Watercolours With Life: 2016 Inspiration

Tuesday, 19 January 2016

2016 Inspiration

Scene from my studio, inspired by nature

The Start of a New Year

2016

It has taken me some time to get back into my routine this year. Our Christmas was very exciting in that our youngest son Haydn announced his engagement to Armelle, his beautiful French girlfriend. We had already been looking forward to our eldest sons wedding this year so to now realise that both sons will be getting married was a time when my heart felt fit to burst with happinness as a Mum. But then I had a few hiccups that stopped me painting. I had a lump under my right eye which yesterday was drained and I can now see fully. The pressure on my eye was so sore it held me back for a while but as you can see I am now happily back in my studio and painting again and I am so thrilled to be here and sharing again. I'm afraid I hate moaning so to admit something was wrong didn't come easily to me. I like my blog to be a happy place!

So this morning I woke to brilliant sunshine and headed to my studio. Here I loved seeing the view, as I always do. The sky had a pure white line of clouds through it and frost lay on the ground, melting in the morning sun as it warmed. I grabbed a scrap of paper to record what I was seeing.

I would suggest a cobalt blue or cerulean blue for this scene usually with possibly a touch of violet in the upper corner if you wanted to paint it accurately. I use artistic license when I paint to add drama or even more beauty.

I took several photographs to gain a few ideas on future compositions.

I can easily just add a fence or hedge as a foreground to my above painting which could be quite interesting. Allowing nature to guide us is a great way to learn. Especially if you consider these simple options

1) One option for a painting is adding a dramatic foreground to highlight the white cloud formation

2) Another option could be to add the trees as a distant backdrop to the foreground but this then makes the painting become slightly fussy. Notice in this shot the clouds have disappeared so the excitement element has too. Now the focus moves elsewhere.

3) Option three is adding a simple tree and perhaps not have the foreground so detailed.

It is amazing in how just a few moments you can gain so many ideas for a painting. I took the photograph below with my landscape study painting in sunlight and shadow. And this too gave me more ideas for a new painting.

The benefit of photographing your work in shadow and sunlight is that you can discover further options on how to paint the same scene but in a variety of ways using colour to darken or soften the result in sections.

For now I am going to paint and have a ball doing so. Its' a new year and I am going to be painting so many new subjects with so many new approaches and I cannot wait.

Roll on the next twelve months of watercolour!

Here's to an exciting 2016!

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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."