Moving right along ...

  In my last entry here I showed all the photos chosen for the assignment Working from Photographs.  I've gathered all those pics and started to play with composition.  This involved cutting up copies of photos and placing them on the artwork size page to see what might look pleasing.

The winning layout ...

Once I was reasonably happy with the composition I went on to draw all the elements using my photographs as reference material.   After the drawings were completed I transferred them to tracing paper, cut each one out and placed them on the artwork paper to ensure it would fit the space well before transferring onto the watercolour paper.

First rose head washes ...

 On to the best part ... painting.

I get a little nervous up until this point as to what it will look like and spend hours on the composition and drawings.  Once it's on the paper the road map is done and I can enjoy bringing the colour in.

It was a challenge to paint the flower heads of the Pierre de Ronsard.

I think any rose is difficult  and this is a very complicated cabbage style rose with so many layers of petals from deepest carmine and pink in the centre out to soft white and limey green tinges in the outer petals.  Shadow colours on such a distinctive rose are very subtle ...

Bringing in the architectural elements ...

I then started on the French-style rustic stone elements - the bird bath from home that I mentioned in my last post ... and soft washes to depict a stone archway ...

The architectural elements are to be done in a neutral watercolour palette ... the Pierre de Ronsard rose is not a bold colour and as I am including many other elements to the painting I don't want my featured botanical subject to be overwhelmed.    Neutral colours and scrolly 

  ironwork to me epitomise the age old appeal of French vintage chic.

Still more to come.

  I will show the finished greeting card in my next post ... thanks for joining me ...

All images and artwork copyright © Vicki Lee Johnston 2012

Travail de l'amour ...

 

A labour of love.  It has been really difficult to post here since my Gracie passed away.   My last post was dedicated to her and it feels like I am moving on by getting back to business and working hard, but I guess that's life - and while I have been busy, not a moment goes by without her presence being missed.

 

So, with sadness in my heart I forge on ...  to this assignment which asks us to design a greeting card working from our photographs only.   My card will be a celebration of love, life and marriage with a romantic French-inspired theme.  This heart sign photograph was taken in Chamonix, Mont Blanc in the French Alps ...  I love visiting mountains and snow, so far removed from our landscape.  This brings back a wonderful memory of a day spent in the most beautiful mountain village sheltered between the towering alps. 

The photos of the bird bath are from our property  - I wanted a fountain but my husband wasn't keen, so instead we have these bird baths dotted around the place ... I love them and the abundance of bird life that frequent them.

 

I spoke about my favourite rose 'Pierre de Ronsard' here last year while it was in flower.  It is a stunning climbing rose we have trailing up an arbour alongside the house.  Thankfully I took quite a few photos at the time.  They suit perfectly to the theming of my card.  This rose was created in France in 1987 ... the year of our wedding,  quite serendipitous!

Provence was a dream for us to visit on our  anniversary earlier this year and I was very taken with all the beautiful stonework and rustic architectural appeal ... I can't begin to tell you how many photos I have of doors and windows ... works of art in themselves.

 

and scrolly ornate lamp posts always make me think of French style ..  I took this photo of a row of lamp posts alongside the sea in the Camargue in the deep south of France.  It was a windswept day full of surprises - flamingoes, wild horses,  great company and amazing food ... as usual.

 

And for me ... a dream come true to visit Paris with my beloved.   A big thing for a farm girl from a tiny country town in Western Australia ...  travelling so far from home was a leap of faith but so worth it to celebrate our wedding anniversary in a city synonymous with love and style.  I was not disappointed and hope to return.  Of course the Eiffel Tower took my breath away - especially at night ...

 

After looking at thousands of images and reminiscing about our wonderful holiday,  I have gathered all the photos which I thought would suit the design of my card... what a mess!  This is a mammoth assignment - I know I say that often - but there are so many elements to it which I have never attempted before.  Chaos abounds for sure ... tried so many different compositions and thankfully settled on one ... on to the drawing and painting and many hours of labour ... will post the progress soon.

À bientôt ...