Although this year hasn’t been the best, and certainly not what any of us planned, nature has blissfully carried on regardless. Rose hips have been plentiful, the birds have been busily emptying our garden feeders, and as for the acorns? Well, they are a true botanical favourite. Very quickly I have moved on from summer flowers, to these autumn nuts and fruits.
For the last few weeks I have been enjoying painting the squirrel’s favourite, the acorn. These are fabulous subjects if you can find them, and much like conkers, acorns present a range of challenges. A limited palette is all that’s needed. For all of my acorn paintings I used just a couple of blues, reds and yellows. Some beautifully rich and nutty hues can be created from just a handful of colours, and I had so much fun.
I’m all for using freebie subjects from the hedgerow, and walks are never without a small bag for collecting. Leaves, fallen fruits, seed heads, berries, and of course the acorns and conkers are all brought home and carefully preserved for future use. You never know when they might come in handy.
This first one proved very popular on my Instagram feed, and brought a smile for many. So I carried on…
… The first Acorn was swiftly followed by several more, and very quickly I realised I had painted six of the larger than life gems.
