I have been trying to paint with lighter colours. This is going to sound weird but I can’t say why just at the moment (there is in fact a reason!), although I promise all will be revealed at some point. This one is on paper and is about A2 size.

koi by tara leaver

Anyway it nearly killed me using only light colours. Where are my Quinacridone Magenta, my Anthraquinone Blue, Diarylide Yellow, Vat Orange, Turquoise Phthalo?

koi by tara leaver

As we know it’s always good to mix it up a bit and challenge ourselves, and I was pleased in the end that what started in landscape with what appeared to be a moon rising over the sea (great idea, looked awful), has now turned into quite a cool fish in portrait.

Shocking photo editing but I couldn’t work out how to ‘un-bow’ the edges of the frame, and the colours are somewhat arbitrary! But you get the idea. And don’t even get me started on the whole ‘photographing something framed with glass on it’ thing. I took it out in the end.