Spain 2013

Apple Blossom in Spanish Orchards 2013

I have travelled to Spain, driving through wonderful scenery passing the snowcapped Pyrenees,wonderful Orange groves full of fruit growing in my favourite colours of vibrant golds and seen field after field of beautiful cherry blossom.  As I approached our villa in its' rural setting I was charmed by sheep with their lambs nestled in the neighbouring field. Around their necks they wear huge golden coloured bells which tinkle making sweet music as they move around with their young. The light is very different to what I have become accustomed to in England where the grey of Winter has settled and taken over until Spring arrives. It feels like cheating living somewhere warmer right now.

I have already set up my new studio arrangement here and as always started each day by taking Bailey, my Bearded Collie, for a long walk. This morning I returned with a small twig of apple blossom as my "daily treasure" to capture in watercolour. Its' delicate petals against a clear blue sky enchanted me each day as I drove past to fetch bread from the local village. I knew I would have to paint it eventually. The strange thing is these flowers remind me of my time studying Asian brushwork in China with my Shangainese tutor and mentor. There I loaded my brush with two colours and practised painting two tone delicate petals over and over again until my teacher was satisfied that they could feel my flowers moving on the antique silk I worked on. I am currently reading books on the last Empress of China so my imagination is running riot imagining how the blossoms within the forbidden city of Peking would look and how the concubines would find pleasure admiring their beauty. Beauty which would often be turned into gorgeous delicate embroideries on the finest of silk robes.

Sometimes a simple painting and the journey while working in it can transport you to far off places which in itself is part of the magic in being an artist. Not just enjoying the result you are setting out to achieve but the memories during the journey, or thoughts provoked whilst creating or looking at the finished pieces.

I am writing my new book at the moment and the solitude and peace here is helping awaken my senses to a level which is highly creative. My blog may fall quiet from time to time or leap into action as I have new paintings or subjects to share from Spain.

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Thank you for all the primrose paintings that have been forwarded to me by email. I cannot wait to share them online with my blog followers,please keep sending them as I am back online now. I lost internet access whilst I was travelling last week to get here to my new painting haven.

Primroses Step By Step 2013, Final Sttages.

Primroses in Watercolour

Creating the flowers and adding detail

Now it is time to put all the "Step by step on how to paint primroses" stages together. First you have your wonderful colour wash setting the atmosphere for your primrose painting.

Next you will have added centres

The next stage is painting the now practised negative edges around your flowers.This will make them stand out in your wash.

 Darker colour worked away from my negative petal edge gives me a wonderful effect.

Next you can add fine lines around the centre to create this part of the flower as final details.I use my personalised rigger for this detailed work as it is easier to control. This brush is available from my web site

Once you have a few realistic looking small primroses as practise studies aim to paint a cluster of flowers in a larger painting, including a few buds and some leaves. Look at the painting below and observe how some flowers are only half there. In fact is any one flower totally complete? 

Readers of my books will know I love leaving sections to the viewers imagination and this is what makes my  work interesting, to me it draws the viewer of my finished paintings into my emotional connection with each piece too.

You won't have perfect paintings straight away, but with practise and by playing with this technique you may surprise yourself in beautiful results that absolutely sing with life.

Please email me any paintings you are thrilled with or excited by

And my books can be found on Amazon.com or my web site.

www.jeanhaines.com

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You can find my primrose washes on my first DVD, "Amazing Ways With Watercolour" , available from my web site and a clip of the DVD is on You Tube.

You will also find washes and techniques in both of my books. "Atmospheric Watercolours" teaches you about exciting washes, bleeding in and bleeding out techniques that will help you create soft beautiful petals.

http://www.jeanhaines.com/shop

Fox in Watercolour

A Fox appearing in Watercolour

Painting 1.

I have so many paintings I need to complete. Also two magazine features need writing and I am working on a solo exhibition at the Wey Gallery in March.  And I am having problems getting an art consignment delivery to a gallery in Devon due to bad weather. So you would imagine I would head for my studio today and carry on with everything that obviously is a priority?

No!

This morning I looked out of my window and saw the most beautiful sight. Here it is.

Fox in our garden this morning. Friends who visit won't recognise the scene as he is standing on what should be our lawn but now covered in heavy snow.

We have had very heavy snow yesterday and our grass is now all covered with a white blanket. I watched mesmerised as the fox , who nows visits daily for food , walked across the lawn to the waters edge. He almost posed as I took his photo. He is getting very tame and allows me to get quite near.

I have tried so hard to put him out of my mind as I had so much work to do but I couldn't. Which is why I found myself  painting him this afternoon.The first stage where the fox is slowly coming to life is at the top of this page. I have several images to work from so tomorrow I will be racing to my studio to work on him further and continue bring him to life.

As an artist it is so imporatnt to paint when the mood catches you and paint whatever your heart screams for you to  create, in whatever medium you love.

For me its' obviously watercolour!

Fox WIP from another photographic image from this mornings scene.

I think foxes are my new favourite subject!

Primroses in Watercolour 2013

Primroses coming to life in watercolour 2013

I have had the most incredible studio day. Having promised myself a break from painting I gave up as my heart was screaming at me to paint. I have loved working on some spring florals which kept my mood light and  also really wound me up about my week ahead preparing for my exhibition. I can't wait for tomorrow to arrive now.

I have shared a few stages of the above work in progress on my Twitter and facebook pages. But tomorrow I hope to inspire on my blog talking about  why I choose the colours I do and making the first washes and creative stages to create beautiful flowers in watercolour.

So I hope you have time to check out my blog this week!

Happy painting!

Jean

Snowdrop Glow

 Snowdrop Glow

 It is a wonderful Sunday. The light today has been incredible. I had promised myself a break,  intending to stay out of my studio, to enjoy the  unexpected sunshine. I just couldn't resist dropping into my haven to see whats on my easel and possibly paint primroses which are playing on my mind. I can't wat for the first of the Spring flowers to bloom this year. After writing "Atmospheric Watercolours" and "How to Paint Colour and Light in Watercolour", my own chapters previously written are strongly playing on my mind. I keep thinking of why I paint floral subjects in the way that I do and how my style has evolevd over the years. I want to experimant further and aim, as always, to paint flowers in a way that breathes life into the  completed compositions. That is my way and now, how I am known as an artist.

Walking into my studio I was faced with the painting of  snowdrops that I started, and reluctantly left to complete. Th epainting looks beautiful as it has a soft glow reminding me of the sunshine outside and all the colours yet to come this year.

This is a terrific way to start 2013, looking forward to exhibitions, writing my next book and  knowing I will be meeting so many new friends when I take watercolour workshops in UK, Australia, Hong Kong, Texas and New York this year.

For now I just want to paint quietly and enjoy the freedom of doing so on a peaceful glorious Sunday!

Italian Influences!

Venice In Watercolour

On my Easel waiting to be completed

I know everyone is expecting me to be sharing robins or even cockerel paintings at the moment but right now I am working on huge landscapes. The above painting is a smaller version of a large piece that has captured my heart today. I am in love with the Cerulean Blue pigment of the upper part of the architecture whilst a mixture of pinks give a warm glow to the facade. I am trying to avoid too  much in the way of  tiny detail in too many sections. Mainly as I do not  want to lose the spontaneity of the piece. Spontaneity which I could easily miss out on if I used a preliminary sketch!

There is so much life in this and a feeling of energy which is amazing considering I am working on a building. And so after working on the floor with this painting, I placed it on my easel to photograph and I now cannot wait until tomorrow to continue with this theme.

Whatever you are doing today I hope it makes you feel as happy as I do right now.

I heard "Atmospheric Watercolours" , my latest book is to be published in Italian next year so I am thrilled!