Shine and Bloom

Yesterday at my Barnsdale class we looked at some techniques for painting the shine on berries.  The hedgerows have been laden with them this year. Hips and haws, the brilliantly glossy red berries of black bryony and dusty blue sloes.

I made a couple of small samples of hips for the class, along with some colour swatches.

I had picked lots of odds and ends for the class and today I decided to make a study of two sloes before they died.  They are so attractive on their lichen covered twig, with the one little shrivelled fruit  on the far end.

 

Sloes on lichen covered twig  watercolour on Arches HP. image 8” x4”

And a few more ! 
A  small gallery of some more shiny, glossy, sheeny, bloomy, fruity things from the early days of this Pencil and Leaf blog.

I am slowly trying to get a website together and have been sorting out old images. It’s nice to see them again.

They are memories of steamy happy days at Leu Gardens in Orlando.  I would sometimes refuel for the cycle ride home with a few hand picked snacks. A caffeine hit from Yupon Holly leaves, vitamin C from Surinam cherries, and acerolas, delicious loquats and guavas, fresh carambolas and the curiously textured cocoplum. 


              

And two more recent drawings of the wild plums at Grafham

Another couple of berries tomorrow.