Sunday 5 October 2014

Counting Buttercups

The winter nights may be drawing in but here is a little piece of late summer to enjoy.

When I was a child we used to play a game where we picked a buttercup and put it under our playmates chin, if it shone golden yellow it was said that the person liked butter.....Hardly a scientific experiment. It was however, fun and I always associate buttercups with my childhood days.


I finished this canvas last month but for one reason and another hadn't had time to sort out the photos and share it with you.


I loved this photo I took of Buttercups nestled into the Horsetails and grass. The luminous greens and yellows really excited me!




The picture below gives a an idea of scale.


As usual I began by tearing up and gluing lots of pieces of paper onto a canvas. I sand each layer when dry to smooth the surface.





The buttercups are mulberry paper which I printed using my Gelliplate



I didn't want to add too much detail to the flowers. I wanted them to be colour statements rather than recognisable flowers.


I finally used one of my favourite products Cosmic shimmer mist to darken areas of the foreground and a purple colour mist to add contrast to the sky. The ink sits in the texture and makes lovely rippled lines.


Counting buttercups ( mixed media on canvas)

linking to PAINT PARTY FRIDAY

22 comments:

  1. I always think of that game when I see buttercups. A lovely colourful piece and I love the title.

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  2. beautiful colours - the buttercups contrast so well against the blue water with great texture!

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  3. We used to play that game too! Love the colours in this piece. One question I have always been meaning to ask you - The strips of paper and bits are they from printed material or are they bit of paper you have painted yourself? I am also a great fan of the mists and splatterf method! Thanks for your kind comments on my box, you have given me an idea to use them for some of my ladies!

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  4. Beautiful! You have so much texture and the colors are wonderful.

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  5. I really took my time to enjoy this beautiful post where Summer lingers with this wild and creative piece. I can feel the Summer breezes in this, the different shades of blues and greens are so refreshing and those sunny buttercups dancing in the breeze look so natural.
    I too can remember well that buttercup game when I was little, such sweet little flowers to play with and shine under the chin.

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  6. It's gorgeous! It's interesting to see the actual scale of the painting, i thought it was much smaller than this! :)
    I ordered a Posca pen after you mentioned it in a previous post, it's fantastic isn't it? Much better than the white Sharpie I was using. I'm going to have to get some more, I'll put them on my christmas and birthday list! I love the effect of the Cosmic Shimmer Mist, I'm going to look that up now too! Thankyou for sharing your lovely techniques Morag. Jess xx

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  7. So beautiful Morag - I want to be somewhere inside your painting!

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  8. Oh this is such a pleasure to see how beautiful you transform a photograph into such a georgous picture!

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  9. Wow I love the yellow and blue together here! I am so surprised you sand each layer since you get such great texture every time! We also played the buttercup game here in Canada! Funny how world wide that is! Thanks for sharing your process!

    Hugs Giggles

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  10. I remember that game as well Morag..........love the beautiful Mixed media painting, thank you for sharing your art. Happy PPF, Annette x

    http://nettysartadventures.blogspot.co.uk/

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  11. I am in awe of your creativity. I love the way you use colour & texture. Simply beautiful.

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  12. Fantastic painting, Morag. I love how the cosmic shimmer mist added such depth.

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  13. Ha! I remember that buttercup game and saying as a youngster too:) Your painting is breathtaking-wow!

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  14. i felt transported, reading and viewing. Lovely experience, Morag.

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  15. Oh you brought some wonderful memories back to me Morag,
    I used to play that game too and also made daisy chains.
    Your painting is beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing how your created it.
    It's so inspiring ;D
    Happy PPF to you

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  16. what a beautiful painting I love it and I still play that game with my sons with the buttercups

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  17. beautiful buttercups and I still play that game with my sons too

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  18. This is tremendous; at first sight I thought it was a painting and wondered how you got the textured effect, then read your fascinating process description.
    I really love this, both the painting itself with the depth, starting from the buttercups and your very clever grasses to the hills beyond, and the complex process which finishes with one of these marvellous sprays.

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  19. What a beautiful painting! Thank you for sharing your process, I loved seeing how it was built up!

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  20. This is beautiful Morag. I love the yellow at the foreground and how it's a suggestion rather detailed and that beautiful ocean.

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  21. You've used so many wonderful techniques to bring this amazing piece to life. Beautiful.

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  22. The texture of the plants and flowers is very rich and realistic. I love the story, very entertaining. Beautiful work.

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