Watercolor landscape workshop!

I had a lovely weekend recently, painting in good company and experimenting new technics,   participating at a workshop by the Swedish artist Björn Bernström. It was very inspiring and liberating with new approaches, and especially fun to look for special effects - like 'cauliflowers' - that traditionally are considered errors!

Here, as in the first picture, we were using burnt umber creating staining effects...

A more traditional painting, or actually two in one!! 

Exploring wet-in-wet and new colors, more than aiming for finished paintings.

                              

                                                          They look better separated! 

                                       Here the transparent and delicate colors show a little better...

Small landscape paintings

The other day I had a walk in the afternoon, 

 and Oh, all of a sudden there was such a beautiful light! The hills of Chianti were lit by the late sun and turned out red - the contrast with the olive groves was just wonderful! Unfortunately I couldn't capture the beauty of the moment, but  I really wanted to paint it, so later I did it from my memory! 

I also framed some of my small landscapes with a passepartout because it really makes a difference, The works look much nicer when more finished up, don't you agree!?

Painting in Tuscany

The subjects in Tuscany are thousands  - the colors and lights varies not only following the seasons, but from an hour to another. This is a sketch of olive trees with poppies .