New Work... at last!!

I have been busy with workshops and commissions and haven't had a lot of time to do any of my own work and I also need to prepare for 2 all day workshops I am running.... one with the lovely Joanne Boon Thomas....an all day Brusho session and the other on the 30th November, a watercolour day.

So this week, being the first week I have had completely free for I don't know how long, has been a treat and I have managed to paint each day. I love the workshops but do need to prep for them and even though that is getting easier as I am slowly building a repertoire of subjects and topics, it still takes time to prepare and make sure I am able to deliver the subjects not only physically but in a way that it can be understood by the groups.

I have had an image stored for a while by Chrissy M from PMP (it is her image I took the xmas Robin from) and as I have been doing Autumn leaves at some of the workshops felt I wanted to do a more complete Autumn study.. still don't know if I will do some more Autumn leaf paintings and even though love the colours am tempted to do an entirely different palette next time.

Colours used in this

Green/Gold
Raw Sienna
Burnt Sienna
Permanent Rose
UB

Next I decided to work on a painting for the workshop I am running at the end of November...  I have tried several paintings of white poinsettias but I don't think they will be suitable for the workshop

Neither of these are finished but they have taken me too long to complete even to this stage and therefore will be difficult to deliver at the workshop. During my all day sessions I normally do some work beforehand with the group so they have a bit more idea as to how to go about things rather than going straight in to an image....painting in a loose way isn't easy as you will all know so I like to sort of prepare them a bit first!!

So today I have worked on this one... I have used the image (by Barbara Tester) before.... it isn't too complicated (not too many leaves) and can be simplified a bit further and allows me to demonstrate the principles of painting in a loose way quite well

Used

Opera Rose
Permanent Rose
UB
May Green
Cad Yellow

I am really pleased with this one the colour really stands out in the "real life" painting and I like the colour combination.

The final painting has been done to commemorate Remembrance day. I love painting poppies but it is always more poignant at this time of year... photo by Sharon Robinson

So this is what I've been working on this week... a good, productive week I think.. now need to get my Brusho out!!!

Another Doggy Portrait Step by Step

I met a lovely lady during one of my workshops and she asked me to do a bit of tuition with her, and even though she is a very good painter without my help,  she wants to learn watercolour and loosen up a bit.

I went to her house where I had the privilege of meeting Jenny, her lovely little dog..... a dog in waiting (to be painted that is!!) I asked Linda to send me some images and loved this one which has a quirky tilt to her head and shows her personality perfectly. 

So here is another step by step... seem to remember to do the doggy ones and another white dog too!

 

A loose drawing just to get the nose eyes and mouth in the right place and a little paint applied and bled out to the surrounding areas... colours used

Burnt Sienna
Permanent Rose
Raw Sienna
Indigo

As many of you will know I don't always draw but with commissions I do generally do a sketch to get the features in the right place.....if I am painting for myself, and I don't get a good enough likeness, there is no-one to check it but obviously when the owner will see the painting of her pet, it has to look like her pet!!

While the face is drying I add some background, here you can see the colours used and mixed on the paper, this will be darkened as the portrait progresses but also helps me get some shape into the composition at this early stage. I can see on here that the nostrils aren't quite right but that can be lifted at a later stage.

A bit more detail added to the right eye and nose and under her chin. I am keeping as much of her white as possible at this stage and will add shaded areas as it progresses. I work on areas as they dry so I am often working on another painting at the same time. Too often a painting is spoiled because we don't wait for the paint to dry... a sure recipe for mud (see  my blog about mixing mud here)

More work on the eyes and nose, background darkened and collar added in. Also added a bit more of her body but washed most of that away as I don't want the eye to be led there.

Can see the edge of the background at the top is too defined so will look at that....

So softened the diagonal edge and started to add more tone to the face, adding areas of paint where I see tone on the photo, softening edges as I go. I have worked more around the eyes and added a few highlights with white gouache both in the eyes and for some fur around the nose and mouth. I have added a touch of detail to the left ear but washed away so it is just a hint. Can see an area, left of her chin which doesn't look right and when I check the image can see I need to bring the shape round a bit.. the wonders of technology, seeing on screen makes these things stand out so much more.

Also added a bit more around her collar... hope she likes!!

Am I up for it?

I wrote some time ago about commissions here and how they are a worry, a restriction, and an interpretive challenge and generally the difference between painting for ourselves or for someone else.

My blog has been so quiet recently and there are a number reasons for that...the odd commission, quite a few workshops and I have also been away for a few days to Copenhagen.  The workshops, though I love them need preparation and of course that stops me concentrating on my own work which is generally what I post about resulting in me not having much new to share.

So, I have been commissioned to paint some Christian Art to hang in the newly built entrance hall of a church and the first idea was to paint a cross and some roses.....practices here. The brief has now changed to one large painting, not of roses but of grapes and wheat... symbolic in the Christian church and one smaller painting of a rustic cross. I visited the church and checked the dimensions and we have decided that the final paintings will be prints of the originals and blown up onto canvas as they don't want frames and of course watercolour needs framing. The other issue is that I don't have big enough paper as the large painting will be 40x30 inches so almost a third as big again as full imperial.

This is the piece which is going for approval

This is 20x15 so half the original size and actually the colours are slightly more harmonious than it appears on here... the cross will be done in a similar palette so the paintings look like they belong together.

I had done a smaller painting of this, 15x11 and sent that for approval and to be quite honest am not sure what I would have done had that not been liked... the composition sort of evolved. I started with an all over wash adding the colours very approximately as I thought I would have them in the finished piece. As I was doing the practice piece I felt I wanted to keep the centre light and actually washed that area back to recapture some of the light I had lost in the washes...the areas of leaves also evolved and a lot of trial and error to see what worked around the perimeter of the piece.  I am still working on the cross but compositionally that is an easier piece so have been less anxious about that and am happy that will be approved to go forward too.

Thankfully my client loves the piece and will be putting it forward to the "committee" next week. Although an individual has commissioned the work, it still has to meet with the approval of the Church management committee and will be offered as a gift to the church from my client if they like......if not, am not sure what they will do!!

Commissions are tricky and though I have been given a brief the reliance on my "artistic" capabilities to transform from a brief into a finished painting is quite stressful especially when there is a deadline. If the committee don't approve this I won't be horribly disappointed as I have followed the brief and my client is happy with what I've done... as we all know art is in the eye of and it may not suit everyone who has to approve it.. who knows whether they will all like the concept and my style?So remains to be seen if I am up to it!!!!!

Xmas cards 2014 FOR SALE!!

Had all my cards printed for this year and they're looking good!! So here they are......................

Taken from an image by Petra Moll on Paint my Photo

Image by Petra Moll

Image by Gary Jones

Image by Paul Sherman

From my own image

Photo by Lynton Bolton

These last two are the same image different colour choices... the one below was a commission after the customer received the one above!!

Reprint from last year, Steve Gibbs

Another reprint Chrissy M

I create a Christmassy feel around the images by choosing the colours and bgs all with limited palettes then splattering some masking fluid over the paper before I start and I like the way they create a series, all different but still maintaining a theme.

All cards are A5 size printed on 300gsm silk and am selling them for

£1.50 each or set of 4 (you choice of design) for £5.00 plus p&p... paypal accepted.

Please e-mail me or visit my fb page  and leave a message if you wish to purchase... thank you

STEP by STEP.....Archie... our little Grandpup!!

Am hoping this is a new resolution... to make more step by steps!! So here is the first.

We have a lot of lovely photos of Archie (he is a very photogenic golden cocker spaniel and of course we aren't at all biased!!) but his "mum" Steph took this one... she takes the best photos of him and I really loved this one!!!

I had an attempt at painting him nearly 12 months ago but wasn't at all satisfied with the colour as I hadn't been able to inject anything different which is why I am a lot happier with this one.

I sketched the outline, positioning the eyes nose and mouth and though I don't normally use masking fluid preferring to reserve the whites I did pick out the highlights on this... his fur has blond highlights and I didn't want to leave to the end and pick out with white paint as there is too much.

First step of painting was to pick out the eyes and nose and add paint wet in wet to areas of the face. Little tip for both eyes and nose from Jean Haines is to let the colour bleed sightly into the face which helps to make them part of the face.

 

Next was to add the backround. the colours I have used are all W&N artists quality, the paper is Arches rough 140lb.

Colours  

                                                                                    

Pthalo Turq (this is a good rich colour which will give a good range of tonal value)                                        

Burnt Sienna                                                                                                                                               

Alizarin Crimson                                                                                                                                          

Raw Sienna

                                                                                                                                              

I tested the colours with a planet and decided the turquoise was a good addition to lift the colours to       create something a bit more unusual. The first painting I did was unimaginative as I stuck to the colours as I saw them so am happier with this palette.

The background was a mix of all 4 colours, added wet on dry and allowed to mingle on the paper. As I didn't want any green in this I tried not to place the blue next to the yellow. I also added a bit more detail under his chin and on his chest introducing some of the turquoise here and there. Where I wanted good darks I used the turq, aliz crimson and burnt sienna picking up almost neat paint mixed together on the brush.  There isn't really any magical formula as to where I add which colour other than I am always looking to add variety while keeping things in harmony.

Here I have started to build up the ears...... the paint has been applied with a drier brush so that I start to get the texture there rather than a smooth velvety look as on his face were his fur is much shorter.  I also work a little around his face trying to keep the edges soft where I can building up some depth of colour.

                                                

Next I added the collar, a little more detail to the eyes and a bit more building up on the face. Again there is nothing too scientific about how I move around the painting other than I make sure the paint is dry before I work in that area again.

                                                                                                                              

                                                

Here I decided to add a bit more background to the left.... might decide that doesn't look right but I have now committed to it!! I worked on his muzzle with some raw sienna and soften the areas below his nose.

 

As his face was now wet I darkened the background above his head which brings his head more forward and when dry I worked around his face. I also removed the masking fluid at this stage so I could work more around his mouth, nose and eyes.

 

I didn't like the mouth so worked on it a bit more here..I built up by looking at the tone on the image and adding the darks where I see them. I also lifted colour out above his left eye and between his eyes. A bit of work on his nose here too...I had used some masking fluid on his nose but it needed blending... often a problem with masking fluid as it leaves harsh lines and needs softening.

 

More work now on his ears and around his face.... at this stage it is the finishing touches which need adding and  I spend a lot of time just looking and often take photos as things often become clearer when viewed on screen. I worked more on the eyes and nose and it is often only a very tiny touch of paint here and there as I am trying to improve the likeness and fine tune the shapes. I have added a touch more to the bg to the right, again not sure about this area and feel it may need something else but I think I am going to leave it for the time being.

 

I left it overnight and after a bit more tweaking around the mouth  think I will be calling it a day!!

Hope you have enjoyed this... please feel free to ask any questions you have about techniques I've used, or anything you feel may not be clear, am always happy to help!!

2014 all day Workshops

My blog has been really quiet recently but just so you know I haven't been sitting idly around!! I ran the first of my all day workshops at the Boonric Gallery last week but got so involved forgot to take any photos so was determined to remember yesterday!!

The workshop was titled "Loosen Up" your watercolours and was designed to help take the myth out of that loose style we all seem to want to achieve.

I have now been teaching for just over 2 years and I cannot tell you how the teaching has helped my own work... having to verbalise what I am thinking really helps crystallize my thoughts and helps me understand why I'm doing what I'm doing which can only be good for everyone else!!

I usually start my classes, with a run down on how (and more importantly why) I apply the paint to the paper... mixing on the paper and the brush, and it soon becomes very clear to everyone, with the exercises we do, why this way is more exciting and lively.....

We go on to show how you don't need the whole subject for people to understand what you are painting and then do some work on lost edges. I saw lots of light bulb moments in both these workshops... and many comments of how they had never worked this way before....

I demonstrate lots of techniques which when PRACTICED will help someone's painting improve massively... key word there is PRACTICE... remember painting is a skill not a talent but needs PRACTICE to develop!!! I try and show people all the things I was never shown... I think my tutors tended to assume I had this knowledge, when in reality I knew nothing and needed to be taught!! Lesson learned and in my classes I try not to assume anything. The other thing I didn't see much of in those early days was a tutor demonstrating... another valuable lesson for me... I demonstrate everything.... I believe it is much easier to see how someone does something than reading about it.

So the first part of the day involves techniques, tips and hints and then we go on to paint an image which helps put everything into practice.

You may remember I wrote a blog on how to use artistic licence with photos here and this was the image I used for these 2 workshops as it encompassed so many ideas I was trying to get across both in terms of technique and intent.

I explained that when I saw the image (supplied by Ruth Archer from Paint my Photo) I wanted to convey a completely different atmosphere which involved a sunny day and also I was not going to include everything. In my sessions when we are doing a painting I try to encourage the group to use different colours to the ones I am using and often get them to test a combination by using the colour planet idea.

Here are the paintings done by the group... they were all on this course because they wanted to lose some of the detail they were inclined to add and though they didn't all finish, I think they all did terrifically well and really embraced what I was trying to get across. I also need to add that not one person drew this image first... they all went straight in with the paint.. scary!!!

I feel so proud of them all when I see their work together here and have to say the previous group did an equally good job with their paintings too!! As a tutor, what really stands out is how different they all are!! I judge how successful a workshop is, not by how close they are to my work but how different it is!! What I try to do in all my sessions is give people the tools to work on their own, I teach a way of painting which I hope they can incorporate in their own work, in their own way and I encourage them to start by at least choosing their own palette.

In conclusion, I have already had one lady send this to me today......a painting she has done this morning where she has embraced the techniques and worked at it on her own.... how fantastic is that??? Look at this......this is what my sessions are all about, she has used all the techniques and integrated them into a different scene and produced a gorgeous piece. Seeing this,I know this lady has learned enough from the session to incorprate it in her own work... I am so delighted with this, she has done a beautiful job and am sure she is delighted too!!

More Hints on Colour Choices

I have had an online friend Leona Fraser for some time now (she is a very accomplished painter!!) and she has been incredibly supportive of my own work and art journey. I saw this image she posted of her wonderful dog Buster and decided it was a dog in waiting, that is waiting to be painted!!

I loved the composition as well as his soft trusting face so decided to paint him....

The main thing I think about with a painting like this is the palette I should use... as many of you will know I tend not to use more than about 5 or 6 colours in any one painting and still use my planets to get a combination I think will work. Check out this blog I did a couple of years ago which you might find useful.

I always like to use a rich dark, either indigo, ub, purple (usually winsor violet which is my favourite purple), perylene maroon and sometimes more than one dark... then I usually choose a yellow and a red and mix them on the paper to see what effects I get and whether I like the mix. Sometimes the combination needs a subtle change from say quin gold to raw sienna or vice versa. I don't always know what I'm looking for, it is often a process of elimination trying different mixes until I hit on something I think will work. However I could also choose an entirely different combination and still feel it would work!!

There is nothing special or requiring special talent in what I do it is simply a process of trying different things maybe choosing unlikely combinations which helps make the painting more unique but I can assure there is nothing more to it than just choosing some colours and hitting on a mix which I think looks nice.

Colours used in this

UB, winsor violet, burnt sienna, aliz crimson, transparent orange, raw sienna, but it really doesn't matter which colours I used I could equally have decided on prussian blue or indigo, touch of turquoise, permanent rose, that is down to personal choice and what might be an interesting exercise would be to do several paintings of the same subject using a different palette in each case!!

I did a quick sketch of this, it is important even when painting a loose watercolour, the drawing has to be accurate so I placed the nose and eyes then painted around them.

I would encourage you all to try different colours, just play with the paint and see what different combinations you can get, admittedly they may not be realistic but to me that is all part of the fun!!

Am delighted to say Leona loved this by the way!!

Is this "en Plein Air"?

I have just returned from a fabulous time in Anglesey with a super group of painters from the North West. Joanne Boon Thomas organises this trip each year for 2 groups of painters one stay the first half of the week, the others the second half and we have all been blessed with the most amazing weather...the hotel was super with fabulous food (always a plus!!) very warm and welcoming.

Joanne invited me as she keeps telling me I need to get out and do some painting en plein air!!! I know she's right but I guess I have avoided it so far. I did go on a painting holiday to Umbria in 2006 and had a wonderful time and although my paintings left a lot to be desired I was voted best improver of the week so I was happy!! I haven't really done much plein air since I but do know it is another string I need to my bow.

So armed with my easel, a small traveling palette, collapsible water jug and equipment pared to the very bone (going against everything I hold dear!!) I set off first of all to pick up my pal Polly Birchall whom I had met once before on a workshop with Joanne. We had a good journey into NorthWales and then onto the island and no we didn't get lost once!!! Who said women can't navigate!! We chatted and pontificated none stop for the whole journey, setting the art world to right and our 2 hour journey passed in no time.

We arrived at the small town of Moelfre where most of the group were already settled and well on their way with their first efforts. I set up to paint what I realised was a difficult subject, not the house I was painting but all the rocks below... not a good idea, and certainly an even worse idea to attempt it again to try and improve!!

We met for drinkies back at the hotel, changed for dinner and then went on to enjoy our first fabulous meal. Early night for most and then off the following day to the wonderful Chateau Rhianfa. The group had been for the first time last year and must have behaved themselves as we were able to go again this year.. what a place!!! A painter's dream... so much inspiration, am now looking at deals to go and stay!!

The following day we visited Red Wharf Bay and painted there for the morning and after devouring our packed lunches Polly and I set off home. Before I go on to display the paintings and explain the reason for the title of this blog, I would like to take the opportunity to thank Joanne for organising what was a lovely trip and for getting me doing the dreaded "plein air!!"

This was a little Dovecote building in the grounds of the Chateau, hidden amongst the trees.  I tried to capture the lights and shadows which were falling on the building and was actually quite pleased with how this turned out... I maybe overworked it a touch but next time would go in with the deep tones sooner so that I avoided too many layers

The next painting was of the Chateau and what I had in mind was to capture the light rather than all the detail on the turret or all the foliage for that matter. I went in wet in wet, no drawing and avoided the side of the turret to the left which was bathed in light. I then added a bit of detail to the stonework, a touch of shadow and though  the piece may not be finished (it might need some rich dark foliage lower down on the left of the turret), I do like the light....

The final painting I did on location is again unfinished, done at Red Wharf Bay of some lovely little houses and a boat... problem was the tide went out before I managed to get to the boat and  lost the reflections as it ended up on the beach!! Again a bit overworked in the foliage department but so much learned!!!

Artistic license used in this to add the boat and include less foliage!!

And finally to my question!!

What I would like to know is.... if I painted the following painting in my garden this afternoon, having taken the original photo and already done a version once above, does it count as plein air?Am really hoping so!!! I think for the "purists" amongst you I would need to have done the whole painting in front of the actual subject but for those who may be a bit more liberal, the experience of fighting the elements (in this case, glorious baking sunshine) with a photo stuck to the side of my easel may just count!

I wanted to create a more complete representation of the same scene above including the foliage (aarrrgghhhh) and I might even do the same painting again but use a different colour scheme as am feeling this is a bit cool and some warmer tones might be needed.

So what have I learned....

Well first, to make sure if the tide is going out get the boat done first so that the reflectons are captured!!

Second, decisions en plein air need to be made quickly and it therefore helps to have a sort of template or formula for how to paint something, ie stonework, beach, sea, foliage, there are too many other things to be thinking about without wondering how to paint something in the first place... the rocks in my first efforts are a good point in question.

Third, you don't need to include everything... I think I am actually ok at that bit... anything which looks remotely tricky... leave it out, that's my motto!!! Vignettes are good for plein air (like the little Summer House) you just need to make sure you get the composition looking ok at the edges. So, not a uniform unbroken circle around your subject, more random and uneven.

Am sure I will have learned lots more but for now these are the areas I will be working on, I am on the edge of the Pennines, the start of the moors in Lancashire and we have Rivington Country Park on our doorstep... an area full of old stone buildings, doors, reservoirs,  derelict barns so there really is no excuse and I am hoping I have developed a few more skills to encourage me to get out there and give it a go!!