The Hop Shop

5"x7" watercolor NFS

 

 

 

I painted this and then decided to go back in with ink which I have been playing with lately.  The top photo is a little more exposed then the bottom one, so the colors are more true.  I love the look of the dancing lines of ink over the watercolor, but I think maybe I did more than I needed.  It is always an exploration...a journey, an experiment.  It can be quite thrilling sometimes!
This is "The Hop Shop" in Kent, England.  It is at the Castle Farm where they grow lavender and hops.  My daughter took me there 9 years ago to buy the decorations for her wedding reception; it was a  treat  as I have a passion for lavender.

Monarch #11

11"x14" watermedia NFS

Monarch #10

4"x8" watercolor NFS

This is my favorite of this series, so far. I am 1/3 of the way through my goal of 30 watercolor paintings of monarchs in Sept. I have learned from experience that this is a very arbitrary goal, and it can actually be counter productive. The idea is to be a little better each day and to do that requires working hard to do your best. Therefore, setting a number of paintings as a goal only serves to get an artist to the studio to work. That is worthwhile, of course, but it isn't worth sacrificing quality for quantity. But I really like this one!