The Final Lap : Wey Gallery Collection 2017

 "The Final Lap"

Close up from larger painting

Please note : Copyright strictly Jean Haines

A collection of my new work is being delivered to the Wey Gallery in Godalming, Surrey, U.K this week including the action piece " The Final Lap"  seen in full below. The movement and energy in this horse racing scene seems far more dramatic off screen, as happens sometimes.

I have exhibited with the Wey Gallery for several years and my horse racing scenes have become very popular and collectible over time.  I love this gallery. Every time I visit I see new work by new artists and very unique art on display, beautifully presented.Owned and run by a very professional team who are so wonderful to work with.

I am drawn to the energy, movement and competitive spirit in these pieces which makes them a challenge and an exciting subject for my art. They also test my use of strong bold colour which I find Daniel Smith watercolours perfect for.  I cannot use pale insignificant shades for a moment in time as strong and dramatic as this.

In this piece you can just make out one jockey in particular aiming to take over the lead, but the winning horse is at the moment still heading for that finish line as if it is winning.

A combination of determination, skill and knowledge.

Just like painting.

"The Final Lap"

Please note : Copyright strictly Jean Haines.

Details on this and my other work at the Wey Gallery can be found via this link.

 http://www.theweygallery.com/

 

Daniel Smith : Yellow

A selection of my favourite Daniel Smith yellow shades in watercolour

I have received a few questions from artists interested in the range of yellow watercolour shades I use. Especially connected to my recent blog posts of daffodil paintings.

So to reply to everyone I thought I would share this information on my blog as I'm sure it could be useful to other artists too.

Firstly I have many yellow shades that I love but when travelling I like to carry as few colours as possible. So for my tours I only take one yellow shade with me and it has to do the work of a million! Which is why on my workshops you will see me with my favourite yellow shade by Daniel Smith which is Cadmium Yellow 

Right now I am using Cadmium Yellow Medium Hue for my daffodil paintings.

Why Cadmium Yellow? Well I can heavily dilute it for painting delicate petals but even more importantly, heavily diluted it is the perfect shade for adding warmth or instant sunshine in the form of a glaze over sections of paintings that I feel need livening up. I can use it almost neat as to add drama in tiny sections of a painting too.  Just a dot on the cap of a jockey for example is really effective for adding impact in a tiny spot of a composition.

But when in my studio and not hindered by carrying too much weight whilst travelling I use other yellows too.

Above you can see my favourites.

1) Azo Yellow. This is vibrant,light and refreshing to use. Seen in all my daffodil paintings recently.

2) Cadmium Yellow Medium Hue. Perfect for glazing, adding instant sunshine and working with diluted for daffodil petals

3) Lemon Yellow ( One I don't use as often but it is a "helpful" yellow to own )

4) Hansa Yellow Light which I love when I am painting primroses or Spring flowers. A strong favourite of mine!

I hope this helps. There are many yellow shades out there.  I own just a few that do a great job for me in achieving great vibrancy to my work. Yellow is a superb colour for lifting your spirits when painting too, as my new book " Paint Yourself Calm" describes! Available to pre order now on Amazon.com

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Daniel Smith : Favourite Shades

Playing with Daniel Smith Colours

I have had some fantastic feedback to yesterdays' rose blog post. It seems very popular so as a thank you to everyone who liked it and got in touch here are a few more tips.

I play with colour on scraps of paper before I paint. This not only helps prevent me from messing up a painting by using the wrong colour. It teaches me about how pigments interact . I often discover new favourite shades and colour combinations this way.

My favourite colour for painting pink roses is Daniel Smith Opera Pink. And you can see an example of my pink rose paintings in the above image. If like me you get tired of working with the same shades, looking for something new and exciting is always on the horizon. For me it is a part of my daily routine.

Following my trip to USA and my workshops at Daniel Smith I am absolutely hooked on their range of gorgeous watercolours but I know I have many to still discover. I give myself time for playing with each new shade I come across. So that I know exactly what I can use it for and how it will interact with other favourite colours already existing on my palette.

This weeks experiments have seen me fall in love with Daniel Smith Quinachridone Rose. It is stunning! If you study the image above I will explain why. I have applied dots of  Daniel Smith Quinachridone Rose and Daniel Smith Perylene Red on a scrap of paper. As I am in the mood for painting roses I have then placed a watery application of Cadmium Yellow along side each and with touches of water allowed the pigments to flow into each other. The Perylene Red as I expected is far too strong for capturing soft summer flowers with delicate petals. But the diluted sections of the rose and yellow shades have merged into an absolutely fabulous effect. So these are perfect for a summer watercolour collection.

I use these experiments and discoveries for all my subjects. I now know if I want unique shadows or warmth in a building or a landscape scene this combination could be a great option.

We often go straight into painting a serious piece  with little thought to how we could change our results by using new colour choices. As artists, consistently depending on what  know instead of searching for something far more exciting even if it is out of our comfort zone can sometimes be a difficult decision. But for me, it is what makes art magical. 

The thought of something new to discover.

Artists Tip of the Day : Don't get stuck in a rut. Try new colours frequently

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I thought it was quite comical when someone asked me if I worked for Daniel Smith. No, I don't but I would be a nightmare if I did.  As I would constantly be playing with the colours in the store rather than helping anyone. But I have to explain. If I love something I really do have to share it with the world. And I love Daniel Smith watercolours.  Its' that simple!  And what do I gain by sharing my tips and favourites on my blog? Hopefully happy artists around the world who love painting as much as I do and like me are always looking for something  new to try!

New Favourite Colour Alert!

"Spring Welcome"

Copyright Jean Haines

I am useless at keeping secrets and I have made promises that if I discover any new colours that I fall in love with I will happily share them on my blog. Well everyone. I have!

If you haven't tried Daniel Smith "Green Gold" you really are missing out. It brings vibrant life to so many paintings and is perfect for Spring foliage as in my painting of daffodils above!

Its' a new favourite for me and I am sure there will be many more!

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Sunshine on my Shoulders

Sunflower collection. 

Demonstrations and ideas for new paintings

Its' really funny how painting a subject can bring back happy memories. Last week I demonstrated how I would approach painting sunflowers and before we knew it my workshops were taken over by glowing yellow paintings as sunflower compositions  burst into life during the session. It was a wonderful workshop because each one was completely unique with the individual personality of the artist creating. It was a very special session as sunshine certainly filled the room with both colour, enthusiasm and energy.

 

 In  Monets' Garden, France.

Whenever I paint sunflowers I always imagine I am in France as I loved living there, walking  along country lanes of sunflower fields which was magical. I also often think of the song " Sunshine on my Shoulders " by John Denver who I used to love listening to, and will admit I still do. His voice was so pure and calming. I used to play the guitar and often sang his beautiful songs. So much so that my wonderful husband surprised me with front row seats to see John Denver when he was in an open concert in Hong Kong. I couldn't believe it and was so excited. The venue would be amazing and we would be there, sat  so close watching and listening.  

The day before the concert a friend we hadn't seen for years was visiting Hong Kong and asked to meet up which we did. Over dinner that night we mentioned we were going to see John Denver the next day. Our friend was eager to come too although his younger wife had never heard of the singer, so not so enthusiastic. My  husband managed to get two more tickets for them but they were at the back of the auditorium. On the concert night we walked to our dream  seats in the front leaving our friend and his new wife at the back of the hall. We were right in the centre of the front row. Perfect! But we looked at each other and knew we couldn't do it. So my husband walked to the back of the hall and asked two very amazed ladies, sat by ou rfriends, if they would like to swap seats. They jumped at the opportunity to come to the front and we took their places at the back. I couldn't see very well but I heard every favourite song and it was such a magical night still. Looking back this is just one moment in time where my husband has thrown me by his kindness.

And so when I paint sunflowers I smile and think of that night.

The sun is shining and there will be sunshine on my shoulders while I paint outside today.

Smiling of course!

 Sunflower centre radiating into sunshine petals

Patterns for petals around teh centre have been created by the use of clingfilm.

Daniel Smith Hamsa Yellow Medium is gorgeous for these paintings and Saunders Waterford paper is a brilliant surface for my floral work

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Thank you so much to everyone who has asked how my dog,Bailey, is.  He is recovering well and ate three small meals yesterday. We aren't out of the woods yet but he is  really doing well, going for short walks and enjoying cuddles!

Bailey eating eagerly yesterday!

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Not Standing Still : Watercolour Washes 2014

 Colour Burst

 Watercolour Washes 2014

As artists we cannot stand still. There are always new subjects, new colours and new techniques to explore. And if we cannot find any that inspire us we need to find our own, which is exactly what I do each day. Yes I adore painting flowers in my garden. I love painting animals and wildlife and of course I am passionate about painting landscapes. But as each year passes I look back at how I used to paint and imagine how I could improve as an artist.  Having knowledge about how pigments  work as they interact, their flow on paper and what they look like when dry is vital to my results and career. Also, with a new  major solo looming in September of this year I really want to aim for drama, impact and the "Wow"  Factor in my next collection.

Which meant this morning I couldn't wait to race to my studio and get warmed up with my daily exercises of washes. Everyone who has watched my demonstrations or attended my workshops will know exactly what I mean when I say I take three pieces of paper and work on them, aiming to make each more stunning than the first. To everyone who saw me at Patchings, this is how I progress getting brighter, more exciting and bolder as time goes by. Some days I like quiet colours but right now I am experimenting with Daniel Smith colours and oh boy, am I in love with Daniel Smith Quinachridone Fushia! It is perfect for summer flowers.You can see it in the top corner of the colour experiment " Colour Burst" above. 

The following two colour experiments are alive and tempting to work further on, so I will be adding a subject to these later.

  Colour Distraction

A technique I often use.

 Obviously the more exciting of the results  are often repeated on large pieces of paper  in preparatuon for my show work. I have many fabulous ideas from this mornings  warm up to my painting day

Colour Distraction 2

Beautiful greens for floral work

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Artist Tip for the day : Be brave and try a brand new colour this week.  How about delving into the Daniel Smith Shade Chart and treating yourself to just one  vibrant colour and experimenting with it. See which colours it plays with well alongside  a shade you already know. You have nothing to lose and so much to gain by being adventurous!