Art and Friendship

“In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.”

Khalil Gibran

They say that art is a solitary pursuit, and it’s true that we artists spend many hours alone in our studio quietly painting. However the more that I paint, the more I realise that there is a wonderful social side to art. It’s about connecting. We paint because we want to show the world what we see. 

Scarlet Tiger Moth by Claire Ward

Sharing the results of our creative endeavours with others, makes art all the more pleasurable.

Just as a flower needs sunshine and water, we need a little bit of encouragement and friendship to grow.

 Eyed Hawkmoth (Smerinthus ocellatus) on vellum by Dianne Sutherland Ball

Thankfully connecting with others is easier than ever. The internet has literally thrown open the doors of our studios, allowing us to engage with likeminded people on a daily basis. I am constantly amazed at how generous people can be with their time, thoughts and advice. Their enthusiasm for art and passion for nature is both inspiring and motivating. I am constantly learning from them and discovering new things. 

Thistle on vellum by Sharon Tingey

Best of all, I have made some really fantastic friends through art. It brings me such joy to see their paintings and to hear about the projects that they are working on. When a friend achieves success, I share in their excitement. When I put up images of my work online, they in turn give me encouraging and often insightful feedback. Even when things aren't going to plan, there is always someone will always be ready to offer advice or suggest a solution.

A wonderfully thoughtful parcel of gifts that arrived unexpectedly last week. 

Being part of a vibrant online art community is an incredibly rewarding experience. I'm delighted to say that it's not just online too. I have been getting all sorts of treats and surprises in the post- paints and brushes, natural treasures, papers, books and even some beautiful art. Art swaps are also a great way of making friends and sharing that creative spirit.

"It's a wonderful thing being able to paint together all the time and grow as artists together." 

Scott Burdick

Three sketchbooks from the Natural Sketchbook Exchange. One of the artists has made some beautiful covers for each book

Art can also lead to some wonderful collaborations. I'm thrilled to be part of the Natural Sketchbook Exchange which a group of talented friends started a year ago. The concept is simple- we all started with a Stillman & Birn sketchbook, took our inspiration from Nature and then posted it on. 

Terri Dauncey's beautiful sketchbook and my page of feathers about to be stuck in!

Isn't this amazing? A beautiful page of flowers and a little landscape by Giovanni Cera in Terri's sketchbook

Beautiful birch trees by artist Lorraine Adams with my page of prickles

Debbie Crawford's lovely raspberry ripple peonies in Lorraine Adam's sketchbook

Inspiring work by Aislinn Adams in Dianne Sutherland Ball's sketchbook

My conkers about to go into Dianne Sutherland Ball's sketchbook

Watching the sketchbooks slowly fill up with artwork has been such a thrill, each one is so unique and special. Recently we took a short break just to give ourselves a chance to catch up with our lives, and that's why I have ended up with three of gorgeous sketchbooks here in my home.

Oh, they are such a joy to look through! I’m reluctant to part with them, but have the excitement of getting the next one in the post very soon.

A calendar and a card from Elizabeth H Tudor

And even as I write this blogpost, I hear a knock at the door, and another parcel has just arrived! This time it is from Canada with a lovely calendar and a card. Thank you Liz! What a fantastic surprise!

Art is not just a solitary pursuit, it’s definitely a social one too. It has made me realise that I am truly blessed with my friends. To each and every one of you, thank you for the kind words, the encouragement, the advice, the good wishes, the art, the gifts and for the smile that you put onto my face each day.

"I cannot even imagine where I would be today were it not for that handful of friends who have given me a heart full of joy. Let's face it, friends make life a lot more fun."

Charles Swindoll

The Sensitivity of Things - Mono no Aware 物の哀れ

Painting can be a journey of the mind. 

I have been contemplating the transience of life as I painted the little dead snipe this week. 

I came across a beautiful Japanese phrase Mono no Aware  物の哀れ (moh-no no ah-wah-ray), which roughly translates  as “the sensitivity of things”.

It refers to an awareness of the fragility of existence, an appreciation for it’s beauty and the gentle sadness of it’s passing.

Looking closely at a life that has passed

The term was coined in the 18th century by the Japanese literary scholar Motoori Norinaga to describe the essence of Japanese culture, but it remains popular as a concept in Japanese culture even today. An example of Mono no Aware would be the Japanese love of the cherry blossom. Every year crowds of people go out to sit beneath and admire the cascades of snowy blossoms, poignantly aware that these blooms will only last a week. Similarly a snowy landscape, the waning moon, the plaintive call of geese, even the ripples on the water of a lake can also evoke feeling of Mono no Aware.

Mono no aware is about the transience and bittersweet nature of life.

My snipe painting is also an example of Mono no Aware. I considered painting the snipe as if he were still alive, but decided that even death has it’s own quiet beauty, and so I chose honesty instead.

 Far from being morbid subject, it felt like such a rare honour to be able to study the beautiful patterns, colours and structure so intimately. The only thing that I recreated was the eye, which had not survived the nightly freeze.

There is transience even in death, and throughout the week I noticed the subtle changes, the slow decay. I’m glad that I made the colour notes for his legs the week before because they were the first to change. By the end of the week, the snipe was no longer looking his best.

Gallinago gallinago,  watercolour on paper  © Shevaun Doherty 2015

A dead bird is not the most obviously beautiful of subjects to paint, but I wanted to capture the evocative wistfulness of the moment. The Japanese believe that beauty is not inherent in an object, but only comes to into being when it is seen and appreciated. 

I hope I evoked that beauty.

Scarlet Tiger Moth  by Claire Ward

Another beautiful object arrived at my home this week. My friend Claire Ward sent me a stunning painting of a Scarlet tiger moth on handmade paper. Her work is exquisite- have a look at her website. It seems that like me, my friends are also stirred by the beauty and precious fragility of life.

"One's feelings are stirred up because he understands, deep in his heart, the moving power of the moon and the blossoms. The heart that is ignorant of this moving power will never be stirred, no matter how wonderful the blossoms are and how clear the moon is in front of him." Motoori Norinaga (1730-1801)

Stargazer Lily in Gouache

 I have a confession to make. Although I love flowers, I don’t really like painting flowers. I know that sounds odd coming from a botanical artist, but I find them really quite difficult. Perhaps it’s because I don’t paint quickly, or because I prefer dry brush to wet washes, but flowers have a transient beauty that can fade before the paint is even on the page. I know I’m not the only artist to howl with frustration when that perfect bloom wilts before your eyes and drops it’s petals. It’s far easier to paint fruit and vegetables, which last much longer and have their own distinct beauty and textures. Flowers can be scary!

However, this Natural Law exhibition is fast approaching, and Liz’s words are ringing in my ears

 “Paint the things that people like to give to each other, like flowers”

So I threw caution to the wind, bought some lovely stargazer lilies for myself and decided to paint a flower in gouache on dark green mountboard. Yes, I was feeling brave!

I selected a nice bloom, one that had just opened. I positioned it using a floral oasis and placed a dark green board behind the flower. If I was painting on white, I’d use a white board. It just helps isolate the bloom from the background.

I drew out my design on tracing paper. I find it useful to draw rough shapes like the circle as a guideline.

I traced the design on the reverse using a white Polychromos pencil, and then transferred that onto the green mountcard by going over the design with a pencil. So far, so good… the flower is still fresh and I’m still feeling quite confident.

Using white gouache, I began to paint over the white pencil lines, and slowly building up the form of the flower. This is the bit where you start to question your sanity as it can take a long time to get the right tones. The gouache tends to dry darker, so you have to keep building up the layers... and then more layers!  Inevitably, I ended up taking quite a bit of paint back off again too, but fortunately the mountcard is quite forgiving.

I know from previous experience with lilies, that it’s easier to paint the stamens and stigma first, and then to paint the petals around them, rather than to try to paint the petals first.

Once I had painted the stamens and stigma, and built up the form of the petals, it was time to introduce some colour. I switched here from gouache to watercolour. At first I mixed some of the watercolour with the gouache to make an opaque paint, but once the gouache is dry, it’s possible to continue building up the colour in transparent layers. 

As well as my red colour chart, I did a quick chart of the various pinks laid over white gouache on green card. The colours that I used for the petals were Permanent Rose, Quinacridone magenta, Purple magenta (Schmincke), Alizarin, Winsor orange, Rose madder. The shadow colours were Cerulean, Cobalt violet and Indanthrene.

As my friend Claire Ward says, “With gouache, it’s a case of forward and back, forward and back.” 

I love Claire's beautiful flower studies in gouache. She has quite a few gouache tutorials on her blog, Drawn to paint Nature which are worth looking at.

Once I was happy with the petals, it was time to put on those little spots, and also those tiny protuberances on the petals which act as important signposts for pollinating insects. Everything on a flower is so beautifully designed... even those spots follow subtle lines which lead to the center.

Finally I added the leaves and the stem, which were surprisingly quite easy to do, although perhaps painting green on green helps. I used Cerulean, Indanthrene, Lemon yellow and Perylene green.

Lilium Oriental Stargazer

Amazingly my little bloom lasted all week, and filled my studio with it’s divine smell. I still wouldn’t rush to into painting flowers, but it’s hard to resist their seductive charms.

 "When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it's your world for the moment. I want to give that world to someone else. Most people in the city rush around so, they have no time to look at a flower. I want them to see it whether they want to or not."

Georgia O’Keefe