Hello, my blog and my dear readers, I have missed you so, and I hope you have missed me too! I have been putting off writing here on my blog for an awfully long time (it’s actually embarrassing): things have been pretty hectic for me just lately leaving me with no energy for blogging, but I feel this need to get back into writing as it is such a fun thing to do, and is very therapeutic! Blogging resumed – hopefully I am here to stay!

Whilst there has not been an awful lot going on with me, my work life is sure keeping me busy, but it is good to have a quiet, uncomplicated home life to balance it all out. I am enjoying it while it lasts.

Over the last few weeks I’ve found myself reaching out to my good old Winsor & Newton watercolour paints set and got back into doing some more watercolour painting. I was never an expert in it – oh, how I wish I was an expert in at least one thing! – but there is something about the process of painting that I find almost addictive: during the process you get lost in a wonder of way the colours turn the white paper into something meaningful. I used to love it so much in my previous life, those distant years of youth, poems and singing and crazy creativity stemming from my romantic nature. I can’t believe it was well over a decade and a half ago…

I seem to be into floral patterns these days, maybe because it is summer now with gorgeous blooms all around (well, it does not feel like it is summer, actually, with only 12C during the day, but hey-ho, it’s Britain).

A cornflower

I love cornflowers, they remind me of beautiful golden fields under the vast blue sky of Ukraine, my childhood. I remember cornflowers blooming amongst the full ripe ears of wheat, moving gently in the summer breeze, and birds were singing happily somewhere in the woods nearby…

I love clematis, it is a truly beautiful plant with so many varieties. This is my poor attempt to paint it.

This is supposed to be a clematis flower

As you can see, I am a bit messy not good with the detail at all – I just enjoy the process of painting, trying not to be obsessed with the detail. I just don’t want to overdo it!

A close up picture of clematis painting

I saw a similar picture of red poppies painting somewhere on the wide web and was inspired to paint something like it. Poppies are also so beautiful and bright, I love how they bring Britain’s roadsides to life at this time of year.

Red poppies

Having painted a few flower motifs (though I have given a couple of my old creations away) I have ended up having a small selection of cards which I might put into small frames and display somewhere in the house. I absolutely adore the little Fabriano Watercolour Postcard set  I have found at Atlantis art store I have stumbled upon a while ago while exploring the area in the vicinity of my office. Fancy finding the long lost mythical Atlantis, hey? 😉

A floral collage: cornflower, Japanese sakura and mimosa

I will be sure to pain a few more of these, now that I have re-kindled my old love of painting. I want to learn how to paint more detailed objects with better accuracy, and there seem to be plenty of advice and tutorials on the Internet. Did you find any good resources that helped you learn to be a better painter? I would appreciate any advice or pointers!

I hope you have enjoyed this post and, perhaps, got inspired to have a go at watercolour painting yourself! It really is a fun, relaxing, and therapeutic way to spend the time, and you don’t have to be an artist – as you can see from my watercolour doodles!