watercolor flower painting Archives

My watercolor flower collection grew noticeably

Previous year, while it was not good in many health- and business-related aspects, was a very good year for creating art. I added to my watercolor flower collection quite many paintings. I cannot share all in just one post. I also painted quite a few watercolor roses and still life art. Some of these painting have been published in previous posts, and some I will publish when time is right. I have a habit of painting flowers and spring landscapes from January to approximately end of May. Then, I move to still life, and I get to fall paintings in July and August. Painting flowers and spring in winter is a good habit because it shortens cold and chilly winter days during the dark months.

Watercolor flower collection, flower paintings

Addition to my watercolor flower collection: white trillium blossoms on dark background

Missing giving art classes

I was missing the live art classes and interaction with my students. While everything is available online, I think live art classes are the most beneficial. Just ask school kids and teachers, -everybody will tell you that serious and decent learning happens only in person. Art is an easy subject to put online, but there are very many things which you need to touch, to see close-up, to check with your own eyes. I don’t want to make large investments in equipment at the moment, but that’s what I would need to teach online. Space is one more issue. It might be so that I like the live classes too much.

These are spring flower watercolor paintings, fantastic addition to my watercolor flower collection! Magnolia, trillium, wild anemone and daffodils

Daffodils are a fantastic subject for spring flower painting. This is the close-up version.

Not abstract, not photo-realism

Very many artists paint abstracts nowadays, really many. Therefore, I’m glad I’m doing something different. Sometimes I’ve told, I should make my art more realistic, but I don’t intend to. I’m mostly painting what I can see. What I can see is not what camera captures and one can enlarge until every ant on a grass stem is visible. It’s just my opinion, but I don’t want to go into tiny photographic detail and use computer. My art is done by simply using sketch or real flower, or real still life as reference most often. As you know, I can draw anything and do it fast. I would sometimes add a little bit of extras from imagination, like water drops on pansy. So, it’s my own realism with touch of imagination.

Watercolor paintings, fmagnolia painting, pansy painting

Magnolia, pansy Purple variety apples. and trillium and the fantastic purple pansy.

Watercolor painting, purple pansy watercolor

Personalized use of color

White is a good background for flowers, and dark background colors make white flowers pop. I personally do not like black with watercolor, that suits oils or acrylic more, I believe, and makes watercolor too heavy, but that’s just my personal preference. When I was very young and at school, my art teacher told I should never use black watercolor paint. I have followed her advice. I never use black watercolor paint. I took one more advice to never premix watercolor paint, but add color as I go and use it as I see fit. I actually do the same with acrylic: I use paint without previously mixing it, unless it’s for extra-large area or under-painting.

Watercolor painting, pansy, trillium and petunia painting

Decided to leave my website as is

I spent about 3 or even more previous weeks trying to figure out how I could change my website. I tried different things, considered new themes and tested them, asked advice from very well-established artists, who have excellent online presence and whom I know personally. They all told their websites were done by web designers or specifically created for their needs. Most of them have also social media and online representation specialists, video editors and filming teams, etc. Therefore, I decided to leave my website as is. I’m the only one for every single task and I’m doing anything that comes my way. However, I cannot spend all time just editing social media posts and website. I want to paint, draw and create also. Therefore, I prioritized creativity over online perfection. That’s just what works for me right now. I hope you like my flower collection and it inspires you to create flower paintings, too.

Stay safe, healthy and thanks for reading!

Original watercolor paintings for sale

Watercolor paints: easy to take with you, easy to use

I love watercolor paints because they are compact, light and easy to apply whether painting outdoors or indoors, while traveling or working at a comfortable desk. When traveling, I do not use paint in tubes, but rather in tiny containers or pans. Therefore, I can make use of my watercolor paint set which I am taking with me everywhere, just in case some attractive subject happens to be around. The same goes for a few small (approximately 11 x 14 in) sheets of firm, quite heavy Arches or Saunders-Waterford watercolor paper. It is archival quality cotton paper.

Spring in nature and in art

Spring is a moody season in Latvia where I spent this month. Snow mixes with rain drops, but hopefully, the white cover will melt soon. The forecast says: by the weekend. I had not planned to travel this early, but that was what I had to do. From what I saw on the current news, spring does not want to arrive in Southern Canada either: temperatures might be not that low, but we will have to wait for some time until grass turns green and buds on trees are ready to pop.

Paint spring before it arrives

This is the time when we can have what we are longing for by simply painting it. Imagined spring or spring around you: there is always something great to draw or paint. One more great feature of watercolor is its ability to cover paper fast. I use lots of water to create soft color transitions. Small landscape can be done in half an hour. Still life or floral painting will take longer, but not the entire day.

Early spring flowers: your best subjects

Around March, I would be happy if there were already the first snowdrops, crocuses and similar early bloomers showing above the tiny grass stems and sprouts. I’ve seen that happening, but not too often.

My art is based on drawings. I am too good with drawing and always have been, therefore, I don’t think I will ever switch to completely abstract painting. Watercolor requires some planning, therefore, value sketch in the actual size is the absolutely best reference.

Drawing for watercolor painting

If you are new to watercolor, you should know that drawing can and most often should be done on some other paper. I use for that purpose the transparent transfer paper which is attached to a thick white sheet of firm paper. To transfer drawing onto watercolor paper, I use simply daylight. That way, I have hardly visible, accurate pencil lines, but initial drawing serves me as a value drawing. That helps deciding where to apply whatever color.

Spring tulips in many colors, watercolor painting which I completed while in Latvia

Painting in layers

I paint in layers starting of with mapping my painting and leaving marks wherever I decide it is helpful. I know people who paint one segment start to finish and then move to the next one. I prefer going all over the painting with first, second, third and more layers if necessary. That is the way I like it.

Why to use watercolor for spring impressions

Ready to create painting of spring flowers?

Are you in mood for some creativity and relaxing moment with paints? Do it in watercolor and don’t be afraid of water! If it won’t work out perfect, no problem. Start over and don’t put any limitations and pressure on yourself. Spring flowers and landscapes will make you feel happy. The well flowing watercolor paints can capture softness of flowers beautifully.

For art classes, please sign up here: Registration for art classes

To decorate for spring, you might check out my art prints which come at a reasonable price from Fine Art America.

Art collections by Inese Poga