The Mystery of Marriage

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  I wonder what the relevance of the Biblical template of marriage is in these times. As I write I am aware of failed marriages and gay marriages, and I do not doubt that we have all known pain, and that we have all found love, somewhere. I am inspired by this Biblical verse in Ephesians 5:29-32 "For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church." And I also am inspired by Galatians 3:28 which says that in Christ there is neither male nor female, among other things. Marriage is a mystery, seems to be the message for me. I guess that the mystery of marriage is in how it works at all! I loved being single over 20 years ago, but it had to come to an end because of its own challenges. Once the decisio...
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Branch of Leaves

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My latest project is this branch of leaves that I have learned from Jenna Rainey's YouTube video, which is the complete beginner's guide to watercolour painting! It is a great watch but will take an hour and a half of your time. I also think she is an expert painter, and how she does a "simple" painting will not be the same as how a beginner might. 

But one of the important things I have learned with this journey is that the goal is not to paint exactly as an instructor does, but to learn from the process of copying and develop your own style. It is so easy to say that, but the hardest thing to do!

An update on brushes - I have ordered two more sizes - 12 and 16 round. This was partly from watching Jenna's video, where she uses a size 16 round as one of her go-to brushes, but also because I realised that to paint this branch to cover an A4 sheet of paper I will need a bigger brush.

I find that to get the effect you want with the watercolour paint - whether it is to make the colours bleed into each other, or to make the colours overlap each other and create layers (like in a Venn diagram) - it is all about how much water you have on your brush, and how watery the paint is. I am perfecting this technique - in my picture I have both effects going! I love what I have created, and that is the fun of watercolour painting!

I used M. Graham paints in Sap Green, Azo Green, Prussian Blue and Indian Yellow. I used Sepia for the branches. I used the back of an Arches watercolour A4 paper as a scrap to practice on, before I painted the final. It's a great way to make the most out of your Arches paper!

And I also found that using two paint brushes simultaneously, switching between a size 4 for the branches and a size 8 for the leaves, helped to not mix the colours up and speeded up the process.

I like Jenna's idea of putting paint from tubes into a palette and letting it dry. This does seem like a good way to maximise how much use you get out of your paint, and making it last and go a long way. I might have to buy a palette next!

I used these branches to illustrate a favourite Bible verse - it's on my Etsy shop - do go and check it out!

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