New Painting, and New Media

So, I am fairly good at painting in watercolours. The problem is, lots of people are fairly good at painting in watercolours, and like it or not, those people are my competition. Watercolour painting has become massively popular in recent years; watercolours are everywhere, some good, some bad.


Now I need an entry or two for a local 'open' exhibition in Colchester, and experience of open exhibitions (as the name suggests, open to anyone) has taught me that a watercolour painting alone, however good, may not be enough to get me in. 


Open exhibitions have a selection committee, and friends on the inside assure me that sometimes a piece is literally looked at for a few seconds before a decision is made; brutal. So I need something a bit different, something that catches the eye, and shows a bit of imagination. 

 (extreme close up!)

So for this piece I used Gouache (opaque watercolour) and collaged seashells to give the piece (I hope), a soft, dreamy look. I am rather pleased with it, and think it will be popular as a print, so it is being scanned currently, then it's off to the framers.

 Here is the original photo and inspiration:

The open exhibition has a Suffolk theme, and it is £10 per entry. Fingers crossed...