Bluebells Abstract

I have been quite determined to paint and put together another painting using my lovely doilies. I wanted to do something based on a bluebell wood, so thought I had better get around to it before I forgot what they had looked like. They grow quite well at the bottom of my garden under the trees, and because I am so used to them being there, I have never bothered to take photographs.
Anyway, not too important as it will be a very abstract interpretation.

I started by putting a fairly wet blue and green wash onto some rough paper, and where it puddled I used a straw to blow it into the centre of the paper which I had left white and dry. I tried to vary the strengths of the colour especially in the blue area.

When it was completely dry, I used some quite strong colour to try to define some flower shapes growing up to the pale centre. I then used the edge of a narrow strip of mount board, dipped into green paint, to add stems and leaf shapes.

I then painted a d'oily with the same colours as the original wash, but using less diluted paint as the surface of the paper has a slight gloss which prevents it absorbing colour very easily. I tore up the inner part into usable pieces and I used a hole punch to produce lots of small circles from the edge pieces.

I then used these pieces to collage the painting  ( can you collage a painting?) hoping to get the effect of lots of bluebells reaching for the sunlight. I never stick the pieces down completely, so that when the painting has a double mount and is framed, there is just enough room between support and glass for the strips of added paper to curl slightly to give a three-dimensional effect.

                                                                        'Bluebells'
                                     Abstract Collage on Fabriano Artistico Extra White Rough paper