Watercolours With Life: Glorious Spring : Feeling Alive

Tuesday, 27 January 2015

Glorious Spring : Feeling Alive

Watercolour florals adorning my easel as works in progress

It feels so good to paint. I feel alive when there is a brush in my hand. Its' a feeling that I have grown to accept as part of my daily life. With the start of a new year I have taken time out to organise my studio, catch up on admin and planning plus paint. But at the moment, I am painting just for me. These pieces are not intended to be in an exhibition or book. They are purely "me", me walking into my studio and painting for the sheer joy of painting and I am expressing the pleasure of doing so by leaping from one Spring floral to the next. Heaven!

I started this year with various experimental washes, then moved to small studies as a warm up to my larger work. Today was a terrific feeling as I know I have finally caught up on some future tour management and emails. Leaving me some fabulous time to just move my brushes freely.

A friend is poorly so this small bouquet is a " Get Well Soon" painting carrying a hopeful message for a speedy recovery. This was inspired by a small spring bouquet I created recently from a tiny bouquet of narcissus and hyacinth. This painting started life as a soft wash and the flowers were encouraged to "appear" in it.

"Hope"

But I find working on small size paintings really restricting. It is only when I am stood at my easel, almost dancing to music that my paintings really take on a sense of life. In the lovely large painting below daffodil heads are literally dancing in the breeze, which should be the painting title. I am discovering where to put each new brush stroke by listening to what the painting tells me. Rather than racing to complete the composition in one go. I usually have a range of paintings from three to ten on the go at any one time. I have written about this way of working and why in my new book which will be launched later this year.

"Dancing in the Breeze"

Free and Expressive, working on large paintings allows me to bring a sense of life into my work. Life that can be lost on smaller paintings.

So I am closing my studio today with that fabulous sense of " I can't wait to start painting tomorrow"

And what could be better than that. Having a whole new day of painting to look forward to!

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1 comment:

Bianca Botes said...: Che meravigliosi colori bellissimi acquerelli ,complimenti ,molto molto belli ...
Greething from Switzerland ...Ciao; 30 January 2015 at 07:54

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The Artist Magazine : Book Review

Jean Haines' Atmospheric Watercolours

"The book is nothing less than a paean to the wet in wet technique. If that's your thing, prepare to be amazed. Jean Haines credits Jean Louis Morelle, and in many ways this book is the sequel to Morelle's remarkable, but very technical work, showing the wealth of creative possibilities the technique offers. A lot of the images are barely recognisable and yet you instinctively know what they are. I wish I knew how, because this is impressionism taken to its logical conclusion and reminiscent of some of the later work by JMW Turner. You will have to take it from me that "First signs of a face appearing magically from a first wash of watercolour" is pure alchemy. This is an extraordinary book."

"Amazing Ways With Watercolour:" Fastest Selling DVD!

"Amazing Ways With Watercolour" from Town House Films is the fastest selling DVD with the company to date! Record breaking pre-orders for this much awaited film saw requests for copies flooding in from all over the world. A wonderful introduction into working with watercolour minus the use of a preliminary sketch this DVD removes the fear, stress or pressure from worry about how to use watercolour. Instead the focus is on having fun, enjoying vibrant colour combinations and allowing the medium to create the subjects with just a little help from the artist. A really exciting new DVD to own. Whilst the DVD sold out in the first few months since its' release due to popularity it is now in stock and available directly from Town House Films.

http://www.townhousefilms.co.uk

How To Paint Colour and Light in Watercolour

"How to Paint Colour and Light in Watercolour" Jeans first book was launched at the Mall Galleries in 2010 at the SWA Society for Women Artists Annual Exhibition. Many copies have been sold world wide. It is available on Amazon.com, Search Press, SAA Society for All Artists and Ken Bromley.

"This book is a wonderful introduction into Jeans' way of working and gives an insight into her way of thinking and approach to a large variety of subjects. All painted minus the use of a preliminary sketch."