Drawings of Spring in New Zealand.

There is blossom on the trees in our garden, daffodils flowering and tulip heads opening up.

In New Zealand the native  Kowhai tree flowers in Spring as well.

The flowers are bright yellow and attract native birds like the Tui, Bellbird and the New Zealand pigeon Kereru.

When we became New Zealand citizens not long ago,we received a Kowhai tree as a gift.

We have two Kowhai trees in our garden and  they are in flower now.

I did a watercolour painting for a card of the Kohwai flower and a pencil sketch, what will became a painting as well.

I am part of Sunday Sketches

Little watercolour of the kowhai flowers

Pencil sketch for a new painting of the Kowhai flowers

the real Kowhai flowers

A busy weekend

This weekend was an active, busy weekend with lots of work in the garden.

During the winter Henk pruned trees,but also felled trees in the paddock and we were left with a big heap to burn.

We can't just burn without permission of the fire department, I rang the local council this week and asked for permission to burn in our paddock.

We have a burning permit till the middle of October, after October it can become hazardous to light a fire.

Rachel and Luke helped Henk with getting all the branches to the fire.

This weekend I have been making marmalade from lemons and grapefruit to sell on my roadside stall and when I was filling the jars I thought of a still life oil painting I did a few years ago of lemons.

Still life of lemons.

I haven't used oil for some time now,but kept all the paints, so maybe I will do a small painting again in oils. Water colours are easier to set up and put away and dry so quick.
But oils have an amazing blending time what I like.

Rachel and Luke helping Henk with the burning.

A lot of smoke

Nearly finished.

Today we finished the weekend with a lovely walk on the river banks in Brightwater with Ollie our dog and a yummy coffee afterwards at the local cafe.

So good Spring is here!
I am part of Sunday Sketches.

Water colour Art for children

This week was a full week of teaching art.

On Monday I taught an art class at the mental health center and on Tuesday afternoon it was the home school children's art workshop, I finished the week on Thursday teaching at the rest home.

I really enjoy teaching and thinking of new projects and different techniques for each group.

I research the internet and pinterest for inspiration and ideas, for the children's art workshop this week we painted butterflies with watercolour and used charcoal to draw a night sky.

For inspiration I made a sample and told the children a little story about a colourful butterfly fluttering in a dark night sky looking at the moon. There is always colour and light in our life even when things can look a bit gray and dark.

The children enjoyed the two different mediums to create one artwork.

                    

the sample

                                               

I am part of Sunday Sketches