Simply spring, flowers sing.

If you love spring flowers these painting tutorials might get you started with trying some of your own.

Magnolia pen & ink, and watercolor by Annie Mason

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1. Simple Flowers

Materials: (links are my favorites)

Simple flowers. It doesn't have to be that hard. MY MOST POPULAR Idea Pin on Pinterest:

click here ⬇️

A Watercolor Lesson Even YOU Can Do

This IDEA PIN currently has 1,011 Saves, has 13,678 clicks, and has 525, 620 Impressions

What does that tell you? It tells me that people like easy, and "I can do this" art.

Simple Flowers samples

2. Zinnia

Work in simple shapes. Find a real zinnia, or a zinnia photo (check copyright) and have it handy to use while you are painting. This flower is basically a big circle, a stem, and big leaves. Remember, it doesn't need to be "perfect". Have fun.

Zinnia flower by Annie Mason Winsor & Newton travel kit

3. Poppies

More detailed than the zinnia, but in this case, I start with a light pencil drawing, then trace over the lines with a black ink pen. You need to let the ink fully dry before you start the watercolor paint. Add the bright reds and greens, and it's like adult coloring books

Poppies by Annie Mason. Pen, ink, and watercolor

4. Stencil flowers

You can always use stencil shapes for flowers. I used a template of petal shapes in this video.

Supplies: Pencil, Watercolor paints, brush, stencils.

Stencil flowers (0:24 sec)

Why...it's a butterfly. Stencil watercolor by Annie Mason Pen and ink, watercolor.

5. Go Abstract

A flower is a flower. The shapes change, colors change. Parts stay the same.

“Nature is a teacher whose wisdom we can learn, and without which any human life is vain and incomplete". ~ William Wordsworth

Once you recognize this...pick up your paintbrush, sing, and dance:

Abstract Flower (0:38 sec)

6. Translucent Flowers

This last sample lets you see how wonderful watercolor's translucent quality can be. It will take a little more practice and the most important factor is to let the watercolor DRY COMPLETELY before adding another layer. The end result is a visual delight.

Waiting between layers is the key. (0:36 sec)

Experiment...have fun.

transluscent flowers by Annie Mason

Advanced books:

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That blank canvas doesn't scare me.

Well, maybe. Just a tad.

I haven't done acrylic painting in a very long time. It'll come back to me, right?

Our new house has a lovely fireplace mantel that is longing for a canvas painting. Here I am four months into living in our new home. It's time to give that space a painting.

Here we go:

Supplies:

Gallery wrapped canvas by Artist Loft

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Liquitex Basic Acrylics Paint Set

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Blick Essentials White Nylon Brushes

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Artists Loft Round acrylic brushes

(detail)

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Palette with Lid by Artists' Loft

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Extras: work rags, paper towels, brush cleaner.

Now the hard part: what to paint. It's in my head. It's one of our favorite vacation spots: Sedona Arizona

I do work from photographs (as many artists do). The photo was taken by our daughter on a trip out west. Jeep tours are a great way to get up close and personal, gaining a lot of information if you get a good guide. Here's one: Pink Tours from among many others. Or check these from a list: The 6 Best Sedona Jeep Tours

Here is a short video with the start of my process. I wanted the definitive sky-meet-land area to be very sharp. I have used this technique many times when I want the edge of a painted area to be solid. You will need painter's tape and scissors.

Youtube video [2:40 min]

You can see the sky area (although it is subtle because I chose not to bring the dark blue completely to the edge of the mountainous horizon line.

Work in Progess

⬇️ Work in Progress

I added cacti to the left foreground; now to fill the empty space.

Acrylic Painting YouTube video [1:46 min.]

That empty space could be problematic. Put something too detailed and it would take away from the detailed cactus. I decided to go with keeping this area nice and simple with the desert sand; earth-toned colors.

Earth Colors set from Blick Art Supplies

This set is FABULOUS! Strong pigmented colors and perfect for this painting! IMHO

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Am I finished?

A never-ending challenge for the artist. It's "quite" done. Sometimes, it's a good idea to walk away from a task. I don't consider painting a task because I love it. But like other decisions, it's a good idea to take a bit of time and ponder for a moment. "Sleep on it" as my grandma used to say.

SEDONA. Vortex and meditation. Oum. Break time.

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One day later: 🕰

After careful thought, I decided not to make any major changes. My style is loose. The image lends itself to a quick, rough, pattern with the brush (and a bit of pen and ink); an homage to the grand desert landscape with its rocks, prickly pears, and dramatic sky. So what you see in these close-up pictures is a bit more detail and the use of darks and lights to emphasize the textures.

Now clean up the sides of the canvas. Since I will not be framing it for placement on the mantel, I painted completely around the sides. Acrylics dry quickly, but even if it is dry to the touch, it is a good idea to wait about a week before applying a varnish coat to the artwork. For a technical description of the drying process, check: Golden Paints Drying

Liquitex BASICS Varnish

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Blank wall waiting for a not-so-blank canvas.

Another few days to dry completely 🕰

Ta Da!

COCOBOO Faux Succulent Set

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MOVA Globe 4.5" White and Gold

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Thank you for joining me on this journey. Looks like that blank canvas wasn't so scary after all. Sometimes you just have to DO IT!

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April Showers bring Mayflower(s)

In 1557, a man by the name of Thomas Tusser compiled a collection of writings he called "A Hundred Good Points of Husbandry." In the April husbandry section, he wrote:

Sweet April showers

Do spring May flowers

(credit: Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Milton Johnson army.mil/article )

This memorable poem has underlying meanings that parents are apt to use when things go awry or things going off track with their kids, "April showers bring May flowers" is a reminder that even the most unpleasant of things, in this case, the heavy rains of April, can bring about very enjoyable things indeed -- even an abundance of flowers in May. "April showers bring May flowers" is also a lesson in patience and one that remains valid to this day.

The early weeks of April still offer chilly days, but mostly warmer so that there is more likely rain, rather than snow. And yes, up come the flowers. Where am I going with this?

Why flowers, of course. You know how I love painting flowers. (See the blog post Coneflowers Galore.

Let's start with these delightful seed packs: Mayflowers, Marigolds, and Mountain Meadows kit.

Are you ready for a watercolor tutorial? Let's paint a few quick marigolds: [2 min. 41 sec]

Marigold watercolor

I love seed pack art, especially vintage packs. It gives me pleasure to do reproductions (that are long past copyrighted). My only problem is that I do not have calligraphy skills (practice as I may), so I have to put in the lettering using editing software like Photoshop.

Here are some samples from Society6 collection "Vintage Seed Packets"

Flowers are such tokens of affection this time of year. Valentine's Day was the most recent occasion but coming up is Mather's Day, where roses are a possible choice for a gift.

Rosa centifolia foliacea

April to May the flowers begin to shine their colors for us to behold: crocus, daffodils, tulips, and iris begin to soak up the rainy days, then sunshine which then give us joy:

I dabble in a bit of genealogy and my ancestors came from Poland in the early 1900s. My grandmother was 22 years old when she came into Ellis Island with two stepchildren in tow. I can't imagine how frightening that was. A strange, but promising new world. I have to wonder what prompted her to leave the country of her birth.

Going back farther: what was it that about 100 people were seeking when they boarded a ship named the Mayflower heading for a place unknown where they could find religious freedom from The Church of England. Destined to settle in Plymouth, the pilgrims had to deal with cramped quarters and rough seas making the trip dreadful.

Intending to land in Virginia, the ship was thrown off course by storms. As a result, the ship landed in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

For more on the Voyage of the Mayflower

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That is your history lesson for today. Back to flowers. Can you tell I love flowers? And birds. Check my home page -----> flowers, birds, insects !!!

Welcome, spring!

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