Did it Work?

I have been to the lovely Westhoughton Art Group this morning or WAG as they are affectionately know and they wanted me to do a Brusho workshop so I happily obliged. Joanne Boon Thomas had taken a lovely photo of some poppy seed heads which I have used a couple of times and I also have one from Richard Long on PMP so I used them both for reference.

I asked them all to select their palette first as I find with Brusho it is very easy to get muddy colours and a little time spent before is time well worth spending as it is so easy to get the colour choices wrong. Just 3 and at most 4 colours.

I did a quick drawing....I don't often draw with watercolour but find it more important with Brusho so I have some idea as to where to sprinkle the crystals.

I used lemon, purple, leaf green and turquoise... it's a combination I use quite a lot... first because I like it, second because I know the colours work together and third I felt it would suit my subject.

One of the members of the group had been doing his homework and told me of another way to apply the Brusho which he had researched yesterday on the internet and I have to confess I have seen this done but not tried it so today was the opportunity to give it a go. It involves lifting the lids off which doesn't sit well with me, then, using a dry brush, scoop up some Brusho using your brush to sprinkle onto the paper,  I have to admit you could certainly position the Brusho better on the paper than sprinkling from little holes on the tops of the pots, my two hesitations are unless you replace the lids IMMEDIATELY you risk tipping the pots over and getting Brusho everywhere and unless you use a different brush for each application, you risk contaminating the different pots.....

My piece is still a WIP but I have to say I thought it worked well and I think I will go back to this one and just add a few finishing touches...... something I rarely do with workshop pieces. But this one has promise, it needs a bit more in the bg I think but I hope it will be a lovely painting when it is finished..... what do you think?

Preparing for the "All About Art Event" on the 25th July

Have started doing my prep over the last few days for the above event.....my brief is to run 3 x 45 minute Brusho workshops each for 30 people and the SAA usually like their workshop participants to leave with a completed painting.... have warned them that may not be the case with yours truly!!

There are so many tips and  hints to share with Brusho and the main thing is to get people to have a go with it, see what a fantastic medium it is and share a few way of using it. Having said that I have been working on a few fast and easy to complete pieces though not sure yet if they will be achievable in the timescale, still a few more days to work on things yet though...it's quick enough to get the initial impact of the first layers, it's the building up to a finished piece which takes the time.

Here are a few of the things I've been working on

I've had to choose the colours we will be working with which is why there isn't much variety of colour with these and I will have to decide what I'm going to do and as you will all know by now decisions aren't my strong point!! Anyway will be spending a bit more time on this before I decide and it may not be any of the above I will be doing!!

Fabio Cembranelli Workshop

I booked this with my arty friend Gill Fox over 12 months ago and had been eagerly awaiting the event, 2 days of painting with a master.. bliss!!

We set off bright and early as there was no way we were missing a single minute of this!!

The venue was Sandpipers Studio on the Wirral, a lovely venue, looks like a purpose built studio set on a farm and absolutely perfect. Julie who hosts courses throughout the year was very warm and welcoming and I have to say the lunch she provided was fabulous!!

Fabio was charming and friendly and his wife Flavia a lawyer in Brazil was his assistant religiously supplying him with clean water at every opportunity. We started at 10.00am with a full floral painting demonstrated by Fabio where we were asked not to take photos or ask any questions as there would be time for him to answer any queries etc after, when he would demonstrate a smaller study and talk us through. His English isn't brilliant but certainly good enough to get his message across enough for us all to fully understand what he was talking about.

It really was mesmerising to see him work on a painting, he moves around the piece very quickly completing a half imperial size in about an hour... his colour choices seem haphazard (I know they aren't) but he seems to flit from one colour to another and that is where in all honesty I have to say I would like to have heard more about his thought processes.....he paints very quickly and I understand he may not necessarily be able to verbalise his thoughts as he is so fast and moves around the piece so rapidly but as a student I would have found that helpful. Possibly the language is a problem but I doubt he talks through his paintings even in his mother tongue.

After the first painting of a still life he had set up with roses, daisies etc, he then did a smaller piece of a single rose and talked us through more of what he was doing and was very willing to answer any questions we had both from the first piece and as he was painting the second. There we gained a little more insight as to his methods. We then chose flowers of our own to have a go at and before lunch Fabio did a critique in front of the class of each person's painting with ideas of possibly what we had done wrong and where to go next. He keeps the white of the paper and is constantly lifting paint from the paper.

So this was our first example and don't ask me why but I don't have a photo of the second study of a rose... anyway here are my efforts

He uses a lot of straight strokes with his flat brush (and his rigger) but places them very carefully to support the composition and am not sure I grasped that. Kept doing too many and not washing enough away. I also didn't save enough white of the paper on all these, the roses I think are better then the other two.

This was his second painting in the afternoon where he demonstrated a full wet in wet technique lifting all the whites. He works all around the painting creating detail, then more detail then stands back adds a bit more then suddenly signs the piece....I kept trying to guess the moment when he would as I had no idea when he had finished!!

This was my piece in the afternoon which I think I was most pleased with...

At the end of the first day he chose a few paintings to work on.. I have never seen this done before. He used the students palette and started scrubbing away removing colour, restoring whites, adding darks, adding his characteristic lines, softening edges and altering the compositions adding more flowers, buds stems where he felt necessary to improve things... again he didn't say much while he was doing this but he certainly improved every one!! 

The second day Fabio worked on sunflowers

This ended up quite a complicated composition and took a little while longer than the first demo of the day before. Once again he had a still life set up in front of him but it is clear he understands flowers and their forms so well and "knows" just how to paint them, to create the best effect. So he uses the display only as a clue to create his overall composition and for the odd reference. He does a basic sketch and vaguely sticks to it but even though every painting of his will be unique, it is clear that he has a lot of basic shapes he calls on for his compositions and as the piece progresses he knows where to extend or draw the composition in. As I have mentioned in my blogs time and time again, the more skilled the artist the better able they are to add those all so important finishing touches, and he is no exception which is why it was fascinating to watch him work on the students' paintings.

As I had only done studies the previous day I decided to do a full painting so I selected some flowers from the large selection we had at the studio and set off!!

This was my first piece and though it was a bit busy I don't mind it though it is unfinished and needs more attention around the focal point and possibly a bit more definition around the foxglove and definitely some more darks.

I wanted to do a different composition to the landscape orientation he had used as I always try and challenge myself to put into practice what the tutor is doing without following to the letter.

In the afternoon, Fabio showed us how he might work from a photo and this was both my least favorite demonstration and least favorite of my own efforts. Unfortunately I didn't take a photo of his piece which yet again was superb and mine bore little or no resemblance.  My first washes went really well and I was loving what I was seeing then I lost the plot as I tried to build the composition up. This was the piece Fabio worked on for me and though it looked better it didn't really rescue it!! I think what I learned from this is that I am not good yet at painting flowers with lots of small detail, am not sure what these flowers were but lots of little flower heads on their stems and then it is difficult to paint without losing your place and of course knowing how much to add and where to add.

I had too many hard edges and he washed quite a lot of it away, redefining the flower heads and adding depth to the composition but as you can see it is a bit muddy top left where he has tried to wash away and as I had used Arches for this piece the lifting wasn't too easy. He works so quickly and I really would have  loved to know what his thought process was and why he was doing what he was doing.


Not that I am trying to compare myself in any way with him ( my painting simply isn't in his league..... yet lol) but talking as I was painting was a skill I worked really hard to develop. I had always been very silent when I painted and recognised that I would need to speak a little as I was teaching so I spent hours practicing speaking out loud and trying to explain what I was doing and why. I am always concerned that people get an understanding of how watercolour works and admit that I may not produce my best work at a workshop or demonstration because I am distracted from the actual painting but I would like to think people go home with a much better understanding of firstly how I work and secondly how watercolour works.

There may come a point when it is more important for me to produce a good painting rather than describe the process (sincerely hope not) if as an artist I have a reputation to maintain, and producing an under par painting would be damaging, but I like to think that wouldn't be as important to me as making sure everyone got as much out of my workshops as possible and Fabio constantly reassured us that he would answer any questions at all once he had finished painting which he did. The problem with leaving it until he finished, was that questions I might have asked as he was going along were of the moment and no longer relevant and difficult to refer back to once he had finished the piece. A workshop like this wouldn't be for beginners in fact is probably for more advanced painters so obviously the basics don't need going over but the subtleties of how he uses colour throughout the painting, how he builds up the composition and how he adds the finishing touches would have been absolutely amazing to hear.

Having said all that I would attend another of his sessions and hope he might do a building or landscape.....it was a lovely experience as I always enjoy seeing artists paint especially ones as skilled as him!!

An unexpected Brusho workshop wih the lovely Joanne!!!

The second "proper" workshop (the first two were at my own group and where I cut my "teeth" so to speak!!!) I ever did was at Westhougton Art Group or WAG as it is affectionately known and since then I have been fortunate enough to have been asked back on many occasions and I am also invited to attend their sessions when they invite guest tutors... I know, am a very lucky girl!!!

Anyway this morning it was Joanne's (this is the link to her facebook page) turn to entertain the troops and I thought I would pop along, I haven't been to a Joanne workshop for a while so nice to get a "fix"....have been too busy with my own but a little rest-bite at the moment so heaven sent opportunity.

Now don't ask me why but I only took watercolour stuff and guess what she was doing... yes Brusho!!! So I begged, stole and borrowed (mostly from Joanne... thanks Jo!!) and got some equipment together so that I could join in.

With Brusho everyone produces different work which is one reason I love it and I know Joanne feels the same, as she likes to give the tools and skills to people so that they can continue to work independently. For this workshop, we had a very simple black and white predrawn reference image so not much drawing or detail, the idea being we would work to produce our own flower garden in front of cottage nestled amongst the trees.....I used some colours I hadn't tried before as Joanne has a bigger range of colours than me... interesting about the cobalt blue I chose for the sky as it was very turquoise and not at all what I was expecting. We used the medium in a variety of ways as Joanne wanted to show the group how versatile it is and how using it in different ways produces different effects.

Once again as I watched Joanne work I am reminded of how she is a master (or mistress???) of the finishing touch and how I am grateful for what she has taught me... lets face it there is no way I would be running Brusho workshops if it weren't for Joanne and the knowledge she has so generously shared both with me and her many other students. 

As an aside I would never use the same images or subjects in my own sessions, that would be totally unethical (and also very lazy!!), what I do use are the tips,techniques and skills to incorporate into my own subjects and then deliver in my own way....my own work I find is less subtle than Joanne's,  as many of you know, me and subtle don't get on and I think that has something to do with the fact that particulary with watercolour, my technique relies more and more on picking paint up directly from the palette, mixing on my brush and creating the wash on my paper rather than in the palette.... I never know how rich the colour is going to be but all adds to the excitement!!

Anyway here is my painting, have to say I was quite pleased as I liked the colours.....made a mistake in adding the trees to the left... thought I had sprinkled  a yellow and as I sprayed it, realised it was red!!! But I actually liked it as it dried and felt it helped pull the painting together.

Setting the Record Straight!!

I was a bit shell shocked to find on facebook I was being accused of copying Jean Haines work....in fact doing two direct copies of dogs from one of her books ( which I cannot find incidentally!) and passing them off as my own. If anyone is interested, these are the links to the paintings and my ramblings about them...... Holly and Boo.

I am very aware of this issue and as you will see in this post always try to give credit whenever I have used their ideas or if I have in fact used an image to copy from. I am not going to list links to all the posts in my blog but you will find paintings done from Jean's book, paintings done in Joanne Boon Thomas' workshops and also a blog where I state my views on copying from other artists in general...... so rest assured, it happens!!

I haven't heard anything from the person in question and don't suppose I will now but I am writing this blog as I was extremely offended and upset by the comment especially as those who follow me on here know that I work hard at my art and though I do follow and admire both Jean and Joanne's work and am influenced by them (there are many others too) I would never do a copy from them unless it was to learn something in particular and then I would more than likely post here and discuss what I've done. Apart from that I always produce my own work usually from images though my next aim is to work more from life and maybe do more plein air.

So although this was my idea for my next post I guess it also illustrates a point too!!

I was asked by one or two members of a group I visit to hold a small one day loose watercolour workshop for 6 of them where I could give more one on one tuition and they could really get to grips with some of the things I do in the bigger sessions at their group. They wanted to do some flowers and animals so I took some images, they took some of their own and armed with all sorts of examples and exercises I set off on Thursday to the session.

They were all experienced watercolourists, but as I hear all the time wanted to "loosen" up their style so we started off practising techniques of losing and softening edges doing roses and pinks. I try to keep hard edges to a minimum until I know I want one... they are much easier to add than get rid of so I don't commit too soon in a painting. You will see a step by step to some pinks in an earlier blog which demonstrates the sort of thing and I also did a blog about some roses back in 2012. So we practiced this for the morning, then moved on to animals for the afternoon session.

I have seen Jean do animals several times and the last demo in my previous blog blew me away and I thought I would have a go showing them how to paint an eye and move on to the rest of the features. I can draw fairly well and do a lot of work with no predrawing, but demonstrating this in front of a few people is a touch daunting! I have a lovely photo of a squirrel by Paul Sherman from Paint my Photo which I have used before and adapted to create an xmas card and as it has a good eye thought it would be suitable to try. I also had one of my little Grandpup Archie whose nose I demonstrated too!!

This is my effort

Not finished as you can see but as it is in on the corner of a piece of paper with all sorts of exercises and examples doubt it ever will be!! Eye looks a bit big but hey we were doing eyes so don't mind that!!

So, as I have taken this idea from Jean's workshop I would rightly mention that here, but what I would say is that this was done without reference to any of her work on the day, without having practised what she did and done from my brush and an image I had taken to the session so this is how I would paint it, yes with influences, ideas and some tips learned from Jean but nevertheless my brushstrokes, producing my work!! I also think Jean would be pleased to see me doing something like this as it is testimony to her skills as a teacher and just like Joanne, Jean has a mission to spread the love of watercolour to all those prepared to listen!!

Rant over!!

New Brusho Workshop with Joanne Boon Thomas

I arrived bright and early at Sunshine House (where I will be running a series of 4 "Loosening up" workshops in March... details to follow) for a one off workshop with Joanne. As ever Joanne brought new ideas and techniques to the session which was great for me as I have already attended quite a few Brusho workshops. All creative ideas go to Joanne on these paintings.

What I did want to talk about in this blog is how workshops don't always bring out the best in us, at least not at the time... how we often put pressure on ourselves not only maybe to please and impress the tutor but to actually produce that oh so elusive masterpiece and although I have produced a couple of very pleasing pieces at workshops, in general it is rare and really not to be expected.

A good tutor should fill you with ideas and enthusiasm, as both Jean and Joanne have done with me so that I may not produce "the one" at the workshop but I will come home and be inspired to put their techniques, energy and passion into my own work in my own way..... what you actually do on the day is slightly irrelevant... what you learn on the day to take away is paramount!! So excuses made for my efforts at the Brusho workshop.... here is what I did!!

This first one was from one of my own photos of poppies in the garden from last year and isn't finished yet but can already see there are a few muddy bits but I can use some bleach to lift in parts so not a lost cause with this .

 I think this was the best piece I managed on the day using some slightly different ideas... less is more with Brusho and again, possibly  bit heavy handed in parts but again a touch of bleach might just do the trick.

 This piece was altogether trickier, we created a variegated wash which wasn't an easy technique and I have used bleach in parts but again heavy handed to the bottom where you can see the muddier mixes.. a creative crop may be the way to go with this one!!

So I think this illustrates exactly what I'm talking about where I "could have done better!!" But I am certainly not despondent, rather inspired and excited to continue on my Brusho journey as the potential of this medium is phenomenal!!

Anyone who might be interested in buying the DVD and E-book which will answer all your questions can purchase it here

Will I do it? Day 20 and 21!!

Well not sure if I will make the whole 31 days but am not giving up yet!! I may not get chance to paint much next week as we are having a bathroom fitted so who knows what disruption that will cause!! Might get a bit more done tomorrow.


So have been painting 4 pieces this afternoon, one Brusho and 3 florals... two I haven't finished as I need to come back to them and decide what to do next and two are finished... not huge, 15x 11 but full paintings.

This floral was a trial for a beginners workshop I am running in March, am pleased I've done it as I think it may be a touch tricky... the petals are too big and two many colours in them and so I will try and find an image with more but smaller petals....they will be easier to "colour" in I think, I might stick with the red if I can find one as it makes a change from yellow. As you will see this isn't my usual style but because I am gearing it towards beginners I need to use some basic techniques but still paint something which am hoping will give them a good result and I wanted  to try something different to a still life or simple landscape so a bit more work to be done before I decide exactly what we will be doing but getting there!!

The next piece is more Brusho practice... from my own photo taken a few years ago in the Lake district....can see the error of my ways in this but not too unhappy... think I will
 try a different colour scheme as this is similar to the other Brusho cottage I painted.... am off to a workshop with Joanne on the 2nd Feb so slowly but surely hoping to get to grips with unpredictable medium.

Don't forget if you want to learn more about Brusho, you can get Joanne's book and DVD here. There is also a little trailer to give you a taste of what you can expect!!

Leslie's Blog

Workshop at Art & Soul Hindley

This was my third workshop ever and what a lovely group they were!!! Made me feel so at home,  served me with coffee on arrival and were so warm and welcoming. Just wanted to thank them so much for inviting me and I hope they enjoyed meeting me as much as I enjoyed meeting them!! Hope so as I'm back in a month!!!!

We started the session with some of my colour planets, you know, the ones from a while back. As you will all know am very passionate about letting colour mix on the paper and though one or two of the group did paint like this it was new for the majority so always good to be able to share something new and different.  Then we went on to do pears, lemons, bananas (only bought them yesterday so hadn't scoffed the lot before the session!!!) peppers and garlic, all simple studies like we do in the Loose group but all good for learning some of the techniques for loosening up a bit. Even though this was new and alien to most they all had a really good stab at it although most said they thought it was quite hard... am glad I told them right at the beginning this isn't for the faint hearted but for those from the group who may be reading this it does get easier........... honest!!!!

Just a few pics from the session. By the way, I will e-mail Ann with the questions about the colours and any telephone numbers in the next few days.  Am really looking forward to the next session there and hope any other groups I go to will be as nice and kind as this one......

Atmospheric Watercolours by Jean Haines (and sleepless nights!!!)

Well haven't finished it yet but am savouring every page!!!! It's stopped me eating and sleeping a good thing maybe???

Haven't done a book review before (and after reading this you may think "hope she never does one again!!!!") and maybe I should wait until it's finished but am just a lot excited about this one!!!!! It is full of Jean's secrets written in her own easy, inimitable, encouraging way, as if she is talking intimately to you, the reader. She shares moments and memories of her past..... a lovely insight into the Jean we don't get to hear about.....

I have done the first few exercises in the book following just what she did and guess what?????? They turned out and I think the penny might finally be dropping. If any of you have been lucky enough to either see Jean demonstrate or go to a workshop, she makes things look so easy.... well we all know it isn't... right????

Easy comes from years of practice, experience and desire, but.... and this is what I really want to share, this book opens the door and certainly for me has given me those all so sought after glimpses of what I'm looking for...... that's why I was so excited about it and apart from everything else, retiring, exhibition on Saturday, holiday next Wednesday etc etc....... well you can now understand why I couldn't sleep. I said to my husband at 3:30 I think I might get up... he said "What are you going to do.... paint?" Of course I said no....... hmmmm thought she indignantly does he really think I was going to get up and paint at 3;30 in the morning, how ridiculous!!!!!! Am beginning to think he knows me too well  (note to self... need to become more mysterious!!!)

So hope to read and reread more today and the next weeks and months of course, I think Jean was wise to have this published in hardback as I think it will become one of those "bible" sort of books which in paperback may become too worn!!!  Am sorry for those of you who have to wait for a copy, it will be worth the wait I promise!!! Will keep you updated and maybe write another review when I have had more chance to work through and digest... it is a treat for sure.  I normally like to flick through books before I buy but I had faith that this one would be what I was looking for and it is ...... in bucket loads!!!!!! It is a book full of hope, colour and life and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do!!