ONLINE ART SCHOOL NEWS! ** Register Open**

Lamb coming to life in watercolour

Hello!

I am so excited! Actually I am excited and disappointed but I will explain why in this blog post. I have just made the toughest decision to cancel all of my upcoming art events including my demonstration and workshop at Broadway Arts Festival 2020 and I was attending Patchings Art Festival  in summer. However governments all over the world are offering advise on the Corona Virus and self isolation along with social distancing seems to be a common theme. So I am really sorry for anyone that was hoping to see me in action personally this year.

BUT!

Here is the good news! You may not be able to attend a workshop with me but you can now see me painting live online! My new online art school is almost ready to open and in preparation there is a special offer for the opening two weeks. Please see the link below for details and add your email address where requested, if you are interested in joining my regular tutorials . You will recieve notifcation every month on two new exciting tutorials to follow and paint. Just imagine, you will be in my home with me on a regular basis and given inspiration of things to paint, techniques to try and projects to complete.

Self isolation can be a good thing enabling us to create without interruption but there will be also be an online community in my new online art school where you can show your art work and meet your freinds or make new ones!

Its' actually almost party time for us all!

So here is the link...

www.watercolourinspiration.com 

Add your email address and join the watercolour party!

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Exciting Online Tutorials and New Art School Coming soon!

 Mothers Day Bouquet

Daffodils and Pussy Willow in Watercolour

Jean Haines Online Art School

I have been quiet. Very quiet. And it has made me think of a time when my Step Mother always used to say " What is Jean up to ?" because she knew if I went really quiet for some time I was coming up with something new. And I have been working on just that. Something incredibly new and exciting.

It hit me during the time I was unable to travel how difficult it is keeping up with the demand for my workshops internationally. I have tried lengthening my tours, expanded the number of workshops I have held in each location and often added one more to take on the waiting list for cancellations. Only to discover a new waiting list grows then which is often twice as long. How wonderful to be so popular you may think but actually it hurts me to not be able to allow everyone who wants to attend one of my classes or see me to do so. 

There had to be ansnwer and this is my solution. I have started filming tutorials for an online art school which will be open for everyone. It involves a membership to join that can be either annual or monthly. There is even a free preview  so you can make your mind up before committing.  The fee is reasonable, in fact a really good offer especially at the launch. I would strongly advise joining as a full member while the art school is new and then you can grow with me in this adventure.

What does a member recieve?

 Two tutorials each month, a community where you can share your art from my demonstrations. Once a member you can watch the tutorials as often as you like. I will be sharing my favourite colours, subjects, discoveries and new techniques as they evolve.

I have been filming frequently in preparation for the launch and I have considered that some members may never have been on a workshop with me. So some really simple subjects will be included too and my plan is to have art in mind that can grow as your skill level improves. From easy to more complex.

It will be an inspirational, motivational and energising site. Having said that it is a natural teaching site in that you will be welcomed into my home where each demonstration ( so far) has taken place. My two young puppies have created a few comical headaches for us and these are included, You will see me serious at times and laughing when I am interrupted by them. As my puppies are now turning into adult dogs the chaotic fun is less frequent but still fascinating.

Basically, as a member you have access to me twice a month in demonstrations and I will visit the online gallery as time allows but here you will be mixing with and meeting other watercolour enthusiasts.

I have a wonderful vision for this new online art school. It will be launching soon and you will be able to register your interest and recieve notification by email on how to join.

Watch out for competitions, challenges to push yourself  and give aways too. A surprise around many corners just as in life. Like Spring when everything is new, fresh and fantastic.

I will still be travelling and demonstrating so I will share news about that very soon.

Oh, and one more very important thing, my blog will be moving to my new web site so once it is open I will share a link here and a link to my watercolour school.

Are you ready for a new adventure?

Oh boy, am I!

Join me soon!

Jean Haines Online Art School is coming soon!

Spring time first wash

Hope 2020

"Hope"

Snowdrops 2020

Whenever I see the first snowdrops each year they give me hope of what is to come.  They always seem to bloom just when winter is at its' worst, with cold grey days needing some cheer. I know these tiny white flowers will soon be followed by clusters of cheerful yellow daffodils in my garden which will lead me into early Summer flowers full of vibrant colour.

Maybe we need the dull days to help us enjoy the sunny ones far more. As in, perhaps, we need those days when our paintings don't go as we expected. Those times really make us appreciate when our artistic ideas work!

We all have down days. But how we deal with them is the difference to their effect on us.

I've been walking our two puppies daily but I must confess when the sun shines I find my walks far more enjoyable. But those long walks in the cold wake my brain up so much more! That is my positive attitude for,  and thoughts about,  cold weather.

I wandered to the woodland section at the foot of our garden recently and discovered the first of our snowdrops blooming. Just a few but they were there and I raced into my studio to paint them. I found myself getting quite botanical with this composition but perhaps as I am tidying my home and studio with an annual spring clean my " tidy persona" is getting the better of me in my art.

Well I started this blog post with the word "hope" so I will close it with a wish that I hope whatever you wish to achieve in 2020 will not only be achieved but better than how you expected it to be.

Keep hoping positive thoughts, dreaming impossible dreams and looking ahead to bright fantastic days. Making them happen!

Happy painting

Jean

Happy Christmas! 2019

Poinsettia in Watercolour

Where oh where does the time go?

Well here is December 2019 and next week is Christmas. In fact Christmas Day is now only one week away. With all my good intentions of being on my blog more often I had studio and computer problems which meant that wish for me didn't come true.

But I camefon my blog today for one thing only.

To wish you the very best of Christmases. 

 I am aware that this isnfot the easiest of times for so many. We miss loved ones and friends so very much who are no longer with us. For us, this year has seen quite a few unexpected extremely sad goodbyes, one in particular hurts very much. I look at my husband John and feel so blessed to be together still and enjoying life.We are very lucky indeed.

I pick up a blank piece of white paper and see it as a golden opportunity to create something new, colourful and exciting. I wake each day thinking positive regardless of what may have happened the day before. Life has its' way of throwing us hurdles, juat like those wretched mistakes in our art that we have to handle or get over somehow. Knowing not everything is in our control is really a wonderful way to look at working in watercolour. I don't try to control it. I try to work with it, making the most of its beautiful qualities.The surprises and happy accidents.  Loving what I like and adapting to the things that I don't. 

Like life.

I painted a poinsettia as one is in my home and I loved its vibrant red bracts.  Initially my painting looked too pink but I added a layer of a red shade on top of  the composition to add more punch to the piece. Now I like the energy in the brushwork that is unhindered by lines pre drawn.

I know, and have always known since childhood that I am a free spirit. There is no point in trying to tie me down to just one subject or just one technique. Which is why my favourite medium suits me so well. I wake painting what I feel like painting and love the freedom and sense of adventure this brings me. And pleasure.

So today, I'm wishing you happiness and freedom to have your own adventures. I wish for you many successful painting days in the New Year, and joy and laughter in your life.

Have the best Christmas ever and an even better 2020.

I will be starting my blog in 2020 making an announcement for anyone interested in learning watercolour from me so please do watch this space!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

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Mushroom Ink : Inktober 2019

Mushroom Cat

Created with Mushroom Ink

INKTOBER 2019 

I first discovered the value of painting with mushroom ink some time ago when we first moved into our cottage. I found  mushrooms in our woodland garden that resembled judges wigs. When I read up about them I was thrilled to learn that this fungi was used by monks years ago for calligraphy and after reading up on the subject I decided I would try painting with the same ink. The above painting of a cat is created using mushroom ink from inkcap mushrooms.

I have now learnt how to prepare the ink from the mushrooms and how to avoid any fading of my finished work. I have also discovered mushroom ink really does create the most gorgeous effects just like purchased inks. They are fascinating. You can lift the ink colour, make fabulous watermarks with it and have fun experimenting to gain all manner of effects with this soft and interesting fluid mushroom ink.

Rather than appear as black on paper even though the liquid certainly looks black, a brownish shade is usually gained at places in my results/

To avoid fading I now apply two coats of mushroom ink building up my painting very gradually.  I often  allow the first layer of mushroom ink to dry and then add detail on top, so the softness of my muted background shade acts as a base for my stronger more prominent detailed brushwork which is added finally to complete my composition.

This natural ink is so much fun to experiment with and what better month to try this idea than Inktober?

There are many natural dyes to try, this is just one.My blackberry paintings always involve the juice of staining, real blackberries for example. So here is a challenge, How about finding something from nature that you can paint with?

I double dare you and perhaps you could share your favourite dyes with me.

Happy Inktober!

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Inktober 2019

Mushroom Ink Portrait

Shakespeare?

Hello and thank you for so many lovely messages especially by email telling me how happy friends are to see me back on my blog. And I am back! So here is a really fun post, in fact it is a fun guy (fungi ) portrait ! 

Its the time of year when foraging really does pay dividends for an artist as there is so much inspiration to see daily that tempts our brushes. But at this time of year there is also far more to benefit our studios in the form of natural dyes and inks. In the woodland section of our garden there are many ink cap mushrooms. Known as judges wigs because of how the white tops curl up as they evolve over a short period of time. If gathered and left to disintegrate in a container they form gorgeous ink that is a delight to work with.  I paint with these mushrooms every year but now know they need to be applied in various ways to ensure the colour stays fast rather than fading which it can unlike manufactured products. As it is Inktober I thought it would be fun to share my afternoons play session results from working with the mushroom ink.

In the image below you can see my container with the disintegrated mushrooms. A black ink liquid has formed but when used it surprisingly often has a brownish rather than black appearance on paper.  To begin here I simply created a blob of colour with the ink on a scrap of paper to see how strong the colour of the mushroom ink would be. I added water and ( being me ) instantly saw the hint of a face. A few brushstrokes later with water and touches of more ink led to my portrait of Shakespeare appearing. I am saying it is Shakespeare now but initially this was just a blob of ink. I have to be totally honest! Shakespeare apperaed by happy accident. 

"To be or not to be" a portrait, that WAS the question!

 

 Mushroom ink. Here I did add a little water as the  ink had dried over night. Tip: if you are experimenting with home made inks formed with plants or herbs try avoiding adding too much water as you can then heavily dilute the ink to a very soft and possibly fading shade.

Years ago this particular mushroom ink was used by monks for calligraphy. So I am following in ancient footsteps not really trying something new. If you are out for a walk and see these beautiful mushrooms try picking some to paint with. But remember, DO wash your hands carefully after gathering them and be warned. Some have a rather strong odour about them which absorbs into watercolour paper and the smell can sadly last!

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Artists tip for the day

How about experimenting creating your own inks and dyeing colours? After a while of experimenting it certainly makes us appreciate the fantastic manufacturers of all our favourite watercolour shades which we can simply buy without all the mess!

Thank you especially Daniel Smith! 

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Hello? Is there anybody there?

"Taking the Lead"

Latest horse racing painting in watercolour

Copyright Jean Haines

I feel as though I am walking into a room without a clue as to whether anyone will be in it or not.

 Why? 

Its' been so long since I wrote on my blog and I'm wondering if anyone is still here to read my posts! I am so sorry. 

I had an email from a blog reader recently asking where I was. I am here, just not finding time to write here lately. Not for any other reason than that I am really hectic with my offline life.

I could blame our two new puppies for taking up a lot of my time because they do. My daily routine now consists of daily long walks to tire them plus a training schedule. You will be pleased to hear that I am now almost fully trained to their way of thinking. Although seriously they are beautiful boys, great fun to be with and they are at this young age, quite naturally, time consuming.

But back to my art. I am working on a project that hopefully will be released next year and if possible announced before Christmas. It involves filming and that is the main reason I am quiet. I hope you will love the news when I can finally share the secret in a big reveal!

I have been in an exhibition in London too plus I demonstrated at an authors day at the Mall Galleries again in London ,via my publisher. Thank you to everyone who came to see me because it was such a great day. And a bargain. Visitors could see a number of artists working for a very low entrance fee although it seemed everyone who came to see me stayed with me for the whole day and I managed to practically pull off a workshop experience almost, with three different presentations throughout the event. I may return next year so do watch this space!

But I am back now, settled in my studio and painting, loving that feeling of seeing colour flow across paper.

Its' autumn and the autumn colours are as always thrilling me.

I hope to share more regularly now.

Dorothy, a special hello to you and thank you for your email about my being missing from my blog which shook me back into typing here!

Huge hugs to everyone and happy painting!

Jean