I am trying to be much more free with my paintings, in a way that challenges me away from my usual portrait style of painting. I want to use unusual colours, that are not conventional to the photo used, when trying achieve tones, I want to show how the paints react with each other, and let the do their own thing.

So this picture did not quite achieve what was in my head, but it is a step in the direction that I am trying to obtain. I used bright colours, but did find I dipped into the natural colours( I could not control my hand, it went straight for that brown). I painted direct to paper, and faster than usual, after 30 minutes he was finished, and with this one I had to resist adding more detail a day later……apart from his whiskers ( he did need them). I think I am quite happy with him, and have now bought a tutorial DVD by a painter called Jake Winkle, his style is one of freedom and movement, and lots of colours, something to aspire to. I can’t wait for it to arrive to get practicing and learn a new style/ technique ( I am already half way there as he paints dark to light, which I have always done….sometimes causing me problems with loosing my whites, so I think I will learn lots from this DVD. So please meet Motley ……..

‘Motley moments’ watercolour hare, direct to paper, fast paint technique using unconventional colours.