Watercolours With Life: Writing a Feature

Tuesday 21 September 2010

Writing a Feature

Painting The Blues!

I have spent today completing a feature for an art magazine. While I worked with a selection of blue shades I realised how much fun it is to literally watch paint dry. I have learned so much from sitting still and enjoying watching the pigments fuse and merge as they dry minus the use of a hairdryer to speed things up. In fact I detest the use of a hairdryer as it really can ruin gloriously natural results from allowing watercolour to dry in its own time.

There is a tiny burst of pigment trying to escape in these strong bold placements of colour application.Even the "bully" Cadmium Yellow is subdued into behaving for a change!

How many artists race to work on a completed masterpiece and lose vital pleasure and excitement from the joys of just playing with colour for the sake of it?

Heaven forbid a day will come where I don't say " WOW!" at two pigments creating fascinating reactions as they dry.

For now I must get back to writing but today has been so much fun.

And that is how painting should be for me,

Sheer joy and pleasure.

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4 comments:

Roy Simmons said...: LOL! So... as much fun as watching paint dry has a new meaning! I must confess Jean I am impatient, I now don't use a hairdryer because of the blowing effect. BUT I now use a Chefs blowtorch! You get heat without moving the paint so much.; 21 September 2010 at 14:26
tess stieben said...: Wonderful note, to just play with pigment and enjoy.

I used a hairdryer once on instruction of a teacher, when I saw how forced drying dulls the pigments I realized that for watercolor to vibrate and glow it needs to dry naturally.

Teresa; 22 September 2010 at 06:33
hap said...: Thanks for sharing that Jean! I know I'm not the only one who enjoys just watching paint "happen", but it's nice to get a bit of affirmation once in a while from another!! I absolutely love the interplay between one color and the next! It's a surprise and a treat, every time I paint!; 22 September 2010 at 06:41
devotedmomof7 said...: How true! I am taking a class series from Geri Medway and yesterday's class involved just such a study! We made a pageful of samples from various sedimentary mixes. It was new to me and, I'm sure, will be a tremendously useful tool. Watching what each combination did as it dried was interesting! So, I agree, watching paint dry CAN be lots of fun!; 23 September 2010 at 12:54

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The Artist Magazine : Book Review

Jean Haines' Atmospheric Watercolours

"The book is nothing less than a paean to the wet in wet technique. If that's your thing, prepare to be amazed. Jean Haines credits Jean Louis Morelle, and in many ways this book is the sequel to Morelle's remarkable, but very technical work, showing the wealth of creative possibilities the technique offers. A lot of the images are barely recognisable and yet you instinctively know what they are. I wish I knew how, because this is impressionism taken to its logical conclusion and reminiscent of some of the later work by JMW Turner. You will have to take it from me that "First signs of a face appearing magically from a first wash of watercolour" is pure alchemy. This is an extraordinary book."

"Amazing Ways With Watercolour:" Fastest Selling DVD!

"Amazing Ways With Watercolour" from Town House Films is the fastest selling DVD with the company to date! Record breaking pre-orders for this much awaited film saw requests for copies flooding in from all over the world. A wonderful introduction into working with watercolour minus the use of a preliminary sketch this DVD removes the fear, stress or pressure from worry about how to use watercolour. Instead the focus is on having fun, enjoying vibrant colour combinations and allowing the medium to create the subjects with just a little help from the artist. A really exciting new DVD to own. Whilst the DVD sold out in the first few months since its' release due to popularity it is now in stock and available directly from Town House Films.

http://www.townhousefilms.co.uk

How To Paint Colour and Light in Watercolour

"How to Paint Colour and Light in Watercolour" Jeans first book was launched at the Mall Galleries in 2010 at the SWA Society for Women Artists Annual Exhibition. Many copies have been sold world wide. It is available on Amazon.com, Search Press, SAA Society for All Artists and Ken Bromley.

"This book is a wonderful introduction into Jeans' way of working and gives an insight into her way of thinking and approach to a large variety of subjects. All painted minus the use of a preliminary sketch."