I add another wash of pink to the centre of the flower. You’re trying to keep the lights and darks in tact, but also want to unite the different areas of the flower. It’s something of a balancing act. In relation to ‘Other Cloud’, she has no special recollection of having seen anything resembling the drop or ‘tear’ shapes, and the central blue form relates to a formal problem she had tried to resolve in earlier works, the setting of a circular shape into a rectangular format. As with all her titles, this one hints at a mood in the work rather than defining the painting's sources. She told the compiler that ‘Other Cloud’ suggested the names of Native Americans but could equally well relate to the cloud formations she remembers having seen from the aeroplane on her way to Canada. She had also been reminded of Georgia O'Keefe's paintings of sky and clouds seen from aeroplanes, (the ‘Sky Above Clouds’ series 1962–5).

In the catalogue of the 1979 Hayward Annual exhibition (op.cit.,p.66) Durrant discussed her approach and working methods: I simply loved painting these tendrils, the way they knot and twist is fascinating. A simple green line either side then a very pale top wash suffices. Here I’m adding some darker areas; the green mixed with prussian blue and purple. Painting the Sweet pea petals This is my trusty paintbox (what a mess) with me mixing up some purple to go into the green on the stem. I favour Winsor & Newton paints, and much prefer using Winsor & Newton series 7 brushes to any other sort. I then add the tiniest dashes of yellow to the inside regions of the claw petal. This not only echoes the colouration of the flower, but adds something of a “pop” where the dark central zone abuts the yellow.Sweet peas are beautiful flowers, and a joy to paint. This blog is a step by step guide to painting the Two-flowered Everlasting Sweet Pea Lathyrus grandiflorus. About Sweet peas One of the plants needing illustrating was the sweet pea. While visiting a friend, I espied her sweet peas, and immediately begged some of the dark purple and bright red-pink ones from her. I ended up with an enormous bunch of flowers as well (thanks to Layla who runs The Majestic Bus, a wonderful converted bus where you can stay, in the gorgeous hills near us in Hay); but the sweet peas went straight into the fridge to stay fresh until I could draw them the next day. Getting ready to paint the Sweet pea Mix a darker pink for the central petals. I used purple lake, Alizarin crimson and opera rose; but be informed by the colour of your own specimen. Having put down the initial green on the stem and calyx, I work into it, adding the flush of purple. I try to keep my colours fresh and light, and don’t erase the pencil in these sketchbook studies, which gives me a little more freedom with the paint as it doens’t have to delineate any edges.

I paint my pictures with the canvas stretched flat on the floor, viewing them from the top of my steps, and I see the painting frontally/head on, only when it feels whole or I cannot choose what to do. I suppose (as I have not changed this procedure for several years) I enjoy the surprise I get when the picture goes up and then I feel either relieved or disappointed. I often experience difficulty in making choices within the painting-what the painting needs as opposed to what I put in the painting ... I work on several canvases at a time ... and I view them as a group although I feel each painting is separate and complete itself. The sensation of place in painting is very important to me... How much you are enveloped, or brought in, or feel up against the painted surface ... I am aware of ways in which I use my experience of the visible world as starting-points for my painting. A starting-point can be my wish to create a visual equivalent for a particular experience in purely painterly terms within a tradition of painting-and in so doing, discover (for) myself. Untreated wood: should be pre-treated prior to adhesion test with an appropriate wood preserver to prevent rot and decay.

Test a small area first for colour and adhesion: Colour the final colour will depend upon the type of surface, previous treatment and number of coats applied. If using more than one can it is advisable to mix them together in a container or finish in a corner before starting a new can. Adhesion: if adhesion is inadequate on previously coated surfaces, lightly sand before application. Mix up an ever paler and wetter tint of pink. Apply this wash across almost the entire flower (including the parts which got the first layer of colour). Leave the palest areas as white paper, right next to the stem of the flower. The artist has pointed out that, as her paintings are not concerned with the straightforward depiction of external events, her choice of an image, colour or texture may initially be prompted by her experience as recorded in her note-books, but when she begins to paint, the needs of the painting itself dictate the way these elements are eventually combined, amended or organised. As Garden Shades often goes on directly to the wood, without a primer, sometimes it will soak deep into the wood and this can create the need for a third coat. This may be noticeable with rougher woods, open end grains or indeed deep colours. If wood has been exposed and dried out for a long period of time, this may also draw the more of the product away from the surface and into the wood structure.