Next Exhibition: October 2010

" Beauty of Venice"

Cover of my book " How to Paint Colour and Light in Watercolour " 

On show for the first time.

My next exhibition will take place at The Market Street Gallery, Alton, Hampshire. In the collection will be favourite paintings including work from my first book "How to Paint Colour and Light in Watercolour"

The cover " Beauty Of Venice " will be on show for the first time and the collection will include many paintings which are my personal favourites such as this gorgeous cat with green eyes.

"Where's the Birdie?"

 It is going to be very hard letting this piece go as it will be on show for the first time in the exhibition.

 

The Market Street Gallery has hosted several events for me watching my personal growth as a professional artist over the last few years. I had work accepted into the Royal Institute of Watercolours during my first show there and have become a full member of the Society of Women Artists since then.

My style has evolved and reputation as an artist grown as has the popularity of my watercolours. It gives me great pleasure to return with a few surprises because as always in my exhibitions there is an element of the unexpected. Everyone wants to see cockerels and racing scenes. Will there be any in this next show?

You will have to wait and see! 

But it will definitely be fantastic.

A preview will be  arranged as a " Meet the Artist" evening  and I would  love to see you there.

For full details please contact the Market Street Gallery directly.

market streetgallery@btconnect.com

Tel no: 01420 88482

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Being Wise

 Owl Eye Appearing from a New Collection for this Autumn

The last few months have been so busy and my Summer has been full of exciting opportunities. My life is changing as my time is now taken up because of my devotion to watercolour. And in so many ways.

Writing is obviously a passion of mine as well as working in this medium so the new opportunities that have come my way involving writing art magazine features along with my first and next book have been really thrilling. Having work in established galleries who exhibit favourite subjects in the right surroundings is also an incredible and vital part of my art career.

I have made a decision that will see my workshops for 2011 limited in number but more adventurous and inspirational than ever before. Mainly because my own excitement  with this magical medium has built to a level that is at an all time high. I also have a new location that is really going to be wonderful for artists coming to me from abroad. I have the opportunity to hold a workshop in Canada in the fall next year as well as exhibit there.

I am being approached constantly regarding my art in so many ways but what is the most vital and key factor of my life is that whatever happens, I never want to lose my enthusiasm and love for moving my brush. I adore capturing new or favourite subjects in  a variety of explorational techniques that thrill me.The inner sense of wonder when something incredible happens in front of my eyes as colours merge and react on paper is part of my daily routine.

  Autumn Colours in a New Owl Painting

To meet deadlines and fulfil obligations is an area that could feel like work. As a professional artist this is a full time career but on a highly enjoyable  level.

My creative spirit thrives on being amongst positive influences. At the moment I seem to be being asked for advise from new and upcoming artists.The best advise I can offer anyone is to always follow your own instincts and heart. Do what is right for you and paint from your heart in a way that thrills you. If you are bored when you pick up your brush you are either painting the wrong  subject, maybe you have painted the same thing and in the same style for far too long or maybe you are working in the wrong medium. 

Remember........

"Bored Artists paint boring paintings!"

Maybe I am one of the lucky ones in this world of art or maybe I just happen to be in the right place at  the right time.Or maybe my sheer joy in my work and the love I have for the medium is what makes things move in the right direction.

All I know is at times I have to make decisions wisely just like anyone else in life. So taking time out to think is always a wise move.

Today I am painting and thinking!

Positively!

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Valuable Experiments

Colour Experimentation.

My colour experiments are now  fast becoming a part of my daily routine. I am fascinated in what can happen between pigments and even more facsinated when water interacts to create patterns with  brilliant and varied effects. These I use in my larger paintings to full effect and my journey in watercolour has never been more exciting.

Just when I thought I was enjoying myself along came a new idea which took me off at a hundred miles an hour in a completly new direction.

I feel as though I am at the best party imaginable with a million oufits to choose from to wear to it! It's heaven and so addictive!

I wish everyone reading my blog a fantastic day and I hope if you are a watercolour addict as much as I am that you are having fun moving that brush. Just think, you can't get today back so make this one count!

Have fun and happy painting!

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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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Artists and Illustrators Magazine: Masterclass Feature

 Artists and Illustrators Magazine

Masterclass 2: Jean Haines

October 2010 Issue

 I am thrilled to be included in the Artists and Illustrators Magazine in the October 2010 issue. An extract from my book " How to Paint Colour and Light in Watercolour" has been selected for the masterclass series and feature.

You can read more about the magazine which is a winner with so many artists of all levels because of its  amazing variety of  outstanding interest covering all mediums and topics related to art via this link.......

http://www.artistsandillustrators.co.uk/page/this-issue

 This is the first time I have been published in the Artists and Illustrators and when I read this introduction I was over the moon.


"In this months second masterclass,watercolour expert Jean haines shows how to make the most of the medium's atmospheric  qualities as she builds up this colourful landscape "

What a terrific way to start a week!

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Gardners Book Trade Show Guest Speaker

 Following the " Meet the Artist " event at my publishers Search Press this summer I have been invited to demonstrate as a guest speaker and author at the Gardners Autumn Book Trade Show 2010 which will be held at Warwick University.  It is amazing how your life  changes once you start writing because now I am meeting so many wonderful authors who have written on so many other subjects other than art. So this weekend will find me sharing my passion for watercolour in a completely new way. At a book trade show and I am so looking forward to meeting everyone there.

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Gardners Book Trade Show

Warwick University

26th September 2010

Artist and author Jean Haines has confirmed as attending.

Well known for her enthusiasm and passion for art, Jean Haines covers a wide range of subjects in a loose and interpretive style. In the 1990s she studied Chinese Brushwork in Hong Kong, which she now incorporates in her expressive watercolours. Light, colour and sections left to the viewers' imagination play a vital role in her paintings. In 1997 Jean moved to Dubai where she held workshops and courses and participated in many prestigious events at major galleries. Her work soon became collectible and she has since sold many pieces which are now in homes all over the world. Following a short period in both France and Belgium, Jean returned to the UK in 2006, and now regularly exhibits and hosts international watercolour workshops for artists from all over the world. She has won many awards for her outstanding work, most recently the Society for All Artists' Professional Artist of the Year, Experimental and Abstract Award.

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Daniel Smith Watercolour Experiment : Roses

 Roses with Daniel Smith Watercolours

Experimenting with backgrounds and effects.

The sun is shining and my garden is calling me. Roses are blooming in a rainbow of colours adding colour and beauty to the landscape I see from my studio window. I almost feel an Autumn glow fall over  certain sections which made me think about my Summer rose paintings. I have several uncompleted and my mind is still very much connected with my Daniel Smith watercolour experiments that I carried out yesterday in my studio. The shade selection I have been given really is tempting me in so many ways. There are shades that are completely new to me begging to be  used for  the vast range of subjects I cover. But there are also the classics I fall back on such as Alizarin Crimson and Cadmium Yellow. As much as I am dying to discover the exciting range that I have yet to explore I need to know how shades I normally use work so that I can  compare them with accuracy.

One of my initial findings is that the Daniel Smith range does seem thicker in formulation than my favourite range, Winsor and Newton. The pigment stays put more easily on paper which could be wonderful for beginners in this medium but what about the way I work with lots of water and  dependance on watermarks for effects. Before I hastily recommend this range of watercolours and get too excited I need to experiment further . So this morning I raced to my studio, grabbed a previous quiet wash of roses and played with the background because this is an area that is vital to my pieces being successful or not.

The background makes the subject sing  so to ignore or dismiss it is a huge mistake. I often see artists on my workshops leave this area until last hoping it will " magically " all work out with little thought or preparation beforehand.

 Background using Cobalt Teal Blue and Cadmium Yellow  

Mixed on paper NOT the palette!

So here I am looking at a soft first wash of roses and thinking about giving it a boost of vibrance with Daniel Smith watercolours. I worked away from my two main roses using the Cobalt Teal Blue as seen in yesterdays experiment on  my blog. But I was dying to work with a serious opaque so opted for Cadmium Yellow.  I laughingly call this the "monster" of the  pigment pack  who walks in with great big boots on and pushes every transparent pigment out of its way.  If you have read my book you will understand I  see each pigment as a character,some are "friends " getting along famously. Cadmium Yellow doesn't get pushed around easily,it is a bully of the palette! But here the "bully" walltzed in, took one look and merged beautifully with the Cobalt Teal Blue creating a  fantastic new green that is fresh and alive along with being a perfect foil for a background for my sweet roses.

Further more I tried using a diluted wash of Cadmiun Yellow as a glaze over my whole painting.Guess what? A fabulous sunny effect was the result and this "bully" was putty in my hands! The Daniel Smith Cadmium Yellow does seem to have more of a vibrant glow han I am used to and I love it.

Daniel Smith glaze of Cadmium Yellow  over the majority of my rose painting.

Now I am really beginning wonder what this amazing colour range that is new to me can do. Can it give me the latest technique effects I have been working on recently? I tried these too and here is an example of  a colour edge designed to work with wet and dry paper, a fun technique I adore using for a variety of subjects. The edge is not deliberately  manipulated which can look so obvious and contrived. I have worked out a simple way to achieve several effects for a large variety of subjects which I am sharing in my next book. I suddenly realized some techniques are missing in instructional literature to make subjects jump off the paper in watercolour that until now have not seemed to be covered.

Pigment Edge. Natural and uncontrived using a new technique.

No brushwork is involved.

So it i sthat now I have my effects happily working with colour staying where I want it.  Here I am reminded of the really common train of thought that there is no control with watercolour. Really? Well for one I don't want to control it, I want to work with it as my best friend in harmony and with passion. Having said that I do have control when I want it. I love the way this medium excites and plays when it touches paper.

Here is a close up of the main rose centre in my painting. Quite a lot going on in layers and watercolour effects here isn't there!

Close up of rose painting using Daniel Smith Watercolours in experimental washes.

And finally the painting almost completed. Wow, the roses are almost jumping off the paper as if dying to be picked. Or I could lean forward to absorb their incredible fragrance. The last days of summer are here and I am enjoying every second of painting from life whilst I can.

 Amazing effects, colours merging, glazes, washes. 
All in one  painting.

I depend on  the qualities and properties of the watercolour products I select to aid bringing my work to life with vibrant colour, experimental techniques and imaginative brushstrokes. I want results that are completely unique and alive. I am a hard master to please as I search for something new constantly. I never settle for or believe what I paint today cannot be improved tomorrow.There will always be a better way to paint and a new way to improve results.

Always.

I must confess my experiments with Daniel Smith are leading me into completely new adventures with a medium I thought I already knew. It's wonderful .  I am thrilled to have something new to experiement with after so long of staying with the "known".

A break is as good as a rest and I am on a high.

Thank you Daniel Smith for giving me food for thought and a thrilling new adventure ahead of me in experimentation!

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I will be covering my techniques in my Autumn Workshops in UK which are fully booked. Exciting new workshops will be on my web site soon for 2011 but please book early as places are limited.

If you wish to book me for a workshop or demonstration  in UK or abroad please ask your Art Society to contact me on jeanhaines@hotmail.com. 

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Daniel Smith Watercolours: WOW Factor?

Cockerel Coming to Life in a Second Wash

Using Daniel Smith as a second colour over Winsor and Newton as a foundation wash.

I have many paintings on the go at any given time so I can jump from one subject to another at will as my mood and imagination grabs me. But this afternoon I am experimenting with Daniel Simith watercolours from a selection I had been given to try this Summer.

I am fascinated by them because they are so very different to what I am used to working with. As everyone who knows me or who has watched me painting will understand I use very little pigment and rely on large amounts of water to create my finished paintings. Many unique pieces take a long time to build up to the finished effect that I am aiming for.

And so  as I had a beautiful cockerel waiting to be completed I decided to work further on my first initial wash with Winsor and Newton shades by taking the next stage of brushwork and layers with  Daniel Smith watercolours and I am thrilled with the result.

You cannot compare these  products as they both have very different properties and qualities. I have to say  openly I am a huge fan of Winsor and Newton and have been for all of my art life. In all honesty for me to try  another range is a very big surprise to many artists I know because I do adore my techniques which work so well with my favourite product.. I almost felt disloyal to Winsor and Newton for even trying something that wasn't theirs!

But here they are tempting me to use them at every turn,my Daniel Smith colours and oh boy are they giving me a thrill each time I try another shade. They seem more solid in that I can place them more easily on paper but by the simple addition of varying amounts of water I can still achieve what I can with every other watercolour I know. But the vibrance is unmistakeable. Possibly for dull,washed out English landscapes with grey boring skies they may seem unsuitable but I never wish to look at grey skies when there is an option of brilliantly warm sunhine instead!

So I have opted for the use of Daniel Smith Alizarin Crimson for the comb and wattle area of this cockerel and the impact is immediately really strong. I now have a very rich red that literally sings with glowing colour. Danial Smith watercolours seem to cover other colours well if you need them to. But of course I rarely work this way. I often use minimal opaques and  lean towards transparent colours. I desperately want to see the paper through my watercolour pigment in sections of my paintings. I love translucency so was overjoyed to see watermarks happening where I wanted them to fall in my experiment.

WOW! Gorgeous colour variation using Daniel Smith Alizarin Crimson

Of course it is early days yet but am I addicted to Daniel Smith yet?

Watch this space!

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Racing Ahead

New Watercolour Horse Racing Scene

Work in Progress

This morning I had a meeting where a discussion arose on my work being available as prints. I have avoided this area for so long because I prefer to only sell original pieces. There is something special in owning a piece that only you alone have hanging on your wall. But I do appreciate original paintings can be so expensive especially if they the artist becomes collectible so I am looking at a new series for prints that will be available in 2011.

I have several projects on the go that are keeping me offline and locked in my studio including working on my next book which is coming along really well and is packed with new exciting approaches to working in watercolour. I am literally dying to share certain successful experiments that have led to  really fascinating results but these will be kept until the book launch next year but I am really thrilled by them. I just wish someone had given me these ideas years ago!

So today following phone calls and meetings regarding galleries, exhibtions and workshops I am back to  moving my brush and  applying colour  in ways that thrill my artists soul. I am loving each brushstroke and my heart is beginning to sing again after losing my faithful and loving companion Taffy. I think many of us have a hole in our heart, a place that someone once filled and touched us in a way no other could. This hole I will see as treasure for all the years that were filled with love by a very special dog who started my  way of painting dogs in a loose style. I will always miss him but I am grateful for having known him and loved him.

Now I need to focus on  upcoming exhibitions and get back to sharing  as I used to.

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Daniel Smith Watercolours in UK

A Selection of my Daniel Smith shades

Life is certainly full of suprises and at a meeting earlier this year I was thrilled to be told that Daniel Smith watercolour were finally going to be available in UK as from this September. I was even further excited when an opportunity arose to try them out  so when a package arrived with a selection of shades I eagerly opened them and played to my hearts content. 

Friends of mine who live in USA have been praising the vibrancy of Daniel Smith shades for such a long time  which started the curiosity in my artists soul to get my hands on them. Art friends visiting from USA gave me some of their favourite shades to try also and I soon became more than just a tiny bit fascinated. But until now purchasing this amazing range of colours has been impossible in UK unless you were willing to order directly from America. But now everyone can try them very easily as they have finally made it over here! The excitement is already growing amongst  artists who have already heard of them and news is travelling fast on how wonderful they are.

Be warned, they are different so if you are used to working with other main manufactuers for UK you will need time to adjust when you first use them but the immediate impact you will discover  truly is the vibrant effects you can achieve. They are incredible.

I am going to share some paintings I am experimenting with using only Daniel Smith over the next few months but for now  I am sharing colour swatches with my two new immediate favourites which will always be by my side from here in.

Just look at how bright and alive these colours are? Imagine working Autumn scenes with the Quinachridone Deep Gold? Or how about adding drama to a really  normally boring scene with the fantastically exciting Cobalt Teal blue?

Quinachridone Deep Gold and Cobalt Teal Blue.

Amazingly vibrant watercolours from Daniel Smith.

WOW!  

In fact Daniel Smith really does carry that " Wow" factor in all of their range!

I will be sharing tips on Daniel Smith shades and  working with them in my upcoming demonstrations and workshops. Just when you think life as an artist couldn't get any better along comes a completely new reason to move that brush with a sesnse of excitement and anticipation.

This Autumn is going to be FULL of extra rich paintings full of colour and that sense of wonder from Fall in all it's glory.

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I would love to hear from Daniel Smith users on your favourite shades and why please so if you have time could you leave a reply? Thank you!

Just a Leaf

Oak Leaf Appearing from a First Wash

For once I am taking my own advise. My heart feels as though it has shattered into a million pieces and yet I know I have exhibitions looming which need new work. I  have never had a problem when it comes to finding inspiration to pick up my brush but I always paint at my best when my heart is happy. My emotions  then flow into my results and the selection of colours I use.

So when I meet artists on my workshops who tell me often they find it so hard to make time to paint daily or even get into the mood to  move their brushes I usually give this small tip.

Every day for a short time paint one single simple thing. It doesn't matter what it is as long as your brush has moved. Just once a day. Even if it is only for five minutes. This really does effect your artistic spirit in that you will not be satisified eventually with just these small studies. You will yearn to paint something more adventurous or complex in composition.

Right now it is Autumn and I daily walk my young dog Bailey who is missing Taffy so badly. I look up at the trees changing colour in foliage and  then I look down on the ground. Here I pick out patterns from the already golden leaves that have fallen and are laying underfoot.

A simple oak leaf carried home to study and work out colour ideas from begins to form the base for a larger Autumn scene. My artistic soul is  starting to come to life again after losing Taffy, my dear companion and pet. I will be fine in time but for now I am literally taking a "leaf" out of my own book and looking at how I painted leaves in the past compared to how I would approach them now.

I dare you to find the most interesting leaf you can find and paint it from life turning it from the ordinary to the extraordinary with bold colour choices using of  texture effects and brushstrokes. Painting a leaf a day could easily turn into a new addiction!

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October 2010 Watercolour Workshop Places Available

" Just Grazing"

An original watercolour from my book 

" How to Paint Colour and Light in Watercolour"

I am almost  too nervous to  announce I have two places that have just come available on my 27th October "Autumn Gold" Watercolour workshop which covers a variety of subjects in glorious golds and exciting techniques for texture and watercolour effects.

These are the last  places in 2010 on my own workshops as I will not be holding any further sessions until 2011.

Please if you are interested could you contact me on jeanhaines@hotmail.com

Details of the session and fee can be found on my web site

www.jeanhaines.com

I would love to hold more workshops but due to exhibitions and writing my teaching time is now limited and I refuse to increase the number of artists in each session so as to maintain a high standard of enjoyment by all and  allowing me time to spend personally with each individual attending.

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Shanghai Inspiration

Junk in Hong Kong

Original Watercolour from an old collection whilst living in Asia.

From our recent move many boxes still remain unpacked. Even those containing art from my travels and art supplies from all the locations we have lived abroad. I have yet to  find my Chinese materials of beautiful raw pigment stones, my collection of Chinese brushes with bamboo handles or the incredible Chinese paper and  antique silk which I used to paint on.

My mentor in Hong Kong came from Shanghai. For many years as an art student she was only allowed to wash the brushes of the masters who she admired. I remember her telling me  how very lucky she was to be able to do so. She studied and learned from the very best of artists in their field. What she instilled in me is far more valuable than simply creating paintings. She  placed in my soul  the determination to really see what I wished to create long before my brush even touched the paper. Before I met her my work was wooden. There was no life or feeling in each new painting with perfectly flat washes. At that time I only painted with the knowledge of a European artists style. Flat skies with pale backgrounds and slightly darker foregrounds. All the traditional English rules flew out of the window the minute she taught me her techniques. They now seemed dull, predictable and boring.

During her many lessons she would often hit the back of my hand with a bamboo stick should I even dare hold my brush in the wrong way. The discipline of  learning how and where to handle a brush became absolutely vital in my work and my results today are due to this magical  artists way of teaching.

I don't hit anyone in my class sessions, nor do I ever tell  an artist what they are doing is wrong because I do believe genuinely there is no right or wrong in how we work. But there is an artist in each of us that truly wants to create in a style that suits us. My Chinese mentor helped me find mine.

I am unpacking more than  boxes. I am  looking at each memory as a treasured part of my life and feeling blessed to do so. But how I have changed and how the years have led me to a point where I am so excited each time I pick up my brush.It is this excitement I want so badly to share in my workshops and demonstrations.

As I close my blog today I look at the painting of a junk I  created whilst living in Hong Kong years ago. I understand that we can only get better if we have a starting point to improve on.  I meet so many people with no confidence in their own ability because they put so much pressure on their shoulders to achieve. Giving up or feeling one will never be able to paint is a feeling that destroys the ability to improve. 

Having bad paintings to  look at and see why or how we wish to make them better is a fantastic gift.  So never look at a result that didn't thrill you as a negative. See it for what it is, a positive to learn from because we learn more from  paintings we don't like than from those we do!

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Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might.
                                                                                - Ecclesiastes 9:10
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Sunningdale Art Society: Ascot Demonstration

 Glorious Reds in a First wash 

During a demonstration for Sunningdale Art Society last night

Sunningdale Art Society 

 Last Nights Demonstration

Many professional artists  frequently receive requests to demonstrate or hold workshops for art societies worldwide. For me this is a wonderful way to meet other artists whilst sharing my own art journey and techniques. Last night I was delighted to meet the members of Sunningdale Art Society. I will confess yesterday afternoon I was so concerned I would be able to pull the evening off because my heart is still very low from losing  my wonderful companion Taffy last Friday. A week today.

The meetings for Sunningdale Art Society are held in a wonderful venue and the room was already arranged on my arrival so all I had to do was set up. I was met by the fantastic programme secretary, Steve Darnley and given a really warm welcome. Steve if you are reading this I did get home safely!

Everyone arrived and as always I faced a sea of new faces. In turn they all faced me. For those of us who have attended many evenings held by art societies over the years we never truly know what the evening is going to be like unless we know the artist who is demonstrating. Some such evenings are wonderful and some can be very "not so wonderful".  Have you ever sat watching someones back for over an hour? It isn't fun! Especially when you are unable to see what they are painting or even hear what they are saying.  Has time passed so slowly you can't wait for the evening to be over so you can make your way home? Sadly I do know that feeling and I would hate for anyone to watch me and feel the same way.

I have even been to demonstrations  where everyone viewing  actually reaches a point where they feel like nodding off so my approach to these evenings is  possibly a little different. 

I share my enthusiasm and passion for my chosen medium. I celebrate what it can do and  work with each effect thoroughly enjoying what happens with each touch of the brush. Sharing my experiences from studying under my Chinese mentor really does help to get across how I use my brush. I love watercolour and I love sharing the joy I feel when working with it. There is always so much  I want to share but time often limits what one can and cannot get across. Last night we had fun looking at several subjects and ways to capture them in a loose style. There was a brilliant mix of laughter, enthusiasm and quiet concentration throughout the evening from everyone in the room including myself.

I started with a simple warm up  followed by  a second demo of a cockerel. This led to the break when I had the chance to talk to individual members all of whom were absolutely fantastic and  I had time to sign books also.

After the break time flew by and my final demo came to a close. Only at this point did I explain to the room why I had chosen not to demonstrate painting a dog. The art society information described me ahead of my  booking as a guest artist who specialised in painting animals and mentioned I had written a series on how to paint dogs in a loose style for the SAA magazine. And yes when the evening was booked I had considered demonstrating a lovely study of a fabulous dog in a beautiful pose for the nights session. .But friends will know standing in front of a crowded room and talking about wet noses and glowing eyes full of love would have been far too painful for me at the moment. So close to having lost my dear friend,model and guardian Taffy.

Instead I chose a variety of subjects covering my techniques and I was thrilled to recieve such a positive and  excited feedback from so many fascinating members who took time to say thank you for my visit.

We are SO lucky to be able to share passion and interest in art because our paths constnatly cross with others who are loving every second of their own art journey.Together we enrich this world with our enthusiasm and  positive energy that is almost tangible when like minded souls are in one room.

Thank you  Sunningdale Art Society for such a warm welcome and enthusiastic response last night. I truly hope to meet you all again  in the future and in the meantime I definitely hope you are thinking just how you will be moving your brushes  and what subjects you will be painting and why  very soon !

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2011 Watercolour Workshops information will be announced in October.

August /September Workshops 2010

 Hawthorn Berries emerging from an Autumn Wash.

Watercolour Workshops 2010

Last week saw the first of my 2010 Autumn Workshops and as always I met some absolutely wonderful  artists on them. Normally I would have been on  my blog long before now to share news of the week but as everyone knows I lost my best friend of many years and faithful pet Taffy which truly has knocked me sideways.

Thank you to everyone who came to the sessions and I am thrilled with all the incredible messages letting me know how inspirational they have been. I hope everyone is  looking daily  at subjects with new eyes and  even seeing new unexpected subjects and gorgeous ways to paint them.

Please remember these words. Dare to be unique, different and unusual because what has been done already in the past artwise really has already been done. Be you and let your own creativity shine in ways you have never allowed yourself to shine before and I will eagerly wait to see what you  create from here in.

2011 Watercolour Workshops will be  posted on my blog and web site soon.

I may hold a special  "Painting Dogs in a Loose Style" workshop in memory of Taffy.

For now Happy Painting!

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Thank you: Taffy

Taffy in snow 2009

Thank you so much to everyone for all the kind,warm and supportive messages regarding the loss of sweet Taffy who passed away last Friday. I feel shell shocked and as if my right arm  is missing. He was constantly by my side. I am used to hearing his loud snoring which interrupted many a movie at the crucial parts.  At seven on the dot every evening Taffy would not allow you to rest until you had given him his goody. A chewy stick which became part of our daily routines for the years we had him. He didn't mind who gave it to him but he had to have it every single night.  He had a way  of sitting and staring at you until you gave in and went to find one from the goody cupboard. Only then would you have peace.

In life we all face changes constantly but nothing prepares you for that sense of loss when you lose something or someone you love. We have had many pets but only one travelled all over the world with us as Taffy did. Many artists loved him from Dubai and Hong Kong to many the locations we lived throughout Europe. He herded sheep in France, followed us with the  ground crew while we were in a hot air balloon in Switzerland, came face to face with camels in the desert of Dubai and loved eating rice in China. So a huge part of my life was connected with this very dear old boy and he was a perfect gentleman. His only vice was that he adored blondes and flirted with them outrageously in ways that some male dogs do at times. Often creating embarrassment and laughter at the same time when he did.

And so I am finding myself back to painting in my studio minus having him around and it does feel very strange. Bailey our younger Bearded Collie has not eaten  properly since last Friday so my concerns and time have been spent with him. Time heals broken hearts and as much as I have been advised to I will not be getting a puppy just yet. I miss Taffy too much and it wouldn't be fair on a youngster to only have a small part of me when they deserve more than that.

I have been touched by so many cards and beautiful messages.  Far too many to thank personally but I do thank you, so very much for reaching out to me. Each one has  brought another tear but helped to let me know I have  friends out there who understand and care.

Thank you so much.

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To the wonderful ex officer, your email reached me and made me aware that my blog is being read by those who don't know me well. I read each word and knew I needed to come online and explain what is happening and let everyone know I am fine. Just grieving for a lovely friend. Thank you for taking the time to write to a stranger. 

Often we never know how our kindness helps another.

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Goodbye Sweet Taffy

 "Taffy"

My beautiful model, best friend,painting companion and gentlest of  giants fell asleep in my arms for the very last time this afternoon. My heart is breaking even though I knew each extra day with him has been a blessing for so long. And right now I can hardly see the screen for tears.

In a typical Taffy style of always putting me first he waited until all my workshops were over before he finally gave in and lost his  fight. He has been so very brave and absolutely determined not to leave us. His spirit has been so strong but today saw a change. On the way home from his short morning walk he  lay down unable to  get up. I sat with him until he regained his breath but a second spell of laying down indicated he was very weak from his aneamia. He had just been in a field sat looking around him enjoying nature in sunshine. But now he was home and  even weaker. 

I lay down beside him with his huge gentle head in my arms, stroking him and talking to him as he shared his last precious moments with me. I found myself burying my face in his soft fur and absorbing every detail knowing I was about to lose him. My heart was torn into a million pieces as I whispered favourite loving endearments which I knew for the last time. 

Saying goodbye to someone you love is so very painful

I will miss him nudging my arm when he thinks I have been painting or ignoring him for too long. I will even miss his incredibly noisy snoring and the soft noise of the thump of his tail when he dreams in his sleep.

Rest with angels sweet Taffy 

I love and miss you

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To me you were the sweetest friend who was always at my side

Guarding me, protecting me, watching over me with pride

You loved me without question

You gave endless love  through many years

And now its time to say goodbye I cannot  do so without tears

I thank you for the moments  so special one by one

Dearest Sweetest Taffy

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Book Signing and Exhibition Preview Tonight.

"Nearly There"

Original Watercolour from tonights opening collection at THE FRAME in Odiham

Yesterday was another wonderful day with a workshop full of fascinating artists of all levels.  I hope everyone in the room enjoyed the session as much as I did. I even started the day by going for a walk near to where I would be teaching  finding "treasure" from the local countryside to use as subjects to work from.  In the evening I made my way to THE FRAME gallery in Odiham  as my new collection had just arrived.  There are favourite pieces as always in gorgeous frames that I now would love to keep. A beautiful poppy full of watercolour fusions is one of my main favourites. The landscape  from my book is in gorgeous golds and I know I will never be able to repeat the effects in it. And as you walk through the door  a jockey is hurtling towards you at top speed  leading a  very exciting race.Over his shoulder you can almost see a jockey in the distance desperately making a bid to catch up but he won't make it, or will he? This is in a stunning frame that sets off the piece  so brilliantly. A sense of movement makes this painting come alive in a way that makes me want to race for my brush again. It has that special spark of magic in it.

This morning I leave for my last workshop of the week on subjects connected with Autumn.We will be looking at so many ways to capture the sessence of this time of year and I can't wait. Before I leave I need to  talk to a reporter from the local press. Immediately after todays workshop I will be heading to the preview and book signing at the gallery.

I am not sure how or when my life changed to this form of lifestyle where I am constantly  heading from workshop to demonstration to gallery. It really just crept up one me. In between I am writing and painting from my heart. I wouldn't change a thing but how amazing our lives can change so dramatically as if in a heartbeat just from doing what we love.

See you tonight at the book signing if you can come!

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Dear Chris, you asked a question over lunch at the workshop yesterday? The answer is today 7.30 a.m. after a morning walk!

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To everyone who has been on my workshops this week a huge thank you for being so fantastic and making each day incredible. Laughter flying around the room at times, quiet concentration studying subjects with eager enthusiasm in every brushstroke is just the most amazing "high" isn't it?  Happy painting!

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I will reply to my comments soon but this week is extra  busy!