Three Foxes Frolicking on green grass amongst bushes against a blue sky with a pale sun. One fox sleeps, another pounces, and the third jumps up. Their tails are bushy and white-tipped, while their fur is orange and magenta with black paws. Collage and mixed media painting using watercolour and colour pencil. Copyright © 2022 Patricia Nolan
Ancient Tortoise, with an orange, green, teal and blue shell, is a sceptical old fellow. His long contorted neck twists upwards, his large round eye is focussed on the viewer with a distrustful gaze, and there is a frown on his wrinkled lips. Mixed media painting using watercolour and gel pen. Copyright © 2022 Patricia Nolan
Man Reading is a caricature of a man with blue hair, beard and moustache and a face of rosy sunset hues. His glasses are slipping off his nose as he gazes downward at his book. Mixed media painting using watercolour pencil and ink pen. Copyright © 2022 Patricia Nolan
Cactus in an Elephant Pot has four green cacti lobes with red and white spike clusters growing out of a pottery plant pot shaped like an elephant on short legs, smiling, with a probing, curious trunk and floppy ears. Mixed media painting using watercolour, ink pen and colour pencil. Copyright © 2022 Patricia Nolan
Bird Rising in a Rainbow Sky, its keen eye searching, soars upwards in a rippling sky of many hues, from pink and yellow to green, teal, blue and violet. Its plumage is equally a kaleidoscope of colour. Watercolour painting. Copyright © 2022 Patricia Nolan
Fish, Interrupted is a colourful aquarium scene of brightly hued peach, pink and purple coral, green aquatic plants and sea grass. It is the home of three bright orange goldfish who seem caught off guard by a visitor. One fish is surprised, one is sceptical, and the third is indifferent. Watercolour painting. Copyright © 2022 Patricia Nolan
Metal Rain Man, with violet eyes, his bald head half blue, half gold, his red mouth open to take a breath, wrinkles his brow in consternation as two-toned metallic rain splashes down on his head and black jacket from a teal-coloured sky. Digital painting. Copyright © 2022 Patricia Nolan
Yellow Figure with Glasses is a caricature of a man with purple eyelids, blue-toned lips and grey hair, moustache and beard. As he gazes at something below, perhaps on the edge of sleep, his glasses are about to slip off his nose. Mixed media painting using watercolour pencil and ink pen. Copyright © 2022 Patricia Nolan
Cactus in a Sheep Pot features a tall cactus with budding arms and white spine clusters growing out of a pottery plant pot in the shape of a sheep. The animal has creamy, curly wool, spiralling yellow ochre ram's horns and a very surprised expression on its face. Mixed media painting using watercolour, ink pen and colour pencil. Copyright © 2022 Patricia Nolan
ing with a Ring, crowned and dressed in multi-coloured robes of primary colours yellow, red and blue, salutes his subjects with a hand bearing a giant jewel stone in a ring. Salt wash watercolour painting. Copyright © 2022 Patricia Nolan
Pale Companion is set in a verdant jungle where two unlikely companions rest together, a Siberian tiger and a pale, nude young woman. They are surrounded by trees, vines and tropical forest foliage, the pastel pink skin of the woman and the orange and black stripes of the tiger contrasting with the lush green plants that envelop them. Watercolour painting. Copyright © 2022 Patricia Nolan
Cactus in an Ox Pot features a round green plant with white spines tucked into a burgundy and yellow ochre pottery plant pot in the shape of an ox with bulging eyes, a round belly and broad horns. Mixed media painting using watercolour, ink pen and colour pencil. Copyright © 2022 Patricia Nolan
Portrait of the Artist as a Cartoon. Against a green canvas background, her short orange hair swept over half her violet-hued face and pink lips closed, she gazes at the viewer from a single green eye. She wears a red velvet scarf, gold loop earrings, and a deep purple shirt. Digital painting. Copyright © 2022 Patricia Nolan
Mahon Bear stands erect and watchful, catching the scent of something unknown. The bear is tattooed with strawberries and surrounded by mushrooms, starflowers, wood fern, blueberries, butternut, as well as red and silver maples. Watercolour painting. Copyright © 2022 Patricia Nolan
A Gathering of Wood Mice brings one curious tan-coloured mouse to the forefront while its friends gather in the background. Whiskers are twitching, little pink feet spread out over the ground and long pink tails swing with every move. Mixed media painting using watercolour and colour pencil. Copyright © 2022 Patricia Nolan
Rocking Chair on Pink and Yellow features a small brown wooden rocker engraved with delicate carvings on a pink and yellow background. Digital drawing. Copyright © 2022 Patricia Nolan
Concentration, with Tongue is a cartoon figure wearing a burgundy striped hat with a bonbon and a blue-green shirt concentrating on making an image on a piece of paper with a fountain pen. The effort to focus has him sticking out his tongue to one side. Digital drawing. Copyright © 2022 Patricia Nolan
Snake in the Grass is a cartoon serpent slithering forwards, diamond eyes focussed on the viewer, tongue out to detect the scent. Digital drawing. Copyright © 2022 Patricia Nolan
Hairy Pig, her skin a pale coral with blonde hair, her snout a bubble gum pink, has floppy ears shading her eyes. She turns her attention to something new, lips pursed in anticipation. Digital pencil drawing. Copyright © 2022 Patricia Nolan
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Watercolour, colour pencil, charcoal, digital - these media in particular bring out playfulness in the artist because of their versatility and, in the case of watercolour, often unpredictable outcomes. From time to time, play is the only objective