Ann Blockley is a well-known and successful watercolour painter and teacher. She is author of five bestselling practical art books, all published by HarperCollins. Ann runs her own very popular watercolour courses, has made a DVD of her painting and regularly writes for Leisure Painter and The Artist magazines. She lives in Gloucestershire.

Introduction -- Experimental flowers in watercolour -- Paint experiments and colour doodles -- Watercolour and mixed media -- Surface textures -- Spring -- Exploratory sketches -- Finding inspiration -- Getting started -- Playing with ideas -- Background -- A fresh look at composition -- Creative mark making -- Challenging yellows -- Using the white of the paper -- Working spontaneously -- Exploring watercolour -- Experimenting with shapes -- Capturing the essence -- Choosing a format -- Summer -- Exploring a theme -- Being original -- Expressive leaves -- Interpreting your subject -- Avoiding the literal -- Starting with collage -- Choosing your subject -- Developing ideas -- Moving on -- Telling a story -- The decorative approach -- Working from life -- Creating drama -- Emphasis and echoes -- Looking for abstract qualities -- Experimental flower centres -- Using paper collage -- Autumn and Winter -- Vibrant colour -- Sparkling light - Paint textures -- Leaving something to the imagination -- Finding your own style -- Hedgerow tangles -- Torn and cut paper edges -- Working creatively -- Shapes and pattern -- Using a restrained palette -- Coloured drawings -- Tonal values -- Working with gesso -- Winter skeletons -- Finding a fresh approach -- Food for thought -- Flowers in the landscape -- Index