Book Launch: One Day to Go!

Original Watercolour by Jean Haines

From the book "How to Paint Colour and Light in Watercolour"

I can't believe it. It is now only one day to go to my book launch at the Mall Galleries in London. Tomorrow I will be making my way there at this time and setting up for my demonstrations. The books are already waiting for me to sign them. It still all feels very much like a dream. As yet no one has even seen my book apart from my publishers and family. Tomorrow it will be there for everyone to view or buy. Everything I have shared will no longer just be my private knowledge. I am letting go of my "baby" and it is a very emotional feeling..

This morning I am looking back at how this book came to be and looking through all of the original paintings that are included. It is so strange how life rolls on with one wonderful event and connection happening after another. So often we never even fully realise how one moment in time can lead to another that could be so important to us or magical in our lives.

A while ago I was in Portugal and came across a wonderful elderly gentleman sat on a bench watching the world go by. The sunlight played patterns so beautifully on him and his surroundings. I knew instantly I had to paint him. And I did. I loved every second of doing so. I even took "him" into workshops where others adored painting him too. He became such a favourite  subject that when it came to looking at how I see light and paint it he immediately jumped into my mind. He was perfect for my book. 

Choosing the right colour combinations to portray subjects in light along with seeing where leaving white paper can bring magic to a scene is an area I love discussing. It is a huge part of how I work. I wanted to share how I think in my book more than anything else. I so hope I inspire others to see light  as I do because until we do genuinely notice how it plays on subjects we can't capture it effectively. And my choice of colours is definitely because of how I see things.

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" How to Paint Colour and Light in Watercolour" is a commission published by Search Press and available from 7th July 2010. The book launch will be held at the Mall Galleries in London  where copies are available to be signed along with demonstrations given during the morning and afternoon at the gallery.

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The Society of Women Artists Annual exhibition runs until the 10th July  2010 and  several Jean Haines original watercolours are in the show.

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