Watercolor and Ink Landscape Painting from Lake District in Cumbria, UK

Cumbria, England is a remarkably scenic area abounding with blue mountains, lush green meadows enclosed by stone walls and sheep grazing on the hillsides.

I painted this Cumbria landscape several years ago as a 5x7 watercolor. This time, I will paint it at 8x10 using ink with watercolor. It's wonderfully fun! Keep reading to see how.

First Walk on the Beach - Custom Watercolor Painting

Detail of 'First Walk on the Beach'

Sizzling summer days are the perfect time to visit the seashore, and what could be more fun than taking a small child to chase the waves?

In this commissioned watercolor, Grandpa holds tightly to his little granddaughter's hand on her very first visit to the ocean. I had fun painting it. It reminds me of many happy beach days when my own children were small.

To see the finished painting, scroll to the bottom of this post. Meanwhile, I'll show you how I painted it.

Family Memories - Custom Watercolor Painting of Children at a Backyard Wedding

 Study - Click to see this larger

Summer's imminent arrival brings with it plans for outdoor family gatherings. This custom painting is of children playing a game at a backyard wedding reception. It reminds me of my childhood playing with cousins at family reunions.

The client wants an 8x10 watercolor of the photo she sent. As is usual with watercolor (because it's really tough to correct mistakes) I first paint a smaller study of the scene which you can see above. It beats having to paint the larger version twice!

Pink Orchids Watercolor and Ink Painting Demo

These orchids are amazing. They bloomed for four months (well, I suppose orchids do that), but once the blossoms faded and wilted off, another set of blooms appeared.

I had been wanting to paint them for a while. When one of my students shared a technique she'd learned at a recent workshop, I decided to try it with the orchids. Which is a good idea since the students want me to demo that technique at the next class.

So, here we go! Read more to see this watercolor and ink technique (it's quite fun) and how the orchid painting came out.

Rooster Painting Watercolor on Yupo Paper

It's the first day of Spring for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. Spring is the season when I think of Mother Hens with new broods of little baby chicks and a rooster watching over them vigilantly. I love the sight of a colorful roo strutting about a barnyard. I don't have a rooster for my hens (yet), but a neighboring farm always has some.

Since it's a lovely time of year to paint a colorful roo, I decided to do just that and try the painting in watercolor on my new favorite - Yupo paper. Yupo is a synthetic paper that is smooth as glass. The watercolors never sink in as they do on cotton paper, but slide all around on its surface forming puddles here and there until dry. Which means lots of fun waiting to see how things will look.

Keep reading to see how the painting was created...

Watercolor Landscape Demonstration of a Farm Pond, FieldsThe and Apple Tree

Sometimes when a commission request comes in, one never knows where it will lead. I was excited to paint a watercolor landscape of a farm pond and field. The client ordered it as a Christmas gift for her husband since her family's farm is his favorite get-away.

When she showed the painting to her female family members, they wanted to give their men an original of the scene for Christmas too. So I got to paint it three times! And no two came out exactly alike.

I took pictures of the progress, but some pics are from one painting and some from another. So if you follow how I painted the scene, you may notice variations. But it's basically the same. You can click on any image to see it larger. Here's what I did:

Cottage by the Sea and Flower Garden Custom Watercolor Painting Demonstration

It's Valentine's Day! And SO cold here in New England - minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit with wind chill. A good day to stay indoors and snuggle with your sweetheart (or a blanket and a good book). It's also a fine day to remember blooming flowers and tropical climes.

So here is a custom watercolor of a very lovely tropical-looking place. The client wanted two of her photos combined to show the scene. She named the painting "Taronga" which is an Aboriginal word meaning 'beautiful view'. I didn't ask, but perhaps the scene is in southern Australia or Tasmania.

One of her photos shows a flower-covered arbor. Through the arbor are steps leading up to a yellow house with a green door.

The other photo shows the arbor's gates closed so you can't see the house, but you can see a view of the ocean.  She wants both a view of the house through the arbor and the ocean in the painting.  To combine them, all I have to do is open the gate!

To see how I do that, read on.

Bermuda Longtails, Beach and Seascape Painting Commissioned Watercolor

A few months ago, a lovely lady contacted me about my Bermuda Collection. She and her husband wished to give his mother a special painting for Christmas to remember a vacation the three took in Bermuda.

Bermuda Longtails 5x7 watercolor

Her mother-in-law loved watching the Bermuda Longtails as they flew between the coral cliffs and turquoise water. The painting on the left was the perfect choice, but it was sold. So I agreed to paint a new one for her at a larger size. I was happy to visit Bermuda again at the easel!

I'll share the process of painting the 12x16 version with you, so if you'd like to see, keep on reading.

Birch Trees in Autumn Original Watercolor Painting Demonstration on Yupo Paper

It's mid August and the crickets are chirping loudly outside my window. Though daytime temps are warm, the nights are cool and I've noticed some maple trees with a few orange leaves. Fall is on the way.

With that in mind, I decide to try a painting of autumnal birch trees in watercolor on Yupo paper. Yupo allows for vivid color since the paint does not soak in. Autumn color is vivid, right? So it seems a good match.

Let's see how this 14x11 inch painting turns out:

Great Blue Heron Autumn Landscape Lake Painting Watercolor Demo on Yupo Paper

Blue herons are a favorite of mine. I had taken a photo one autumn of a heron by the water's edge and have been meaning to paint it. No surprise I want to try this scene using watercolor on Yupo paper (my newest fav) to see what will happen.

To follow the exciting progress and see the final version, read on...

Purple Echinacea Cone Flowers Watercolor Painting Demonstration on 11x14 Yupo Paper

How many times I have looked at the swirls of color mixed in my watercolor palette and sighed, "I wish I could paint on my palette!"

Unlike paper, the palette's ceramic surface does not absorb paint, so the colors run freely and remain brilliant.

Well! No more wishing. I finally tried Yupo...

Yupo is an ultra smooth synthetic paper that does not absorb paint or water. It is environmentally friendly and acid-free (important). The colors flow together in unexpectedly beautiful ways and remain brilliant, like painting on my palette (also important). I'm hooked.

Cone Flowers Watercolor Vignette Painting

As summer blooms, I've been painting quick vignettes of the flowers in my garden on smooth watercolor paper starting with a series of hydrangea paintings.
Now the cone flowers (purple echinacea), are blooming beautifully with fritillary butterflies flitting all about them. How can I resist?

So on an exquisitely gorgeous day, I take time off from working on an oil portrait and bring my watercolors outdoors. There I do a study (or what turns out to be a study which is what happens when a watercolor goes wrong!). Later I re-do the painting in the studio. The final version is what I'll show you. Read along to see how it turns out.

Custom Painting of Children and Mountains Scene in Watercolor

What could be more fun than painting a beautiful landscape with brightly dressed and adorable children in the foreground?

A new client asked me to combine two photographs to make an 11x14 inch custom watercolor painting: one of the children as they sit on the grass, the other of a spectacular scene from the family's mountain home.

So I sketch up a composition with the children in the foreground and transfer it to watercolor paper. In the photo above (click to see larger), are the beginnings of the painting. I have painted a blue sky full of soft clouds and some undertones for the mountains. 

Daffodils Watercolor Painting Narcissus Spring Flowers

There is still plenty of snow outside my studio window (and it's still cold), but I can imagine the daffodils and crocus pushing their little green tips upward as soon as there is a thaw. Can't wait!

So I decided to paint some narcissus flowers using for reference a small painting I'd done a few years ago from among the daffodils in my garden. To see how I paint this, keep on reading. (Or to skip to the final version click here: Narcissus Watercolor Painting.)

'The Little Tree in Winter' and Cardinals original watercolor painting

Trees! When you've been drawing trees every single day for a month, it's natural that a tree painting will result.
Recently I went for a walk by a nearby farm. It was evening and the sun had painted the sky a rosy color beneath deep ultramarine clouds. One lone tree caught my eye. I studied the scene then went home to paint it from memory.

Read on to see how I did this painting, or skip to the finished piece here:  The Little Tree watercolor painting.

Bird of Paradise Botanical Painting Strelitzia Reginae

This painting of Bird of Paradise is a commission for clients who live in Thailand. I wish I could grow this plant in my garden, but unfortunately, it's much too cold where I live.

The flowers bear a resemblance to tropical birds with their beak-like bracts from which bright orange sepals and blue petals emerge. They are pollinated by birds, especially sunbirds (which are similar to hummingbirds). The leaves look like banana leaves.

All in all, they are a very interesting and brightly pretty flower!
To see how I paint a detailed illustration of Strelitzia reginae (the botanical name), read on. Or skip to the finished painting.

Pink Hibiscus and Green-breasted Mango Hummingbird

Here is a fun custom painting that I just finished - a pink hibiscus flower and a green-breasted mango hummingbird.

The green-breasted mango is a tropical bird not common in the United States.  I've never seen one in New England, although they visit southern Texas and have traveled farther north on rare occasions. So I had to do some research to find out what they look like. They are so pretty with iridescent black, green and purple feathers!
I'll show you how I did this painting below:

Nelson Lake Custom Landscape Painting in Watercolor

Detail of "Nelson Lake" watercolor

Nelson Lake is a beautiful lake in northern Ontario. The client's family owned property right on the water for decades and she wanted a special gift for her parents. So she ordered a watercolor of the lake as viewed from the property. What a great idea!

Read along and I'll show you how I paint the full scene below. You can click the images to see them larger. Or skip to the finished piece.

Custom Home Portrait in Watercolor

I recently completed a home portrait custom painting. It was ordered as a gift for a family who had to move away from the home they loved. When the client saw the finished piece, she said, "Janet, The portrait is perfect! It will bring some wonderful memories to her and her daughters."
I hope it does!

Read on to see how I painted this portrait. Or skip to the finished piece.

Pet Portrait in Watercolor of a Cat Named Grits

Grits is a great name for a cat, especially one who weighed 22 pounds. I just finished this commission which the client is giving as a Christmas gift to her mom who lost her precious kitty this past year. Hard. But a very thoughtful idea for a gift.

Grits was adopted as an adult and was already a huge size. He had blue eyes that were slightly crossed. He was gentle and sweet. His 'mom' adored him.

Come along and watch while I paint Grits below. Or skip to the finished piece.