Finished at last! My new book "Watercolour in Detail"

This is a short presentation video about my new ebook which is now available online for instant download.
The description of the book is as follows:

This ebook in PDF format is primarily written for those who have worked with this medium for some time. Here you will find inspiration for a more advanced and different approach in addition to tips and ideas, practical advice and instruction.

“Watercolour in detail” has 106 pages with 224 illustrations.

Apart from methods, tools and techniques the 14 chapters cover a wide range of subject matter including flowers, animals, people and buildings. Also how to paint the sky and the sea, fruit and vegetables and subjects on the beach. What to take with you when travelling with watercolours and how to find unusual subjects by taking a closer look. A chapter about painting watercolours in large formats covers  important things to consider before starting. The book also dedicates a few pages to mistakes and how to avoid them or correct them when things went wrong anyway.

Finally there are some hints and words of advice about how to look after your finished work.

 If you would like the book it costs 19.95 USD and payment is processed securely by Paypal. Note: The pdf book works on any computer. For iPad just download to your computer first, then transfer it using iTunes.
You can also see more about it at www.elizabethtyler.com

The secret

My disorganised working table in front of the painting: "The secret" acrylics on canvas   40 x 110 cm

Now the ice has melted and the last of the snow has disappeared, revealing the beach again and with it some of my favourite subjects to paint. Stones of all shapes and sizes, dry stones with rough interesting structures, wet stones glistening in the sun, casting shadows and reflecting themselves in the wet sand.
I don’t know why stones fascinate me so much, perhaps it’s just the fact that they are found all over the world that makes them so universal and symbolic.
Jack Penn once wrote: “ One of the secrets of life is to make stepping stones out of stumbling blocks.”

I've thought about that a lot.

There was in fact a seagull standing there between the stones and after hours of painting it in every detail and contemplating over it I finally decided it should be removed. The seagull and the stones stole attention from each other and the calm harmony of the subject was jeopardised. In other words the combination of seagull, sea, stones and sand was just too much and the old saying “Less is more” seemed to be the wisest conclusion here.
Perhaps next time I feel inspired to do some detailed work with a bird I’ll paint it as the main subject in the foreground and render the background without focus and with very soft transitions. But that’s another story.