Colour in Our Lives.

Jockey in Action

Section from a full sheet painting.

I have been  asked for very large paintings and so this week has found me standing in front of massive sheets of white paper and exploring the possibilities of huge racing scenes. As one colour has flowed excitingly into another so many wonderful ideas have materialized for my next book. Ideas covering pigment interaction and techniques that can easily be followed to create  a variety of endless subjects and compositions.

So far I have four large horse racing scenes in my studio. All at various stages. Each morning walking into this room and deciding which to work on next, what colour or brushstrokes to add have really kept my imagination very much alive. If I am working on a series I often start the whole collection at the same time so that my palette matches each but ensuring  they vary at the same time.

Here is the first large painting and everyone who has seen it loves it just like this with no more detail  added.

A close up of one jockey from the painting above in a completely different technique to my usual working with opaques more obviously.

 But the jockey below is definitely my favourite  guy so far  Faces and expressions say so much in this line of  work so I am thoroughly enjoying the hints of portraits in a few sections.

Tip: During my workshops I am often asked how I choose colour  for my subjects and  how do I know where to put what  for the best effect. My answer is knowledge comes with practise. It also helps if you really love what you are doing no matter what it is. I adore colour in all forms of my life. My clothes, my garden, my home. It's only natural my watercolours are also going to be vibrantly interesting and full of life.  So start by looking at how much colour is in your life when you are not painting. This tip really does work and makes a huge difference to your results!

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