Month: March 2010

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Creating “Brave”

As promised (OK, a little later than promised, but still!) here’s my step-by-step for the creation of my latest painting, “Brave”.

Step one - creating "Brave"
Step 1 - OK I probably didn't need to show you this - the blank page. I've started using watercolour blocks instead of pads or loose sheets, and they're great! You dont' have to tape them down at all.
Creating "Brave" - step 2
Step 2: Using masking fluid, I masked off the edge of the paper and created three separate panels.
Creating "Brave" - step 3
Step 3 - Colour washes for the background. Here I've done the first two. I tried to give a feeling of the day passing - using the colours of sunrise, midday and twilight.
Creating "Brave" - Step 4
Step 4: As I wanted to convey the idea of the same tree and bird changing over time, I wanted my tree to look the same in each panel. I usually paint my trees freeform, without sketching them first. This time, I sketched a tree in pencil first, and transferred it to the 3 panels so each would be the same.
Creating "Brave" - step 5
Step 5 - 3rd background wash. I did this panel a little later as I was waiting for the masking fluid I used to create the stars to dry.
Creating "Brave" - step 6
Step 6 - The tree sketch transferred onto each panel of the painting.
Creating "Brave" - step 7
Step 7 - Trees and birdies painted in.
"Brave" - original watercolor painting by Kirsten Bailey
Step 8 - Masking fluid rubbed off, painting completed!!

Hope you liked learning about how I created this painting 🙂

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Illustration Friday – Brave

It’s been a while since I’ve participated in Illustration Friday – I tend to wait until a topic really grabs me.

Last September I spent a lot of my holiday sitting outside in our patio, reading and drinking cups of tea.  It was so lovely and peaceful, that I often stopped reading and just sat and took in the scenery of my little garden.  In one of our trees, a baby bird was learning to fly.  It was amazing to just quietly sit and watch as he (or she?) spread his wings for the first time.

When I saw this week’s topic from Illustration Friday was “brave”, that little baby bird was the first thing I thought of, and was the inspiration for this painting:

I’ve posted a step-by-step about how I created this painting – check it out here.

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Saturday Selections – Queen Anne’s Lace

I remember when I was a kid there was an empty field (we called it “the bush” even though there were hardly any trees), where we used to love to go exploring.  One Spring the field was filled with Queen Anne’s Lace, and to my young eyes it was an amazing sight.  I gathered up armfuls of the beautiful flowers to take home to Mum – who was slightly less than impressed, and explained to me that they were weeds 😛

I still love the simple beauty of Queen Anne’s Lace, and last weekend was inspired by the memory to create this painting:

Queen Anne's Garden - original watercolour painting by Brisbane artist Kirsten Bailey

I had a browse around Etsy for Queen Anne’s Lace themed items, and was amazed at how many beautiful things I saw!  It was really difficult to narrow it down to a few items for this week’s Saturday Selections.  Here’s what I came up with:

First up is this gorgeous Teal Green Queen Anne’s Lace Jersey Scarf by Papavier.  It looks so soft and cuddly and I love the asymmetrical design.

Teal Green Queen Anne's Lace scarf by Papavier

What better to pair such a gorgeous scarf with than this Ecofriendly Hemp Bag featuring Queen Anne’s Lace by Uzura?  The colour matches beautifully, and I love the contrast of the dark Queen Anne’s Lace on this bag compared to the light design on the scarf.  It’s eco-friendly and big enough to fit all your bits and pieces in, and maybe a bit of shopping too – perfect for taking to a handmade market!

Ecofriendly Hemp Bag featuring Queen Anne's Lace by Uruza

I knew I wanted to include a pendant in this post, and there were so many beautiful ones to pick from on Etsy that I agonized over my choice for a while.  In the end, I was won over by this amazing Engraved Queen Anne’s Lace locket by Star Creations.  The detail is just incredible and I love the little bird’s nest.

Engraved Queen Anne's Lace locket by Star Creations

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little trip down memory lane 🙂  Try doing a search for “Queen Anne’s Lace” on Etsy – there really are hundreds of beautiful things to find – and don’t forget to check out the stores of the lovely people I’ve featured today.  Have a great weekend!