Finally got a chance today to sit down with my idea for painting a hare in amongst the grass - here is my earlier post about that if you want to see where I’m coming from:) https://eastwitching.com/2013/10/11/new-ideas-animals-in-the-landscape/

I had done all my tasks and duties yesterday to clear a timespace to devote to this idea which will just not be still in my mind!

I can’t tell you how exciting it was for me to be able to get that moody, inky midnight sky going on top of the delicately masked out flowers that I had done earlier before taking the dog out.

They had dried completely by the time we got back in and I was off!

I used Permanent Blue in spades mixed with Burnt Umber to get that very dark and magical blue down. While it was still damp I added Alizarin Crimson mixed with Winsor Green (yes - I know I hate it but it really comes into its own in mixing up a devilishly velvety DARK with AC !)

I bled the sky away to nothing as it progressed down the paper so as to create a soft edge.

Making a thick mix of Permanent Blue and Burnt Sienna I plopped in the distant hill and as the sky was damp it fuzzed beautifully.

Then using a pale wash of that mix I brought the near distant field into play and suggested some grass and undergrowth.

Now I Am onto the hare himself and painted him with clear water before adding Raw Umber all over him … more to come later but for now I am enjoying being under the moonlight of a British meadow and connecting with nature:)