Petal colour is being added but it is difficult to get the contrast on this small scale. It is often the final touches that make the difference.

I know that roses are not much out of the ordinary for floral painters, but I just wanted to paint this one in the small format (12x12cm). I have painted roses before, and quite like the flower, but my preference is for tropical blooms. Notwithstanding my departure from floral works over the last couple of years. I have to say I am getting more pleasure at the present from oil painting and watercolours based on ladies shoes, scarves and bags.

Finished - I think! It is a small painting, 12x14cm and, in this shot there is still a little 'sheen' on the background as it is not quite dry. The sheen may also be the gum arabic which is the binding medium used in watercolour paints.
It does me good to work 'small scale' after working in a large format, so it is my intention to complete a few more small scale paintings.

I have added the other legs and started the body. I have allowed the paint to run with the water so that there will be some texture. I shall now over-paint some more texture to make a gradual change in tone.
I am always a little concerned about the course texture of the paper on a small painting but console myself with thinking that it gives an 'organic' look to a natural subject.
The paper is curved at the moment, but will flatten out when I 'shrink' it, by wetting the entire back of the work with distilled water at the completion of painting..

The leaf texture is basic at this stage, but I don't want to over do it. The course texture of the watercolour board is evident and, perhaps, not best suited for works of this small scale, but I feel that it allows the painting to 'look like' a painting when viewed in reality.

This is not a very clear photograph, as it was taken under artificial lighting during the evening but it shows the composition.
It will be a green tree frog which clung to a leaf on in the rain forest area of our garden.
I decided that, because of the small size, I would not include much background and just have a dark green, representing the depth of the environment.
There is one sun-lit leaf on which the frog is perched, but this will be much paler than the frog itself.
I shall remove the pencil lines as I go so as not to adulterate the paint.
The painting is small with the frog about life size, (approx. 14 x 12 cm).
There is no detail on the leaf yet but it has had an underpainting wash of a pale green on top of which the details will be added. Contrast will be important.

We are planning on a small exhibition in our home studio/gallery at the end of July on a 'Christmas in July' theme, so I have put my larger projects on hold and have decided to paint a few small works that may be more affordable to a 'present' buying public.
My watercolour painting 'Le Scarpe Delle Donne' won a category award at the Lethbridge10000 Small Scale Art Award. Competitions are not always objective and I don't enter many, but I bowed to the pressure of friends to enter this one. I was happy to receive the award but, naturally, the first prize of 10 000 would not have been unwelcome.

'LE SCARPE DELLE DONNE'