Lotus Leaf Painting - LittleWanderingWren

I can’t tell you how excited I was to be painting lotus leaves in Bangkok!

Yes, moi who looks enviously at all my arty friends

with a ‘I wish I could paint!’ longing,
has found my inner creative!

With a little help from my new found friends at Himapan Gallery
here I am about to ‘show and tell’ with you my latest artwork,
and anyone can do this!

Let’s backtrack just a little.

I’m in Bangkok, my husband is busy with work
morning, noon and night.
So having visited Bangkok many times,

I was looking for something different to fill my days.

A quick internet search and I found the Himapan Gallery.

Who are doing a roaring trade to mostly expats
with lotus leaf painting workshops.

The lotus leaves were an almost perfect match for what I needed at home.

I’d had had an interior decorator suggest that

I bring the garden indoors by throwing open the bi-fold doors
and adding some garden style artwork to the interior,

even suggesting a palm tree, or the like on the wall.

Which is a lovely idea
except that I don’t live in tropical north Queensland,

I live in Melbourne, Australia.

A palm tree is about as common here as a banana plant!

But, as frequent visitors to this blog will know,
I do have a pond with a water lily that blooms,

and although a water lotus and water lily are different

it’s same, same but different!

When I arrive at the gallery instructions are in full swing.

I join a group of lovely Japanese women to learn the techniques.

We are given the choice of using oil or acrylic paints.

Our class is taught by the wonderful owner Catherine

who shows us what to do.
It all looks pretty straightforward
paint or sponge on the colour,
highlight with bronze, gold, silver as you like,
varnish
and after a few days your painting is ready to take home.

I choose to work with acrylic paint because it’s quick drying
and I only have five days in Bangkok.

I did think about oils
especially after my ears prick up as Catherine tells us

“and if you make a little mistake,
I give you a little alcohol”

her perfect English has just a hint of her French accent.

They have truly thought of everything here
I love the way they will correct any errors…

I’m brought back to earth with a
‘Can I get you a tea or coffee?’
Her husband Teck asks?

I was thinking of ordering a Mojito
to get my Mojo going…
but then realise the alcohol is only for mistakes
and not to be consumed…
Silly me.

I am then given a choice of two designs

I choose the one from the muddy pond

which has some interesting staining

and could have so come from my pond life back home
although thankfully not, these leaves are humungous.

My three boards cost me 8,000 Baht ($250 USD, $310AUD)

which includes all the paint, tuition, varnish, and boxing for transport.

I have also brought with me one of my outdoor cushions

for colour inspiration but I am pretty much going for

green, green and more green…

And so I get started.
It’s pretty simple really.
You paint the colour on with either a sponge
or a paint brush, one leaf at a time following the veins.
The hardest part is working out what colours you want to use,
or in my case trying to mix the right green to match the cushion.
Luckily Catherine is always on hand when help is needed.

The painting is pretty easy and relaxing and the
conversations are free flowing around the room.
Teck is offering more coffee or tea.
Everyone admires each others work.
This is my sort of painting morning.

I get as far as I can
and decide to come back the following day to finish off.

This is what the painting looked like at the end of day one:

The next day I add some bronze highlights to my veins
which are lightly brushed on with the corner of a sponge
and I add a touch of definition around the edges of my leaf edges.

It is starting to rain outside, when Bangkok rains it pours.
If you want to see what happened after this class see here!
but all attention is on our artwork.
The second day there are a new and equally lovely
group of ladies and one gent.

Here is my finished version with one coating of varnish
and Voila it’s done!

I leave the second coat of varnish to Catherine
who will let it dry and package it for the airport
and deliver it to my hotel on Friday
I can’t wait to see
what it looks like up on my wall!