I really love my brave little hellebores - they are out in this nasty weather blooming and
laughing at the snow. I sketched these blooms and bottles in my studio - trying to draw
loosely and largly from my shoulder, not my fingers and wrists. This is a half sheet of hot pressed watercolor paper without any priming or stretching.
I have wanted to do a painting with a dark background for a while and this seemed like a good subject.
I also took lots of reference photos because hellebores nod and fade too quickly.
Continuing with my efforts to stay loose (is that an oxymoron?) I washed in large areas of dark,
medium, and light values with watercolor using a 1" round brush.
I don't know if I am finished with this painting...I tried so hard to remain loose, but the
fascinating pistals and stamens of my dainty hellebores and the light in the glass and on
the cloth drew me inexorably back into painting details. Argh, as Popeye would
say "I am what I am" I guess. Leave your thoughts and comments please.
