Watercolour Workshop with Belinda Biggs

Wow! What a fabulous weekend. Usually I'm so busy running around in ever decreasing circles, I am terrified that I'll become like the Woofit Bird. But this weekend! The best! Our fabulous Community Art Society arranged for Belinda Biggs, a Botanical Artist on island with her art tour, to hold a weekend workshop at the school. In like Flynn! Here's a photo of Belinda (don't forget to check out her website at www.belindabiggs.com ~ see Jerry, it didn't change colour and do whatever it's meant to do ~ the computer hates me! ~ and look at her amazing art.

Belinda was kind enough to stand for this shot. Her art can't be reproduced but if you peer really closely you can see the lead pencil drawing of the cherries and then the watercolour. You can almost eat them!

Now this is a photo of the rest of us head down and tails up, working like ~ whatever works hard. The workshop went from 9.30am to 4pm and on both days I simply ran out of steam around 2.30. On Saturday I drove home and slept until 7pm. Full on kiddies, full on. The other incredible thing is that most workshops I've been to, everyone paints the same subject, but in this one Belinda encouraged us to each bring our own flower. (She didn't warn us to bring along easy ones. Wretch!)

Here's Belinda checking out Jerry's efforts. I was privileged to look at some of Jerry's drawing's many years ago when he and Loretta had them hanging. I haven't seen them for some time but I still remember the beautiful work and incredibly fine detail. He painted an exquisite hipiastrum lilly that they have at their home Hilli Lillies, which is pale, pale green with maroon stripes. Would have loved to have taken a photo but of course, the batteries ran flat. Don't they always.

Here are my drawings. The lavender on Saturday then the peaches on Sunday.

We had to draw the subject showing black and white tones. Actually the scanner is pitiful. You can't even see peach number one! Please note IT IS NOT the artist. We then had to paint it in watercolours to colour it.

The lavender isn't worth scanning but I learnt alot with the peaches and porpieh, though the water droplet looks incredibly like a grub eaten hole! Absolutely great workshop, and everyone there wanted to be there. Trish doing beautiful work as always; Raewyn who is stunning at everything; Denny likewise; Kerry, Dale, Alison, Kaye, Bridgette, Lyn ~ wasn't she for years, the youngest artist to have a painting hanging in the National Art Gallery ~ Jerry, me and I have to make special mention of Mercades Grant. Twelve years old and incredible. Many comments on her inheriting talent from her Aunty Trace. What a honey! I hope those peaches decide to ripen Mercades.

I think a five day workshop might be a terrific Christmas present to myself, with lots of love from me!