I challenged myself to complete Project #3. The things I like about the art that inspires me:

1. Contrast of bold and dark colours (dark blues, deep greens, sombre reds) with lighter, brighter colours and hues (pastels, soft pinks, muted greys)
2. Blending, such as when colours patterns and shapes merge into one another, blurring any defined boundaries and challenging an obvious narrative.
3. Textures, collages, cottons that cry out to be touched and invite the viewer to become part of the artwork.
4. Scrapes, holes and scratches that reveal layer upon layer upon layer of contrast and colour, almost as if by accident rather than by design.
5. Movement that comes naturally by letting the paint flow down the page like blood, thick, viscous and defiant.
6. Minimum colour palettes; 3 or 4 gentle, complementary colours and 1 bold, contrasting dominant colour.
7. Compositions that merely hint towards the reference or subject, rather than seeking to replicate it.

i employed some of these "new rules" to complete some of my recent projects. My reference was the natural landscape around me on holiday in Airdit, Scotland. Turns out that my style is almost like a children's storybook illustrator!