Monday, March 21, 2011

Delicate Ruffles - Watercolor

Back to my beloved watercolor.  This painting started out as a full sheet of watercolor paper (30" x 22") but has continued to shrink throughout the painting process.  After I painted the background, my starting point, I decided that there was too much background on the sides.  Hollyhocks are such a vertical flower, I really should have started with a longer, skinnier piece of paper.  I took a few inches off of one side, then a couple off of the other, then more off of the first side.  After that, I decided that there was too much stem on the bottom so off went more inches.  And finally, I took some off of the top to change the focal point of the painting.  I'm very happy with the final result even though the painting shrunk to 20.5" x 15.5".  Thank goodness that painting on paper gives the ability to change the composition after the fact.  Of course, if I were more careful with my initial composing, I wouldn't need to crop it later.

Hollyhocks seem to be one of my favorite flowers to paint.  With this painting, I feel like I've finally captured their delicate beauty.

Delicate Ruffles
Image Size 20.5" x 15.5"
Watercolor
Unframed

18 comments:

  1. Gorgeous painting! Beautifully done Nancy.

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  2. Nancy - this is so beautiful, so delicate looking. Love the colors you used. I have also cut parts of my canvas paper to change a composition and focal point. Scissors are just another tool of the trade! ;)

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  3. Such wonderful light on the hollyhocks. You are right the beauty of watercolor is that it's easier to crop...but in the end a beautiful piece.

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  4. I am just speechless, Nancy. I thought I was seeing a photo at first. You are amazing with the watercolors (my first preference too). I was giggling at your cropping process. Sounds like something I would do! LOL

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  5. Just wanted to say, "This is just lovely". Beautiful!! You sure have captured its beauty.

    sherry

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  6. Beautiful painting--you really captured the ruffled edge and the colors are great.

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  7. Thank you everybody for you really nice comments. : )

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  8. Nancy, this is so gorgeous! I love hollyhocks, too, and you have definitely captured their delicate beauty!

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  9. Your cropping adventure sounds like what happens when I try to trim my own hair!

    You got the light shining though the petals just right.

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  10. Thanks Deborah. I hope your hair looks better when you cut it than my hair does when I cut it. It always looks so simple to do but my results look like I cut it in my sleep. Luckily, cutting paper is much easier to do.

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  11. This is just gorgeous! So delicate and the colors are wonderful.

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  12. Exquisite! Those hollyhocks glow in the light.

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  13. Thanks Julie. That's the look I was trying to get.

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  14. Oh my goodness, Nancy!! This is stunning. Absolutely BEAUTIFUL! The flowers come right off the page. You are so talented.

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  15. Thank you Cheryl. It was a fun one.

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  16. I saw this one in the 15th Orange Open Exhibition - gorgeous! Deserves the recognition on this one!

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  17. Thanks Prerana. I was happy that this got an award. It was nice seeing you again.

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