Watercolor vignettes

Watercolor, pen and ink, collage

House and Garden Scenes

I’ve been working on some small watercolor vignettes recently.
The one above is an overhead view of my idea of an Herbalist’s desk with field note book and surrounded by plants and plant specimens, ink bottles and of course, a cup of tea.

I love coming across photographs of spaces that creative types work at, such as their desks, their studios, gardens etc.
I did a set of photographs with this in mind, which I think I put in an earlier post, I can’t remember now. But anyway, I also like to paint and draw imaginary places, like this desk.

I did a version with a red background and one with a blue background, this obviously the red version.

Themes…

This particular vignette is based on a photograph I set up and shot as a sort of Asian Arts/Chinoiserie collector’s desk. I used this on some of the bookplates I sell (you can see it on my Bookplates Page).

I’ve settled into doing this as watercolor/art subject rather than, say, landscapes, for the most part because I’ve always loved themed designs. For example, I’ve often thought if I went back in time and was starting school over again, I might try and do something in theater/stage set design.

The Potting Shed, watercolor, ink, collaged.

In the Potting Shed is an illustration I did from a collection of illustrations that I collaged together. Most of the painting I did last week, but the chair and boots and tote bag I did earlier and added them to picture. The vintage atlas jars with the flowers were originally a photograph I set up and took and then illustrated.
I’m not sure what I’ll use this image for, probably cards.

Next week I’ll do a few more illustrations with a botanical theme and pair them with the herbalist’s desk and the potting shed to form a small collection. I’ll save the Chinoiserie desk for a different set.