Watercolours With Life: Beautiful Negativity

Tuesday 7 July 2015

Beautiful Negativity

Phlox, Summer flowers on my easel

Painted in my garden this afternoon

Goodness Summer is passing so quickly. We have had wonderful friends from Hong Kong staying with us ,bringing back wonderful memories of our time living there. As the weather has been brilliant we have had fabulous meals in the garden with groups of friends we have known for some time. There comes a point when you need to walk away from what you are continually doing to take a break because doing so is good for the soul. In my case I have been working flat out on two literary projects, three gallery exhibitions and planning my USA tours for 2016/2017.

In August I will be filming a new DVD with Townhouse Films and we have been discussing the timing of it as this film will be created in my own home. I have a zillion emails to reply to as well but outside my studio at the moment are beautifully scented phlox, standing tall and white above the other flowers in our cottage garden. It was no use. By this afternoon I could resist them no longer and I set to work painting them.

I started by creating a negative outline around the shape of the clusters of white flowers. I worked with Daniel Smith greens and Cadmium Yellow to give me the warmth of a Summers day.

First Wash of Phlox

Cascading Greens give a wonderful backdrop to these beautiful white flowers

Next I defined the shape of each small flower in the clusters. I made a mental note to ensure that not all flowers faced me as they do not on the plant. They circle around the stem.I added depth behind some small blossoms and allowed others to be hit by sunlight.

Adding detail to the flower shapes corrects the first washes' quick, loose impression

The phlox in my garden are standing in front of orange dahlia but I decided to stay with a peaceful green background in my paintings.

Phlox in my garden.

I strongly believe painting what we want to paint and when we want to paint it gives us far better results. This is a far more enjoyable way of working than than slaving away on a project you are not happy with. And oh boy am I happy!

Again I can't wait for tomorrow to continue in my studio or to be painting in my garden. Life as an artist is so good. So rewarding and so enriching because you see the beauty nature has to offer so often. Beauty I think I would casually dismiss if I wasn't drawn to painting it!

Happy Painting!

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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."