Today painting session - inspiration from tulips

My first watercolor paintings

Everybody says that watercolor is one of the most if not the most difficult of painting methods. The same was confirmed by a lecturer in the watercolor course that I attended with 7 other people yesterday in a nice studio in Vinohrady.

It is true that it is very hard to get a result from watercolor that you intended. But it is probably the unexpected that this technique brings which is so attractive for me. I am completely new to it and originally wanted to learn how to use watercolors so that I can paint outdoors - on our walks and travels. My aim is to be able to make quick sketches whenever I would have some time - with kids or between other responsibilities. I prefer using color and brush to using pencil, painting to drawing so I needed a way to sketch with colors and brushes. The watercolors just seem to be the perfect solution.

Please see below my first pictures in the order as I did them during the course. The first one at the top was to try to do anything with the paints in order to try out how the colors work. I call it a 'Forest'. The second picture was to try a quick copy of a landscape based on some other famous artist painting. Mine is based on a Czech landscape painter Antonin Hudecek.
And the last picture was to do a quick sketch of a still-life. I did apples in the bowl.

I am really excited about trying out more watercolors and hope to experiment a lot in near future.

What's on my easel - Sunday painting session

I started a new painting today which will be part of a series - fisherman/boats at sea. This painting is oil on canvas 40x40cm. All paintings for this series will be the same size and medium. For inspiration I am using my old photos of our travels in South East Asia - Thailand and Malaysia.

The first step - main features outline

Detail from later today- the painting is in progress

Finished oil painting

I finished the oil-painting of fisherman at the sea last weekend. The final painting is now hanging in our kitchen and waiting to dry completely and then to be given to my friend Zita for her friend. So I have to enjoy it as much as I can now before it leaves.

Detail 1

Already I got an idea to paint a whole series with the sea and boats inspired by this painting and by my photographs from South East Asia travels. I hope to capture the vibrant colors and atmosphere and cannot wait to start on this.

Detail 2

I took pictures of the finished painting and few details. My favorite detail pic is the one above here - a leaf that looks like a little head from profile.

Fisherman at the sea

On my easel today

Painting plans for the year 2013 :)

Finally I managed to get some time for myself and painting in the New year. There are several themes waiting for me and this is one of them - autumn in Prague, Zbraslav, on the Havlin Hill. In fact this view was selected with help of my older son whom I am painting this picture for.

The other planned paintings are:

•  a fisherman, which is in fact my first commission! :)
•  Botanic Garden in Karlov
•  View from Charles Bridge in the direction of Kampa

All paintings will be done in oil and on canvas. I am really excited that I began!

Legie Bridge with a view over Vysehrad

Kinskeho sady in Noir Blue