I love the way tulips drink all their water then flop. More water makes them lift their heads again and they have these wonderfully curved stems.
I thought it was time I put this image down in watercolours. But I feel massively insecure because I am confronting the urge to loosen up. And i’ts scary.
Any way I began with a careful drawing. I was kind of loose in my painting but had a watertight drawing. I had a few ideas about playing with the perspective – depicting the vase and cloth from the top, the stems and flowers from the side and the shadow realistically (actually I made it up and the sun breezed off). I think it works, but I also think it may be a lovely design to do in printmaking and possibly more appropriate. Oh I don’t know. My adventures in trying anything and everything is quite daunting at times.
But, most importantly, I feel excited about painting flowers and looking at the patterns of fabric and shadows.
I like taking photos in case the subject dies! After completing this one I wanted to do another tulip painting – possibly with all the droopy tulips in the middle of the format this time and going looser still. (These loose women!!) So I went shopping and ended up with white tulips and pomegranates. I’ll probably complete it this weekend, so we’ll have to wait and see. If there’s no blog on Monday, this means it was a flop!
Loose woman Lin. When you say careful drawing can you be a little more detailed, please.
Bev, I’ll scan the drawing to show you. In the next one that I’m working on now the drawing was rough positioning of flower heads using dirty painting water. Maybe that should be Monday’s blog since I might not finish the white tulips this weekend. Lin x
Lin the tulips are lovely, the background works well, I like this in watercolour, looking forward to seeing some more flower paintings.
Only botanical flops allowed! Can’t imagine you having an artistic flop! Enjoy.
Absolutely beautiful, Lin. You are just so inspiring. Thanks for sharing.