Going Nuts!

 "Going Nuts"

I am now working for two Christmas Exhibitions. I do find it really fascinating that I tend to think I am on top of things and then another project leaps at me. When this happens the sensible side of my brain screams at me to say "no". But my heart yells say "yes" and before I know it another project has been taken on!

Actually this time I am over the moon because my recent solo exhibition was so successful with sales that I have received requests from other galleries who now want specific subjects from me for their galleries too.

I leave soon for my USA tour so I am preparing for that, as well as proof reading my new book before it goes to my publisher for its' final stages. It is a long way off being published but it is getting there. And it looks so wonderful that I'm very excited about it.

So with so much to do in my studio you would think my focus would be on the things I desperately need to do. But no. Outside my studio I can see the bird feeder in our garden and birds are flocking to it.  The cheeky little blue tits love the peanuts hanging there and their antics make me smile non stop. We also have a visiting blue tit that sits on the outside door handle to our living room attacking its reflection in the glass every day. Tap,tap,tap  is the sound its tiny beak makes every morning and afternoon. It flies up and down the full length of the glass so I get plenty of opportunities to photograph it and paint from my own images.

This little bird looks as though it is going nuts with the bird it thinks it can see. An image of itself.

And so my painting this afternoon is titled

"Going Nuts"

And I think I enjoyed painting the peanuts as much as the birds themselves!

"Going Nuts"

Blue tits feeding on a string of peanuts in our cottage garden.

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"Fed Up"

"Fed Up"

At the foot of our cottage garden are a few sheds, one is a potting shed that has become home annually to several birds. This year the blackbird family have laid two batches of eggs. I try to avoid disturbing them during this period especially while they are sitting on their nests. I even put off my gardening chores until all the fledglings have left.  

But this year Mrs Blackbrid has outdone herself. She is now sitting on the second new brood and looking thoroughly sorry for herself. In fact she looks downright "Fed Up" . Which became the title for this fun painting as the subject was far too much fun to resist working on. 

Her face says it all!

Fed Up! 

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Christmas Robin in Watercolour 2016

 Christmas Robin in Watercolour

2016

How funny that my series of bird paintings this Christmas are leading me to so many almost forgotten memories. Like the painting above that I have just completed. I have been working on a few experiments recently using many different techniques that are new to me. In fact many I am simply making up. I teach workshops all over the world now and on each course I often state that not everything in art, or working in watercolour as a medium, has been discovered. So I am playing with many ideas right now and loving the results whether they work or not. In fact the ideas that don't work often lead me to better experiments and outcomes. We do learn far more from our mistakes than from things that go right and thats' the same in all walks of life. But back to my robin painting!

As I am the main bird feeder while my husband is recovering from surgery I am having to fill several bird feeders with all manner of goodies for the variety of birds that visit our garden. But we also have a special little visitor daily, in the form of a very tame robin. No ordinary bird food for this little fellow. Oh no. My husband buys special bags of meal worms for this tiny chap and he even has his own table and feeding station, which we can see from our living room window. Believe me, if I am late feeding this little bird he lets me know! And so does my husband by asking me if I have fed his robin yet. Two males against one female? I don't stand a chance!

But I have been enjoying watching our robin and after painting the sweet wren yesterday I couldn't resist painting our robin today in a similar background setting. As both of these birds seem to love the same hedge and wall with ivy covering it. 

While I was painting the foliage in my new composition my mind slipped back to a time when I was teaching watercolour workshops in Dubai. I was painting a beautiful composition of orchids one day while sat in a group of professional artists. I busily painted the negative spaces in my watercolour to form the background and leaves. One artist stopped to watch me paint, and then another from the group watched as my dark colour additions made my white orchid leap into life. " I wish I could do that" said one artist whom I greatly admired. I stopped painting and looked up, saying " You must be joking, you are a far better artist than I am". In turn she laughed and told me I had no idea how talented I am. I remember her telling me this years ago and my sitting there thinking she was being polite. I was flattered but of course didn't believe that this was anything but a truly  sweet compliment.

But now, years later, I am saying exactly the same thing to artists on my own workshops when I teach. This year I would love to have been given a new shade of colour for every time I have said it. I am constantly meeting people who haven't a clue how brilliantly talented they are. And many newer artists actually hold themselves back by not believing in their own ability. Yes.  I meet many new painters who are going to be far better artists than I am and I meet many who already are far more talented.

But isn't that the joy in painting? 

The journey not the destination?

I watched this little robin this morning and he watched me in return.  I thought about how small he is. I am small too, very small in this huge art world. But I like to think the robin and I both sing beautifully from our hearts. He sings the most gorgeous bird song. I sing via colour from my brushstrokes. To anyone, like the robin, who will listen!

My robin painting.

I painted the wash first for this new composition and in all honesty, this wash was just a wash. Not intended for any subject when I created it but it looked perfect to add a little robin in the lower corner and so I did. I made the leaves work by painting around the negative spaces.  Leaves are falling daily so only holly and ivy leaves are showing in this particular area of my garden. And twigs which are looking bare. I added these too and I also added the black berries of the ivy which  gave more interest to my scene.

This week I have painted many berries. Rose hips, mistletoe, holly and now ivy berries.

What next I wonder!

Below is the uncropped version of my painting but you can see more detail in the cropped version above.

"A Christmas Robin"

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Artists Tip for the Day?

Believe in yourself.

1) Don't hold yourself back from painting by having a lack of confidence.

2) Remember that everyone was a beginner once.

3) If you have been painting the same thing in a similar way for a long time, try something new.

4) Most importantly, enjoy creating. Otherwise it becomes a chore and there are enough things we have to do in life, without making painting one of them! 

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Variety is the Spice of Life : Robin in Watercolour

" Favourite Visitor"

Robin in Watercolour

There is no doubt about it. I am inspired. I have been reading my latest book " Paint Yourself Calm" and using the exercises from it daily. You may think I paint daily anyway so why would anything I do now be different. Well for one I have had  such a busy year that at times I couldn't paint at all which is very unusual for me. Family life took me well away from my studio and when I was in it I had to catch up on so much administration for future tours and my own UK workshops. I lost my muse for a while. My artistic energy level was drained. I know we can all feel like this at times and its a very hard feeling to climb out of. Which is why painting colour washes with no pressure is so helpful and motivational.

Now I am not only back in my studio but my own personal art journey has seen a huge growth in style, technique and results. I am over the moon. This was achieved purely from my daily playing with colour. Maybe I am also influenced in how I approach painting by some of the professional artists I meet  when I am on tour or travelling. Many tell me quietly that they do what they do but they don't love it anymore. They have been painting in the same style, with the same colours and working with the same subjects and the same techniques for years. Passing on this information in the same teaching style too and their passion is dying. They find teaching a chore and sadly some find painting a chore too.

That would kill me!

I have to be free to create whatever I wish and whenever I wish with whatever colours or techniques grab me in that moment in time. This week I have been painting so many things and especially got caught up in my new addiction for painting blackberries. Every day I walk into my studio and paint something new. I paint a few daily washes to warm up and then on top of one of those washes I will paint a new subject. This means my imagination is continually opened up as I have to find just the right subject to work on top of each wash. And each painting will be different.

One wash this week was in shades of turquoise and violet. It looked so cold. As it happens the little robin that visits our cottage each day made an appearance and sat outside my studio so I painted him. My husband buys meal worms especially to feed this little bird and I laugh at him. Not so long ago he was laughing at me , telling me I was " soft" for buying duck food for the wild ducks in our garden. We both love wildlife so much and it shows. We do all we can for every creature and living thing that visit our cottage garden and are rewarded by hours of viewing of beautiful birds and wildlife visitors.

So here is my first stage of the robin. Created on top of a first exercise wash which was aimed for the bin.. This piece is definitely not going in a bin now, for sure.  I started with painting the eye  and  worked away from it building up the head and body of the bird with suitable colour. I left the first stage to dry completely before working further. This gave me the chance to look at this painting with fresh eyes this morning. It is beautiful even though I shouldn't say that as the artist who painted it, but it makes me feel good! I know the cheeky little bird and feel I have caught its' character.

 Stage 1

Sometimes when you paint a subject without a pencil sketch to follow you have to go very gently to make sure your brushwork and detail is in the right place. So I painted thus in soft shades at first.

Stage 2

Once I knew I was happy with what I painted I then went in with far stronger detail. You cant see the feather detail on this painting on screen but it looks gorgeous offline.

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Artist Tips:

1) Don't repeat daily painting of the same thing.

2) Make yourself paint something completely new as a subject as often as you can

3) Paint three washes every single day

4) Paint on top of one of the daily wash exercises every day too!

Mainly and most importantly

Just Paint! 

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"Paint Yourself Calm" is a book to invest in, to read not just paint from. It is created to get you in the mood to paint. No matter what is happening in your life. It certainly has helped me and I will forever be grateful that I had the chance to write it. It is available on Amazon.com.

Paintings from my "World of Watercolour " Exhibition 2015 : Birds

 World of Watercolour Exhibition 2015

 Here are the next  collection of paintings from my new book "Jean Haines World of Watercolour" that will be included in my solo exhibition of the same name, at the Frame Gallery in Odiham this September. These paintings are very dear to me for personal reasons. This blog post includes some of the birds from my book and upcoming solo show. Wildlife is a favourite subject for me. Living where I do in English countryside I am so privileged to see it up close, to paint.

 

 Jenny Wren 

Page 1.in my book  "Jean Haines World of Watercolour"

Framed : Size 52 x 60 cms.

Price £535

I have always loved wrens. I see one each day on my morning walk with Bailey, my bearded collie. But there is also one that seems to live in our garden. They are beautiful little birds. To me the most fascinating thing about them is that they are tiny and plain in colour. Almost insignificant. But that is what appeals to me about them. The way they move, their bright eyes.To me they are such pretty birds. Beautiful in their simplicity. Not everything needs to be a blast of colour to be gorgeous. Painting this one was an absolute delight to paint but as I worked in my studio on the piece one hovered right outside my studio window. As if it knew it was the subject for my painting.

I have selected a white frame to show off the delicacy of this piece and it looks wonderful. I am thrilled to include this in my show.

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 Heron

Page 173 of my book  "Jean Haines World of Watercolour"

Framed : Size 52 x 62 cms.

Price £495

Anyone who has been to my cottage or my workshops may have heard me talk about Hector. Hector is the heron who lives in our cottage garden. Sometimes he reminds me of an elegant grey haired gentleman who just happens to love passing the time of day with you. One who loves a country garden and is happy to wander around it. Of course Hector is also naughty in that he steals fish from our pond but on the whole he is so charming that I can't be angry at him for that. And he has made an appearance in my new book.

Painted in a a way that makes the most of my Chinese Brush work techniques and leaving the white paper to tell the story as much as what is painted upon it.

Hector is in a white wooden frame and he looks very handsome!

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Puffin

Page 51 of my book  "Jean Haines World of Watercolour"

Framed : Size 62 x 47  cms.

Price £595

Not seen in my garden! This beautiful Puffin is very dear to me for a different reason. I hold workshops all over the world and on them I am asked to demonstrate how I will approach painting all manner of subjects. On one occasion I was asked how I would paint a puffin. The demonstration was part of my course "one on one" sessions but the whole class are able to watch these if they are interested in the subject. And they were. I started with the eye of the puffin and began to build up the painting. At one point while demonstrating there was only the head and no beak so the little bird looked rather odd.  At this time a member of the class informed me that Puffins beaks fall off in winter. I couldn't help but reply " Do you mean they walk around looking like this?"  The whole class fell about laughing as did I. And for a while I couldn't stop giggling. This is confession time. My biggest fear when demonstrating or holding workshops is to get a giggling fit because even at this age I can't stop once I start laughing. It is embarrassing. I was lucky, the whole room laughed with me but for a while no one could say the word " Puffin" in front of me in case I started laughing again. Artist son this course remembered and emails that followed often mentioned " puffin" knowing it would get me smiling and giggling again. There was a bond in that class that I will never forget and the loved flowed into this painting because of it.

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I love all these paintings. They look fabulous in my own home but they are also very integral to my book and how it was written. My goal in this exhibition is to have my work owned by people who love each painting for a reason. And this is why I am letting these special paintings go.

If you are interested in any of these paintings or work from my latest book " Jean Haines World of Watercolour" please contact Jan at the Frame Gallery who can advise you on how to purchase.

My solo exhibition opens on 11th September 2015. 

Here is a link to the gallery.

 http://www.theframe-gallery.co.uk/explore-a-world-of-watercolour-with-international-artist-jean-haines/

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If you would like to buy a copy of my book "Jean Haines World of Watercolour" it is available via this link

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jean-Haines-World-Watercolour/dp/1782210393

Jean Haines World of Watercolour.

Launched in June 2015. 

Already an international best seller