Spring Excitement 2013

Kingfisher in a fantastic first wash

Every year at this time I begin to feel completely energised. Even though we have had terrible weather my heart tells me its Spring and that seasonal sense of exciting "Spring Fever" is hitting me giving me many ideas of subjects to paint for my new book, Summer Exhibitions and art events throughout the year.

At the moment I am working on a series of Kingfishers in watercolour with each new painting becoming even more vibrant than the last. The above is the first stage of a gorgeous painting that I love so much that it may have to stay in my cottage when its finished!

Artists Tip: Whatever you are painting do try to find new ways to work on a familiar subject with even more interesting results each time you pick up your brush!

Terrifying Terrier?

Cross Breed coming to life in watercolour

Dog

I am working on a few watercolours at the moment while here in Spain. A while ago I fell in love with a gorgeous dog. I couldn't tell if it was a cross between a Bearded Collie or some kind of terrier but it was so beautiful. It had the kind  of eyes that instantly appeal to you. Its' expression was constantly eager to please or be pleased. So while I had time, I am enjoying bringing  it to life in watercolour but not as a photographic image with every single detail added. It is important to me to capture the personality, the look of hope and that terrific connection between pet and human. The type of bond that dog lovers all over the world understand. So this isn't really a painting at all. The creation process alone  is a  superb journey of love!

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Snowdrops 2013

Snowdrops 

Work in Progress

Snowdrops from my garden are strongly on my mind as I start to paint each day.The small exercise I recently shared on my blog has instilled my passion for bringing these delicate little flowers to life. I am still drawn to the mixtures of violet and blues as my background with hints of green appearing now and then. My favourite small bud shapes which I usually depict in my snowdrop paintings have opened into the pretty shapes of the flowers in full bloom.

 Small snowdrop study from an earlier blog post this week

My studies each day grow in size from small pieces of paper to large as my imagination takes over. I now have so many wonderful options to choose from for new compositions and I am ready to start a new series of working with this beautiful sign of Spring.

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Artist Tips for the week.

1) Get to really know and understand your subject before attempting to paint it.

2) Take your time experimenting on scraps of paper before setting out to paint a finished masterpiece.

3) Decide what you love and what you hate from your results when practising painting a subject

4) Plan ahead to quality quiet time after the exercises to work on your real painting

5) Most importantly enjoy every part of the creative process.

6) Never put pressure on yourself to get brilliant results each time you paint, you learn far more from disasters than successes!

Snowdrop in Watercolour: Reflections

Detail added to my earlier blog post of a snowdrop

I thought it might be helpful to share how I feel when painting exercises which often lead to further large paintings.

Earlier today I shared a small study on a scrap of paper with a little colour  on it, painted around the negative shape of a snowdrop. If you study the image below, no detail has been added to the flower and you may notice that the  pigment around the shape is still wet.

Snowdrop in its first stgae, a negative painting with no detail on the flower.

When I returned to this piece a beautiful watermark had formed in the lower corner of the painted section. All I had to do next was add the  touches of green to the top "cap" above the petals and the lines to the lower "inner skirt" of the centrre.

Detail added and the pigment is dry in this image.

Now, in this study, I feel the cold of Winter. I can feel the greyness of an English January and also I am reminded of days full of rain.  To work on a new piece I can ask myself is this the effect that I want? It is quite pleasing in some ways. I can imagine this in a white or silver frame so my mind is already jumping ahead to the real composition to follow.

But I could move to more exciting colour combinations.

Most importantly though, I am painting. Not sat wondering what to do today,wasting valuable creation time. Often I think it is easy to spend far too long worrying about what will happen or what to do rather than actually just moving our brushes and getting on with the most wonderful feeling of all. Which is hodling your brush and allowing colour to flow across paper!

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I am having a wonderful time writing  my new book which will be filled with inspirational tips. If you haven't already purchased "Atmospheric Watercolours" , my latest book, please consider working through it now so that you are ready for the next wonderful challenges and fun exercises to come in the future. There are many!

Only ten left in stock on Amazon UK!

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jean-Haines-Atmospheric-Watercolours-Expression/dp/1844486745

Primroses Step By Step 2013, Final Sttages.

Primroses in Watercolour

Creating the flowers and adding detail

Now it is time to put all the "Step by step on how to paint primroses" stages together. First you have your wonderful colour wash setting the atmosphere for your primrose painting.

Next you will have added centres

The next stage is painting the now practised negative edges around your flowers.This will make them stand out in your wash.

 Darker colour worked away from my negative petal edge gives me a wonderful effect.

Next you can add fine lines around the centre to create this part of the flower as final details.I use my personalised rigger for this detailed work as it is easier to control. This brush is available from my web site

Once you have a few realistic looking small primroses as practise studies aim to paint a cluster of flowers in a larger painting, including a few buds and some leaves. Look at the painting below and observe how some flowers are only half there. In fact is any one flower totally complete? 

Readers of my books will know I love leaving sections to the viewers imagination and this is what makes my  work interesting, to me it draws the viewer of my finished paintings into my emotional connection with each piece too.

You won't have perfect paintings straight away, but with practise and by playing with this technique you may surprise yourself in beautiful results that absolutely sing with life.

Please email me any paintings you are thrilled with or excited by

And my books can be found on Amazon.com or my web site.

www.jeanhaines.com

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You can find my primrose washes on my first DVD, "Amazing Ways With Watercolour" , available from my web site and a clip of the DVD is on You Tube.

You will also find washes and techniques in both of my books. "Atmospheric Watercolours" teaches you about exciting washes, bleeding in and bleeding out techniques that will help you create soft beautiful petals.

http://www.jeanhaines.com/shop

Primroses in Watercolour : Further Exercises

Working from Negative Shapes.

In my latest book there is a chapter called " Positive Negativity ". I always believe strongly in postive thinking and I also love surrounding myself with positive people. There are times in life when we are legitimately allowed to feel low. But negative thinking in many ways can be so destructive. So from the beginning of every painting, please  try to feel positive about your results.  I should say this works not just in painting but in life too!

My last blog post on my step by step with primroses was for painting positive shapes. Now I want you to cover a scrap of paper with the shades you painted your primrose flowers in. Hopefully you have found great primrose shades that work well for you. My wash of colour is mainly diluted Cadmium Yellow.

Flowers shapes exercise next to a scrap of paper with  yellow painted on it.

Please let the yellow wash dry thoroughly.

Next stage?

Paint  the outline of a few flowers but be careful. You need to work colour around the flowers quickly before the line dries! The flower shapes don't have to be perfect at this stage.  They are just  giving you and idea of where you are going to place them and helping you practise your technique.

Negative outline for primroses

Now for the fun part! Add green quickly to surroundyour primroses and if you need to, now is the time to correct some of the petal shapes so that they do indeed look like primroses.

 

My background wash building up around the primroses  leaving negative shapes with  gorgeous creamy yellow colour for the flowers

If you study the image above you will see I have some detailed edges and some petal edges are blurred? These are called soft and hard edges and bring life to subjects in watercolour.

Now we need to allow this stage to dry and then we can add the centres from the previous blog post. If you want to, you can add leaves but please wait until you have painted the flowers first.

My last post  on this step by step will be tomorrow!

It is so much fun sharing my passion for watercolour on my blog. Thank you so much to every one who has been so kind sending me emails letting me know how much this step by step is being enjoyed. Maybe I can share seasonal step by steps throughout the year so we all have something to look forward to!

I hope to share a few primrose paintings by you on my blog so please email them to me when the step by step is complete!

Primrose Distraction?

Primroses work in progress

I am so sorry for the delay in  my adding the final stages of painting primroses to my blog. With the snow, hiccup on exhibition delivery yesterday and everything else going on behind the scenes, finding time to add here has been difficult.  Today I was distracted by a beautiful sight which I have simply had to put everything I am currently working on aside to paint.

See my next blog post for details!

Artist Tips 2013 : Take Your Time

 Snowdrop Paintings are now  coming to life for my new 2013 collections. While I work I can't help but think about how I have changed as an artist over the years. I think, when we first start painting we are so happy if our work shows recognisable subjects when our paintings are complete.  This is many artists goal and with this end comes a sense of achievement. We go through stages of disappointment when we first start out desperately trying to get good results which often can lead us to racing through each painting. Having to paint everything in one go to the point that if things don't go as planned we can feel let down. All new artists go through this stage.

Compare painting to going on a journey. Imagine you are drving from A to B because if you do, one really can see how taking breaks  or making stops can lead us to successful outcomes. I am married to someone who is fantastic but if we set out on a trip  his mission is to just get there.  We go from A to B and reach our destination. When I drive alone I am often tempted to stop and admire a building or  beautiful sight along the way.  I don't mind how long it takes me to get there as i want to enjoy the journey. Recently I persuaded my husband to stop and  visit a rodeo in Texas when we had left one destination and were making our way to Dallas by road. It was a fantastic day which we both enjoyed. Totally unexpected we saw a live rodeo, as we had made no plans other than just getting to where we were headed. That stop enriched our trip and allowed us both to see something we had genuinely longed to see.

So when you are painting, take breaks. Don't be in a constant race to get to the finish line and enjoy every stage of your work. If you study a half finished painting it will often tell you what you need to know and what is needed in the next brushstrokes. If you race to finish a piece  you may lose sight of the beauty that was there all the time in front of your eyes.

That lovely expression "take time to stop and smell the roses" is so true. Don't miss out by your determination to get somewhere. Enjoy the journey, where ever it leads you and  really indulge in those wonderful spur of the moment suprises which can enrich your life and you art.

Atmospheric Watercolours: New Book Sales

  

This week is gradually growing in excitement from invitations for exhibitions in 2013, news from galleries regarding recent exhibitions and interviews for magazine features.

Just when I thought life could not get any better I heard from my publishers and it looks as though my new book "Atmospheric Watercolours" is headed for a reprint as its' sales have been incredible!

I truly am thrilled, humbled and overwhelmed because all I have done is pour my passion for working in watercolour into the pages of my new publication. I just want everyone to love this medium as much as I do and I honestly  wish for everyone who has dreams to be able to reach them.

I am having such a wonderful journey in my art career and I want to make sure others  do too. Because to me, life without sharing joy and happiness is a complete waste of time!

Thank you so much to everyone who has bought a copy of my new book.

You can purchase my book from several sources including Amazon.com  via this link

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jean-Haines-Atmospheric-Watercolours-Expression/dp/1844486745/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1342701107&sr=1-1

Elephants Can Fly!

From my book

"Atmospheric Watercolours"

I had a wonderful message from the Dogs in Art Gallery in Stockbridge this morning letting me know that the elephant painting from my new book "Atmospheric Watercolours" is making its way to its' new home in Australia and I am thrilled.This is one of my favourite paintings which sadly is not shown well on screen. The colours sing when it is seen in real life. Also the light on the head of my subject seems to glow as if this majestic creature is truly walking in sunlight.

Part of me wishes I was  travelling with my painting because I adore Australia!

This piece is part of my watercolour collection on show at the Dogs in Art Gallery during my "Fur, Feathers and Florals " Exhibition which runs until August 3rd,2012.

The gallery are wonderful in that they are happy to send  my work all over the world to international clients.

You can see the selection of work available via this link.

http://www.dogsinart.com/jean-haines-exhibition/

 

 

Mall Galleries,London: Signed Copies of my new book 2012

My new book "Atmospheric Watercolours" on sale at the Mall Galleries in London

Last night I was delighted to see my new book "Atmospheric Watercolours" on display and for sale at the Mall Galleries in London.

As I was an artist in the David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year Exhibition 2012 and attending the Private Preview I was able to sign copies which are now on sale at the gallery bookshop!

So if you are in London and would like to buy one of my new books that is signed hurry to the Mall Galleries while stocks last!

If you are in London this week make sure to enjoy the fantastic David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year 2012 exhibition, it truly is incredible. It is seriously a show not to be missed!

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