David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year 2010 Competition’.

I am saying goodbye to 2009 and giving a welcome to 2010  by  painting from my heart for love and to help a worthwhile charity.  " Glorious Giant" an original watercolour of an elephant by Jean Haines was sold recently in the 2009 Art Liberating Lives Exhibition at the Mall Galleries,London in aid  of Sue Ryder Care.

Elephants seem to have played a "mammoth" part in my watercolour journey in 2009. They have been a favourite subject in all of my exhibitions and have led me to meeting some incredible people. Each year I now host an African workshop which is usually fully booked the minute the dates are set because it has become so popular. In 2009 my Autumn session adopted an elephant and a moon bear from the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation. In 2010 I hope to use the workshop to again help fund DSWF projects that are saving species in the wild.

This month I was delighted to create a simple step by step demonstration for the email newsletter which has been circulated this week by the SAA, Society for all Artists.

Quote : "In this exclusive SAA e-newsletter, PA Jean Haines demonstrates how to paint a gorgeous elephant in a loose watercolour style. This exciting step-by-step project is a great place to get some inspiration for the ‘David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year 2010 Competition’.

This competition is open to all amateur and professional artists aged 17 and over, the first prize is £10,000 with all profits from the competition going to help save wildlife! There are five categories: Endangered Wildlife, Wild Places, Wildlife in 3D, Wildlife in Action and Open, and a short-listed selection from each will be exhibited at the Mall Galleries, London in May 2010. The deadline for the competition is Friday 15th January 2010 – just a few weeks away!"

SAA members will have read the full feature where I used unusual  colour combinations and  water effects to create an unusual portrayal of a popular subject.

   Step 1. The Starting point had a fabulous formation of colour to create the centre of the elephant head.

The background was full of rich colours merging with water to  form " water illusions" which are now very common in my style.  People who " follow" my journey in art are delighted to see how my growth in technique now brings these patterns strongly into play in a huge variety of  ways.

The contrast of vibrant directional brushstrokes in the foreground seems to make the background sing even more.

When we paint we do so much. We " tell stories",  we create illusions and we aim to portray  any given subject in a style that is unique to us as artists who wish to be original.

I am hoping via my art I can  do more than simply create paintings. I want to help others via my passion for watercolour. My paintings in 2010 will strive to be full of  obvious emotion, life and movement in a unique way. I am aiming to achieve more for charity and improvement as artist than I have in 2009 so I am giving myself quite a challenge!

There is still time to enter the David Shepherd Wildlife of the Year Competition 2010. For full details please see this link...................


http://www.wildlifeartistoftheyear.org/index10.shtml

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