Ten tulips
Posted: May 6, 2026 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: flowers, tulips, watercolour 15 CommentsMy reward for suffering through some miserable dental work was flowers. Through the freezing and the drilling and the general discomfort of the whole thing, all I could think about was flowers. The ones I was going to buy for myself at the florist shop downstairs from the dentist’s office. I was really hoping for daffodils but I guess the season is over, at least at that shop. I must have missed it when I was in Vietnam, so I bought some yellow tulips instead.
The florist had just received the flowers from her supplier when I arrived in the shop, mouth half-frozen. I mumbled my request to her and made my way home to paint them. In a day or two the flowers will open and the leaves will unfold, but in that moment there was something beautiful about the compact form of the ten tulips wrapped tightly wrapped together, waiting for me to draw them.
Wilted in the window
Posted: May 20, 2024 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: flowers, tulips, watercolour pencils 13 CommentsI love the movement of wilted tulips, and these pink ones on my window sill were particularly nice today. I don’t think they appreciate the warm weather we’re having, and they won’t last long. To capture them, I grabbed a sheet of hot press paper and all the water-soluble pencils I could find in my studio. I used Neocolor II aquarelle sticks, Caran D’Ache Museum Aquarelle pencils, and both thick and thin Faber Castell Albrecht Durer watercolour pencils. It’s been a long time since I’ve played with coloured pencils, but it was fun to experiment with some different tools.
I used the pencils in several ways: I drew on dry paper and then wet the pencil lines, I wet the paper and drew into it, and I also dipped the pencils in water and drew with them. I find it hard to blend watercolour pencils, so instead I did a bit of layering when I didn’t have the right colour. I hope to do more playing with materials this summer, and will be sharing it here.
