This little piece is a commemorative commission that was a joy and an honour to paint. I used hot pressed watercolour paper which has a unique glossy quality to the surface. I’m so happy with how this tiny little A5 came out.
Something really important to how I develop a piece now, especially a commission is to create multiple preliminary paintings, which is how I really narrowed down and simplified what I wanted to do with little miss Olive here.
I remember when I first started painting, and maybe 1 in 15 paintings would have something going for it … I’ve narrowed that gap quite a bit in the decade I’ve been painting all under my own guidance for better/worse.
“One must spoil as many canvases as one succeeds with.” — was the quote from Vincent van Gogh, 1889 which makes me feel better about my own art making process!
Painted in watercolour, acrylic inks, Brusho and white pigment.