Watercolour portraits blog

Watercolour workshop: hare and a big bee!

Mon, 7 Sep 2026 10:57:07 -0400

My November watercolour workshop is going to be a half day painting a hare and a big bee! In the beautiful setting of the village of Burpham in West Sussex, set in the South Downs National Park with a stunning panoramic view of the town of Arundel and it's castle.

Tree Peony

Tue, 2 Jun 2026 12:39:57 -0400

My second venture into combining florals with my watercolour portraits, all inspired by the ten days I spent exhibiting in the glorious gardens of Highdown Gardens in Worthing at the beginning of this month. This one is "Tree Peony", which were in bloom at the time.

A special call out and thanks to Tiziano from MomArte who kindly gifted me a pack of Fabriano papers whilst I was in Bologna in April at the fabulous Fabriano in Acquarello. This sheet is the 100% cotton Artistico Cold Press/Grana Fina traditional white 640 gsm. I've painted on Fabriano watercolour papers since I started my watercolour journey in Italy, but I've never tried the 640 gsm before. I was surprised that it bulged when wet, but delighted that it always dried flat and that pigment lifted with ease with absolutely no damage to the surface of the paper. I'll be using it again! The pigments I used were all from my favourite go to pigments; the fantastic Van Gogh range by Royal Talens. Sap Green, Azo Yellow Light, and Rose.

"Glenn, the gardener"

Mon, 18 May 2026 13:45:47 -0400

"Glenn, the gardener", at Highdown Gardens, Worthing. Finished. He laughingly asked if I'd paint him as he knew all my portraits at the exhibition in the Gardens Gallery were all of women, so I accepted! I hoped he'd like it and he did!

If you get the opportunity, make the trip to see what the dedicated team of staff and volunteers have produced and maintain. It's a beautiful place with stunning planting that feels relaxed and natural. And entry is completely free. Not many places can fill your heart with joy and not cost you a penny to experience them.

Where you can find my watercolour artwork for sale

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 13:16:19 -0400

Where can you find my watercolour artwork for sale in 2026? At the following exhibitions a selection of my watercolour paintings will be on display and for sale and you'll also probably find me too! Stewarding or painting whilst chatting! Depending on the venue, you'll find a mix of my framed and unframed original watercolour portraits and watercolour hares, along with fine art giclée prints and cards. And you'll find me at a really lovely art gallery :)

Fabriano in Acquarello 2026 - chuffed to bits!

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 13:12:31 -0500

I'm chuffed to bits to be one of the watercolour artists chosen to represent England and Wales at this year's fabulous international Fabriano in Acquarello congress.

A close-up of part of the portrait I submitted.

Watercolour hares

Sat, 30 Aug 2025 11:56:16 -0400

The latest additions to my rogues gallery of watercolour hares: hares with moons, bees, steely looks, and huge grins. And some shimmering gold!

Colourful watercolour portraits - 3 colour combinations for you to try

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 14:15:53 -0400

These three colourful watercolour portraits were all painted with a different limited palette of just three colours. If you are a beginner in watercolour you can try these! I have done all the pre-painting preparation for you so that you are left with the easy part: all you need to do is play and have some fun!

Watercolour tips for beginners - including the ugly duckling!

Sun, 9 Jul 2023 15:05:15 -0400

Watercolour tips for beginners. The do's and don'ts and lightening bolt moments I've learnt along my watercolour journey that will give you the watercolour painting results you want. Faster.

Some will be easier to follow or stick to than others!

Should beginners paint watercolour portraits?

Tue, 4 Jul 2023 12:15:36 -0400

Should beginners paint watercolour portraits? Yes! Absolutely! Find out why.

Mixed media watercolour portrait

Sun, 25 Jun 2023 13:37:06 -0400

A mixed media watercolour portrait, "If I only could". The ideas and techniques I used whilst listening to Kate Bush's "Running up that hill".

Tips for watercolour portraits

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 13:34:03 -0500

These beginner tips for watercolour portraits will give you a head start in achieving the results you want to see, quickly.

Colourful watercolour dog portrait

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 09:39:12 -0500

How to paint a colourful watercolour dog portrait in a loose watercolour style.

Watercolour dog portraits gallery

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 09:24:33 -0500

Watercolour dog portraits: colourful creations and paintings that hold a special memory for me during my watercolour journey.

"I know how I feel."

Sat, 28 May 2022 14:57:16 -0400

"It's a new day. It's a new dawn. I know how I feel."

I already had a title in mind for this portrait before I finished her today, but when I took her outside into my garden this afternoon with my camera, this magically happened...

Now I can't wait to paint her again with the base grey shadows from my olive tree in place first.

Painted with two pigments: Royal Talens Van Gogh Cerulean Blue and Schmincke Madder Brown on Fabriano watercolour paper with a Da Vinci Spin Synthetic size 1 brush.

A watercolour fox: the perfect gentleman for a super granulating pigment

Sun, 8 May 2022 08:24:22 -0400

Sometimes when you see an image you just know you have to paint it, don't you. And, sometimes you know just which colour you want to use. Well, that was exactly the case with a stunning photo of a red fox and a super granulating black pigment.

Painting a monochrome watercolour portrait: the best colours to choose

Tue, 5 Apr 2022 09:53:14 -0400

You don't need all the colours in your palette to tell a story or paint a portrait with an impact.

Bethlehem Reborn

Fri, 21 Jan 2022 12:35:48 -0500

Well, you never know what your watercolour journey is going to get you painting next!

Last year I was asked to paint for the international Bethlehem Reborn exhibition: two "bag-shaped" amphorae from the 4th to 7th centuries that were unearthed during the latest archaeological excavations of the Basilica of the Nativity no less.

Not my usual cup of tea as I normally need "eyes" in my subject, but a challenge nontheless as I needed to find a way of bringing the two objects together and uniting them in one painting. My subjects were photographed on different occasions, in different lights, and weren't the same colours.

So this is what they looked like in my studio.

And this is what they look like in my copy of the beautiful exhibition catalogue.

I've now been asked to paint the saints that can be found on the columns inside the nave! Wonders will never cease!

Watercolour daisies

Fri, 14 Jan 2022 10:49:09 -0500

It is bitterly cold here but when that winter sun comes out and warms my face as I take a walk, I cannot help but think that spring isn't far off.

So I got my watercolour class to paint daisies! We played with combining wet in wet, dry brush, and splattering. The wet in wet and the splattering is so disconcerting for those who have painted for years in oils and acrylics because they have to let go of having complete control. But we had great fun and at the end of the evening took some sunshine home with us :)

How to flatten watercolour paper: easy step by step

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 11:17:01 -0400

How to flatten watercolour paper to make those bumps and buckles a thing of the past.

Watercolour gorilla painting: a gentle giant

Tue, 23 Mar 2021 13:41:04 -0400

My watercolour gorilla is an example of how a limited palette watercolour painting doesn't have to be boring or dull.

Best eraser for watercolor paper

Wed, 19 Aug 2020 09:57:11 -0400

There isn't one best eraser for watercolor paper, you need two.

Hare and moon painting

Sun, 2 Aug 2020 13:06:29 -0400

Just uploaded! The step by step of my latest hare and moon painting. She's called, "Don't tell me you love me. This time it won't cut it."

She's not a happy lady! But I adored painting her. One of my lovely friends wrote on Facebook when she saw her... My rabbit says, "Cheer up Babe. Shes going to do a still life next. Carrots and lettuce, I think". She always cracks me up!