This is another in the series that started with carbon black ink on watercolour paper. I added first transparent acrylic colours and then opaque. As I painted I was keeping the original rhythm while watching for something to arise. Shapes turned into flowers and leaves. I love how loose and full of movement this one is.
(C) 2023 Hilary Farmer
Continuing the theme of landscapes that are animated by the kind of life we often don’t pay much attention to. When I see bees, butterflies, dragonflies etc they tell me there’s life here. I wanted to capture that hope and energy in the brushstrokes for the plants and sky as well.
(C) 2023 Hilary Farmer
A bouquet of local flowers that I just had to paint while they were still fresh, along with some potted flowers in the background. Vibrant colours as well as a variety of shapes and textures in the greenery were fun to try to capture in a loose way. The most fun part? …painting the orange lanterns! …and today is Halloween!
Although it is a still life, I set it up outdoors and painted it “en plein air” on the deck because I loved the way the sunlight made everything glow and dance.
(C) 2022 Hilary Farmer
Recently I decided to go out locally with a friend plein air painting. We had an idea to go to a nearby farm field and paint the cows in their bucolic setting! Great idea but the farmer had moved the cows and there wasn’t one to be seen. I will spare you the details of how each place we decided to try fell flat for one reason or another. I think we were on our fifth idea – and putting miles on in our search – when my friend suggested calling a friend of hers and going to their garden. Well that turned out to be wonderful! They gave us wine and snacks and I got to paint the last hollyhocks of the season and an enormous bumblebee …a lovely afternoon of painting after all.
(C) 2022 Hilary Farmer
The California lilacs are bursting with blooms and humming with life at this time of year. Capturing the scene including a little tricolour bumblebee seemed such a natural choice …and that tiny pop of orange really makes the painting!
(C) 2022 Hilary Farmer
Having fun with bright colours and bold shapes …and it turned into a bouquet in a polka dotted vase. Sometimes it’s important to not plan too much and just see what happens.
(C) 2022 Hilary Farmer
I was playing Karl Jenkins “The Peacemakers” while painting this one …thinking about the world situation but wanting to have some hope for peace. Out of the darkness, new growth and blossoms that overcome the tangle of the thicket with their beauty.
Dona nobis pacem.
(C) 2022 Hilary Farmer
The last mini of this set of 8. I decided to paint a bumblebee as a change from hummingbirds. He’s head down getting all the pollen!
image (C) 2022 Hilary Farmer
This was a demo painting I did during a workshop earlier this fall for a lovely group of women. Market flowers seemed the perfect subject – almost the last fresh local flowers of the season. Despite wandering around during my own painting process to check the students’ progress, I ended up with a piece I was pretty pleased with. It’s fresh and loose.
image (C) 2021 Hilary Farmer
This is another in my “Skyflowers” series. Having so much fun with this. It’s whimsical and there are so many ways to play with the idea. Here I really like the cascade of roses transforming from cooler to warmer depending on how the sunset would affect them.
image (C) 2021 Hilary Farmer
Green Tea Doodles 