Poinsettia - white on black

Sometimes I make a second version of a watercolour painting in white-on-black, because I like to see the difference.
This Poinsettia is a very welcome subject for such an experiment. 
I have adapted the composition to the paper size and made a slightly different background.

Because I am mixing my watercolours with white Gouache paint and have to work in many layers (the paint is absorbed by the paper and I have to 'build up' the image) there are differences in the colour values, mostly in the largest flower.
Of course I have used this to my advantage and did not have to add shadows afterwards - as is necessary in watercolour painting.

This painting is not available, my mother has it now and when she does not like it any more, my daughter is waiting in line. They both like these white-on-black paintings and drawings very much and encourage me to paint more using this technique.

More information about this painting and the watercolour I have made with the Poinsettia flowers can be found at my website www.jannekesatelier.webs.com

Poinsettia

A few months ago I started thinking about Christmas cards.
I usually make a watercolour painting, make a good picture, add some wishes to that picture and order some printed cards.
The cards have been sent two weeks ago, I really hope the mail delivered them all.
Now it is time to post the online wishes and to add this painting to my blog.

This is the result of the work I have described above, a Christmas Card in the Dutch language of course.

My inspiration came from a book with templates to be used for drawings, embroidery or something else and I have changed the flowers a bit to get a nice composition.
I have used my Cotman set of paints - mostly because I still have them and don't want them to go to waste.
Flowers are not a subject I am very good at, but for this year I wanted to try these beautiful Christmassy ones.

More information about this watercolour painting can be found at my website www.jannekesatelier.webs.com