Watercolours With Life: Working In Pastel

Saturday, 23 July 2011

Working In Pastel

Working In Pastel

Sometimes it is wise to take a break. A holiday to refresh the creative spirit and renew excitement in your artistic soul. It isn't widely known that I used to work in pastel years ago especially with animals and portraits. The softness of this medium helps me to draw on the feeling of fur and I adore working with skin tones. This feeling I then pull into my watercolours when I switch back to the medium that has now become my first love.

I have been writring and painting in watercolour constantly for my second book. As much as the ideas are flowing I felt I needed to escape for a little while so that coming back to my book was like returning home to where I wanted to be and in a fabulous frame of mind, keen to continue and refreshed from my break.

Buster beginning to appear in a pastel study.

My " holiday" consisted of working on my cat Buster in pastel. Softly laying a base of colours as a foundation for further work.Friends who know me will understand this is an emotional piece because sadly Buster has been diagnosed with Cancer .There is no possible treatment but he is doing very well, looking great and is really happy at the moment. So to have him as my model now is a wonderful way to enjoy my time with him.

Buster is a fluffy cat with a glorious ginger coat so I will work on this beginning to build up his expression, markings and sweet face.

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I am certain an entry on my blog in pastel came as a surprise to quite a few of my friends who follow me here!

Thank you for the wonderful flower paintings sent to me for the second Watercolour Challenge for July, I am thrilled to see them and over the moon this idea is being inspirational! I will be posting the favourite next week here but will add to my facebook page as well!

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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."