Walk Three Hundred and Nineteen – The railway line at Ayres End
To make up for the very short walk yesterday I went on a long circular walk way past the Bluebell wood to Ayres End and back. Spring seems to be so early this year. I saw purple and white violets, celandines, speedwell and lots of daffodils, but as there once was a time that I trained as a natural history illustrator, I find it quite difficult to consider drawing these lovely flowers as I always think I need to put in every detail and thus spend weeks on one illustration. It is so liberating to loosen up and be able to create something in a few minutes.
195mm x 120mm ink and watercolour in large watercolour Moleskine
posted by Julie Oakley at Saturday, March 10, 2007
4 Comments:
Every which way but loose! Certainly a fresh freely painted pic appeals to me more than a carefully detailed kind of picture. At the Art in the Park today, one of the botanical artists was demonstrating how she draws certain flowers and I think she takes many days poring over one picture. I can't do that. I once did some very carefully drawn banksias, but the energy waned after a few weeks.
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I really LOVE all of your pen and watercolor drawings on this blog - and don't tell you enough. It is almost one year! Will you continue? Katherine Tyrrell found a wonderful journalsketchbook at the Bankside Gallery book store when she and I were together - the name is 1000 Steps - and the journal represents a walk through Italy. Your 365 daily paintings would make a wonderful book!
Wendy, when I was doing those illustrations at college we spent weeks on them. That's when I realised I wasn't cut out for that kind of illustration, I got so bored. Not only that but most publishers pay by the size of illustration, not by how long it takes, so it's very difficult to earn a decent living when your style takes so long.
Shirley, thank you so much. I really appreciate your kind comments. I'm thinking about what next at the end of the year. A book deal would be great, but probably nothing more than a fantasy. I know for certain that self-publishing is probably out of the question because the book would need to be predominantly colour which would make it very expensive.
I love this one - it has a ragged feel about it which is just right for railway scenery. Yes, a book would be lovely but I'm sure you're right about the cost.
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