attempt and still it doesn't come up as how it meant to have! More practicing is needed and it's still a long long way to become "perfect".

To make the practice more fun, I made some changes to the painting and made some lifting using tissue paper on the right hand side.

21cm x 32cm

Winsor & Newton water color

Canson 140lb cold press paper

The Pear

Hurrah, one item from my mission list can now be checked. Once again, this is not my own creation by painted against a water color guidebook. Also, it doesn't really look like what it suppose to look. It's meant to be "wet-in-wet" but I made it kind of "glaze" and "layers". Anyway ...

30cm x 38cm

Van Gogh water color

Saunders 140lb cold press paper

(2010 Apr)

The Fall

As mentioned in the previous blog, I set myself a mission for 2010 and it didn't go too well in the first two months. Time flies and I didn't even paint one picture in the first two months! Finally, I got my act together and did this first painting in March. It wasn't my own creation and was painted against a watercolor guidebook.

Technique tried here is "salt". Marginally acceptable effect! Just have to keep trying to get the grip of it ......

Nonetheless, I'm happy with the colors used here. It's much more rich and vivid than all my previous pieces.

21cm x 32cm

Van Gogh water color

Bockingford 140lb cold press paper

(2010 Mar)

Previous Paintings II (2005-2009)

Here are some more of my earlier paintings which I like and would like to share

Lemon

While reviewing my paintings, I realise that the colors I used was always soft. I wanted to do a more vivid color painting and here it goes.
I'm happy with the colors but composition could be better, it's just too flat and boring!

21cm x 31cm
Van Gogh water color
Bockingford 140lb cold press paper
(2009 July)

A Child's Prayer

I am a Lladro fan (but doesn't really have much of a collection!). So much that I want to paint a series of Lladro figures, it's not easy as I am not good at drawing to start with. Anyway, here is a better attempt amongs those I had tried.

I think I should put more effort in composition and in buidling a background to make the focus more stand out.

30cm x 37cm

Van Gogh water color

Saunders 90lb cold press paper

(2009 May)

Ballerina 2

Painted against a photo.

I suppose a bit more shadow with made the arm looks more proportional to a child's arm?!

23cm x 31cm

Van Gogh water color

Bockingford 140lb cold press paper

(2009 Feb)

Ballerina 3

Painted against a photo.

23cm x 31cm

Van Gogh water color

Bockingford 140lb cold press paper

(2009 May)

Clouds

Here, I attempt to paint clouds following a guide book. Not too successful! The one on the right is the second attempt but it turns out that the first attempt is better!

23cm x 31cm

Van Gogh water color

Bockingford 140lb cold press paper
(2009 July)

Previous Paintings I (2005-2009)

Here are some of my paintings done earlier and which I like!

Cottage in The Summer
My painting journey starts in December 2005. I joined water color painting class out of curiosity. This little cottage is a practice I did in one of the lessons!

It's a very small painting, something like 10cm x 15cm. Winsor & Newton color on Saunders 140lb cold press paper.

Happiness

This is the most serious painting I have ever done so far. It was painted in May 2006, serveral months after I completed the 10 classes. This painting was for my wedding invitation. I first saw a photo of this procelin (clay?) model in a hotel wedding banquet service catalogue and later on saw the actual model in a sovenir shop. I then decided to do a painting of it and made it into the invitation for my wedding which was to be held 6 months later. Several attempts and practice pieces were made before getting to this final piece.

The orginial painting (30cm x 38cm) is now framed and up on the wall in the sitting room!

Winsor & Newton water color on Saunders 140lb cold press paper.

Technique tried: ox gall liquid

Mom and Dad

I was so satisfied and carried away with the Happiness painting and became overly confident and eager to start portrait painting!

Huh, it was difficult. The painting turned out like a cartoon and my parents gave it such a laugh! Nonetheless, I'd like to devote this painting to my parents!

30cm x 38cm

Winsor & Newton water color

Saunders 140lb cold press paper

2006 June

Camellia

My first attempt of painting flowers!

30cm x 38cm

Winsor & Newton water color

Saunders 140lb cold press paper

Painted against a self taught watercolor painting guidebook (2007 March)

Cycaman

I got carried away once again and painted two copies of this. One kept by myself and another given to a close friend as his wedding gift. Don't really know how this painting can be related to a wedding gift!!! Anyway, it took me a lot of effort to paint and that counts?!

30cm x 38cm

Winsor & Newton water color

Saunders 140lb cold press paper

Painted against a self taught water color painting guidebook (2007 April)

To a Cat Lover, Lazy Wong

These two paintings are painted in memory of two cats (BallBall and Ah Wong) and are devoted to my two cat lover friends!

Both 17cm x 30cm

Winsor & Newton watercolor

Saunders 140 cold press color

BallBall was painted against a watercolor painting guidebook (2008 Feb)

Ah Wong was painted against his photo (2006 Jul)

Sunflower

I love sunflower very much. It gives a sense of vitality, hope, happiness and brightness. This painting was given to my boss when I left my previous job. He knew I paint and I gave him this painting to thank him for appreciating my passion in painting. Sunflower was chosen because he was engaged in sales business for which vitality and sunshine (positive) thinking is crucial!

It was not a very good painting in that I was not able to master using masking fluid, and failed to paint the centre part well. I ended up covering up the centre part with layers and layers of sienna and umber paints. I hope it's the little thought of painting for others that counts!
30cm x 38cm

Winsor & Newton water color

Saunder 140lb cold press paper

(2008 Dec)



Precious

It's a portrait of my daugther when she's 15-month old.

This is much better a job I did versus the first portrait "Mom and Dad". At least my daughter can recognise it's a picture of her!

17cm x 30cm

Van Gogh water color

Saunders 140lb cold press paper

(2008 Nov)

Pot Amarylis
A new technique tried out on the petals - dry brush

I like this painting a lot while most of my friends like the coneflower better.

Much better at using maksing fluid this time!

both 30cm x 38cm

Van Gogh water color

(2009 May)

2010 Mission!

I set myself a mission to paint at least one painting a month in this year. It didn't start too well for the first few months, but I was able to catch up afterwards. I also listed out ideas and techniques that I'd like myself to try in this year. I seemed to have forgotten about the list and went off track a bit. Hmmmmm, it's only June now, there is still time to catch up!

- Technique with salt (done but not yet mastering)
- Technique with Masking fluid (done)
- Technique with sponge (done but not yet mastering)
- Butterfly
- Kids
- Flower
- Chair
- Glass ware or Metal ware
- Self portrait
- Hen / Rooster / Chicken
- Tree (done)
- Snow
- Pear (done)
- Tulip
- Motherhood