Peony and Parakeet

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Watercolor Flowers in Louisa M. Alcott Style

Posted on Posted in Artistic Identity, Flowers & Plants, Music & LiteratureTagged , 4 Comments on Watercolor Flowers in Louisa M. Alcott Style

This week, I talk about Louisa M. Alcott’s characters and painting flowers in watercolor.

Freely Grown 5, a watercolor painting by the artist Päivi Eerola, Finland.

They say that nature should not be humanized, but when I paint flowers, I do that without hesitation.

Splashes Start an Adventure

I love getting to know my flowers little by little. Their life begins with random splashes and I try to grow them as freely as I can.

Random splashes in watercolor. Beginning of a flower painting.

At its best, a painting is like a good book that hooks you into the atmosphere and cannot be left unfinished. It’s always exciting to see what kind of characters turn out on paper and what happens to them.

Little Women by Louisa M. Alcott

In this painting, the big peony was born first. She is a girl who is sure of her position, but always ready to hug and strengthen others as well. I was reminded of the novel Little Women by Louisa M. Alcott. Could that peony be like Meg, the big sister of the family?

Painting flowers in watercolors. Imagining flowers as characters.

And could there be Amy next to her, a growing beauty and sometimes a bit self-centric too?

Painting watercolor flowers. Expressing characters of the book Little Woman by Louisa M. Alcott as flowers.

Right below white and glamorous Amy, there’s sweetly round Beth who left this world far too soon.

Painting the Atmosphere

When the watercolor wets the thick cotton paper, I would like to invite you to my little studio and give you a thin brush. Together, we would then paint small shapes like writers working on a common story.

Painting the atmosphere. Abstract flowers in watercolor.

However, as everything in flowers does not have to be literal or recognizable, we could just focus on the atmosphere.

Jo the Tulip

The key figure in my painting is the tulip in the background. He is like Jo, unique and more modern than others, ready to create her life joyfully, but without being forced to the center of the painting. I admired Jo as a child, and it has taken me a long time to dare to be like her – step aside and do my own thing.

Finishing a painting that has the characters of Little Women as flowers. Louisa M. Alcott inspired art.

Somehow I also think that when you come to my course, you too want to be like Jo – do your own thing, express the flavor of life, embrace the abundance of nature, and allow unapologetic playfulness.

A detail of a watercolor painting by Paivi Eerola. Painting abstract flowers in watercolors. Getting inspiration from the book Little Women by Louisa M. Alcott.

Freely Grown – Sign Up Now!

The course Freely Grown starts next week. I can hardly wait for it to start – join me!

Freely Grown - online art course by Peony and Parakeet

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Painting Flowers Freely with Watercolors

Posted on Posted in Flowers & Plants, Going Beyond the Conventional, HistoryTagged , 2 Comments on Painting Flowers Freely with Watercolors

This week, I share thoughts about my new course Freely Grown, and about its central idea of allowing the painting to grow freely.

Freely Grown 4. A watercolor painting by Päivi Eerola, Finland. Finished with colored pencils.

I’ve been in a really good mood lately. I have two great sources of joy. The first is that a new period in my life will begin this month when I start a year-long half-time grant period for digital artwork. Another source of joy is the new course Freely Grown, which I started making in the summer and whose material I have now been finishing.

Freely Grown

This course has been like a friend to me and I hope it will be like that to you too. Like paintings, courses also have their own character. This course is both playful and goal-oriented. I usually look for a suitable course name for many months, but this one gave me its name right away and I haven’t even thought about alternatives!

I’ve been so enthusiastic about the subject of the course that the abundance of plants is appearing in the work planner too.

Decorating a planner with colored pencils. Drawing plants.

Painting Flowers Freely

I am really inspired by the idea that a plant can grow freely. I don’t think it has to be a wildflower at all. Even if a plant grows in a flower bed, the gardener can let it sprawl. Similarly, our lives can have certain routines and restrictions, but still, imagination can grow freely.

When the brush spins and twists on the paper, it’s wonderful to indulge in its play. The painting can also grow freely.

Starting a watercolor painting. Splashes and paint.

I like to consider that a painting is an independent party, not so much an extension of my own self. When I relax a little about what I want and let the painting suggest a direction, a new kind of pleasure is offered, even an adventure!

Painting flowers with watercolors. Painting freely and intuitively.

A surprising thing in this painting was that the largest flower suggested turning away from the viewer. I wondered if I could let it do that. Would the setting look impolite?

But when I study old flower paintings, their natural charm is that the flowers stretch out in every direction. So why couldn’t we let our flowers grow freely where they want?

A still-life by Jean-Michel Picart, oil on canvas, 1600-1682
Jean-Michel Picart, oil on canvas, 1600-1682

Only when the painting was about to be finished did I realize that the flower turns towards the light as if to welcome a new era! When you give the painting freedom, you always get more than if you strictly control it.

Working on a flower painting. By Paivi Eerola, Finland.

I think this A3 size (11.7 x 16.5 inches) is really nice because it’s big enough. It’s hard for the flowers to look expressive if they are very small.

Coloring on Watercolor Painting

When I finish with colored pencils, I aim for the colored parts to continue painting naturally.

Creating flower art. Finishing a watercolor painting with colored pencils.

Here you can see a close-up of the coloring. I always leave watercolor visible too.

Painting flowers freely. A detail of a watercolor painting finished with colored pencils. By Paivi Eerola, Finland.

I’ve done a lot of colored pencil stuff in the last couple of years and the number of pencils has reduced. But it’s fun that every now and then I can buy an out-of-stock color and introduce a new arrival to the old pals.

Painting flowers freely with watercolors and then finishing the painting with colored pencils.

I love this abundance of flowers – born by painting freely, without reference pics!

Watercolor flower paintings by Paivi Eerola

I hope you will come to the course!

Freely Grown >> Sign up here!

How to Combine Watercolors and Colored Pencils

Posted on Posted in Flowers & Plants, SuppliesTagged , 4 Comments on How to Combine Watercolors and Colored Pencils

In my new online course Freely Grown, we will use watercolors and colored pencils for a flower painting. Here are the basics for using both in the same piece.

Abstract floral watercolor painting that has been finished with colored pencils. By the Finnish artist Paivi Eerola.

Watercolors and colored pencils have quite a lot in common, even though one is used for painting and the other for drawing.

Choosing the Paper

Both like thick and smooth watercolor paper. Of course, watercolors like textured paper too, but colored pencils are a bit more selective. I find it most enjoyable to color on Hot Press quality paper that has very little surface texture. But if you only have textured Cold Press paper in your stock, just start experimenting right away and buy smoother paper later!

All Brands Work Together

In both watercolors and colored pencils, you can combine different brands.

Well-used watercolor set.

I also have many different brands in my watercolor set and even though I work with pans, some of the pans are pressed from tube colors. And I love to try different brands of colored pencils and organize them by color family.

Proceed Layer by Layer

When creating, it is good to start carefully with both watercolors and colored pencils. Introduce a new color little by little and change it layer by layer. Always dry the lower layer of watercolor first before adding another layer on top.

Different kinds of watercolor brushes
I like to use at least three brushes for watercolors: one flat, one round, and one narrow.

Translucent layers produce new color mixes. By saving the effect of white paper, you will have a more effortless look than if you color white later.

Watercolors First, Colored Pencils Second

You can color over a dry watercolor painting with colored pencils, but not vice versa. Sure, there are watercolor pencils that dissolve in water, but I usually use all of them dry. So I do a watercolor painting first, and then finish it with colored pencils.

Choosing colored pencils for a watercolor painting.

Painting with watercolors is fast, but drying between layers takes time. Colored pencils are slow, but the mark is detailed and you can immediately add a new layer.

Finishing a watercolor painting with colored pencils.

The quickest solution is to paint most of the work with watercolors and only emphasize the highlights and add details with colored pencils.

A detail of a watercolor painting that has been finished with colored pencils. By Päivi Eerola of Peony and Parakeet.

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Combine watercolors and colored pencils and create paintings where nature’s abundance takes over! >> Sign up for Freely Grown!

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