Art isn't easy!

 Snowdrop composition coming to life in watercolour

I meet so many people on my travels when I teach my workshops all over the world and the one thing that seems to be a common denominator in my art courses is my coming across people who tell me that they find painting really difficult. In that their results aren't always as pleasing as they want them to be or simple to achieve.

  I think theres' a point that we all miss at times.We all love painting and we all want to paint. But art isn't easy! It takes years of practise to get to a level of painting where you feel you are creating something worthwhile but even then, you still take time to perfect your skills. I cannot imagine one single famous artist  starting out in their career and simply painting a masterpiece straight away. In the same way that a famous golfer didn't get a hole in one on their first attempt at playing golf.

No painting isn't easy at all. 

I still have days where I face a new subject and what I achieve in my results may be passable as a finished painting but it will be far off from where I intended my results to be. In fact I am going to be totally honest and say I must be such a hard task master as right now I know exactly where I want my latest snowdrop and daffodil paintings to be and I am almost there . But not quite. In my mind I can see the daffodils blowing in the breeze and my results although beautiful don't quite say this. But they will. My snowdrops I want to glisten as if in early morning light under fresh snowfall. They aren't there yet but they will be.

Note these three words.

They will be.

Why?

Because I want them to be. Its' as simple as that. Mind over matter. I want to paint a great painting. I want to fall in love with my finished work myself. I am the driving force behind my work getting better and that is the most important point. Lets turn that around to you.

You.

You are the most important key to your own work getting better. How good a "key" you are is up to you but unless you keep turning that key and aiming at "somewhere" you will never reach that destination. It helps of course if you know where you want to be in your art journey. But most o fus want to be better.

So for me this morning, it is back to painting flowers and aiming for the painting that is in my mind, just out of reach. The one that I will always strive to get to as a higher level in my art.

Happy painting!

 

Snowdrops in Watercolour

Winter Bells

I updated the gallery on my web site for Winter flowers this morning. I have been so busy that my web site has suffered! I'm now looking at a year ahead when I hopefully can keep it more up to date.

The above painting was my design selection for my personal Christmas cards this year. And the feedback I received from everyone who was sent a card was so wonderful. Its' lovely knowing that my cards are welcomed each year and often framed. A growing collection that obviously increases in time. Just like my circle of friends worldwide.

Here is a link to the snowdrop paintings in my online gallery

http://www.jeanhaines.com/gallery?g=14

Making it Snow : Snowdrops

"Snowfall"

It is so good to be back in my studio after such a long break.  I started the day by painting wonderful yellow washes for daffodil watercolours. But as the day wore on the temperature outside dropped and the colour of the sky changed dramatically. It feels cold enough to snow and the earlier warm sunshine has disappeared.

I left the warm golden shades and returned to a mix of violets, blues and turquoise to capture snowdrops in soft falling snow. Initially I worked around negative shapes for the white of the flowers,selecting interesting, cool colour combinations for the backgrounds.

Before I knew it my easel was completely changed from a yellow to a blue collection of florals.

 

Easel collection of snowdrop paintings

I honestly cannot wait until tomorrow morning when I can race into my studio and make final touches to these paintings, if any/. I had a ball and this is just my first day painting in 2015. I don't intend to wish my life away but tomorrow cannot come quick enough!

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Snowdrop Heaven 2014

Snowdrops softly coming to life in a new watercolour

The snowdrops are out in our garden so I couldn't resist painting them. I sold many snowdrop paintings in galleries last year and they quickly became one of my best selling subjects . I haven't even one of my own snowdrop paintings hanging in our cottage so this afternoon I delighted in creating the first of this years snowdrop paintings.

We have various areas in our garden where the snowdrops bloom. Some of the little white flowers are out in the open often seen in sunlight. But my eye was drawn to a beautiful clump hidden at the base of a fir tree. These are sheltered from the light and very much in shadow. In fact I almost missed them when I passed by which gave me the idea for this painting. I will have one  " star" in the foreground and the other flowers will be the "backing group" behind it, less important but without them the star wouldn't shine so well!

The colours I have used so far are Winsor Violet, Cerulean Blue and for the green I have used heavily a diluted Perylene Green. I will possibly add warmth in sections with a layer of Cadmium Yellow at a later stage, as a final wash over my finished painting. This is a technique I often use and it will be explained in a feature I have written for the Artist magazine which will be available in April 2014. There is also a fabulous competition with my feature so please keep an eye out for it, and enter to win great prizes!

I must  admit I am using Winsor Violet so much at the moment. It is perfect for my Spring collection. It is definitely a shade to keep on your palette.

Waste Not, Snowdrop!

Snowdrop appearing

Negative Technique

I am reading some wonderful emails from readers of my blog and books letting me know how much my step by steps are enjoyed. Thank you so much to everyone who has contacted me and as I am slowly catching up with replies you should hear from me personally very soon.

For now, just a small tip that helps me get started each day. Keep a few scraps of paper so that you can start each painting session with a fun daily exercise. This morning I loved painting negative shapes around snowdrop flowers. Leaving the white petal shapes on my fresh paper I worked around them using  different colours from my palette.

The above small exercise was achieved with French Ultramarine Blue and touches of Quinachridone Gold  to warm up the very cool  appearance. I left random dots of white paper to give a sense of snow falling or movement in the area around the flower.

With very little detail this can later turn into a finished small piece but how about taking your study further? On a new piece of paper paint a cluster or row of snowdrops. Use salt on the background wash to create texture. How about using cling film in the foreground to add leaves or stem shapes? What about working with orange or pink in the background instead of blue and violet?

When you start thinking about how to paint snowdrops the possibilities are endless!

Have fun, enjoy creating and imagine you are seeing beautiful snowdrop flowers swaying in the breeze,with their tiny heads bobbing now and then.  Aim to capture this life and freshness in your results.

Happy painting!

The Frame Gallery Small Painting Exhibition 2012

"Snowdrop Gathering"

This afternoon I will be delivering my small paintings for the 2012 Christmas Exhibition at The Frame Gallery in Odiham,Hampshire. I will also be taking the reindeer painting that has created so much laughter  over the last few days.

I often feel, as artists we can take ourselves far too seriously and I am meeting many established professionals who have been painting for years but admit they have lost the enjoyment in picking up their brushes. In all honesty I know that will never happen to me because I truly am an art addict and can't wait to start painting each day.

At the moment I am working on my 2013/2014 watercolour tours and a fabulous collection of art for my 2013 exhibitions.

There is as always, so much to do and I am  so happy there is!

Happy painting!

Snowdrop Challenge

Simple Snowdrops

I have a feature in the recent issue of Paint magazine by the SAA,Society for All Artists. The simple demonstration is a step by step on how to paint snowdrops in a very easy way by painting the background first using negative space to form flower heads. An interesting background in a vibrant or soft mix of  blue or violet sets the scene for a col atmosphere.

Soft and hard edges throughout the piece gain a sense of the flowers moving.

It is such a simple challenge that can easily be adapted to many subjects with a variety of colour and technique.

Readers of the SAA Paint Magazine are invited to forward their own paintings of snowdrops following the demonstration to be included in a future issue of the magazine. I am really looking forward to seeing the interpretations of my demonstration.

Water being sprinkled over salt  application for a greater pattern effect when dry.

Whilst many artists sprinkle salt on wet sections of pigment I also enhance the effects by water application techniques which have evolved since writing my second book.

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