Spring Posy

Spring Posy

Work in Progress

The weather has been amazingly warm and so I have been torn between my two passions. Painting and gardening.  I see them both as totally combined activities, each helping the other work. For example,today I carried pruned branches of shrubs to the compost heap at the foot of our garden. I had been cutting back ivy that has taken over our wishing well. What once was a little bit of ivy adorning the wiahing well roof,  now is an overgrown plant that has almost hidden the well entirely. I gave the ivy a very heavy pruning this afternoon and the wishing well is now looking beautiful again. Planted with geraniums, white pansy and a mix of colourful petunia which will look stunning in summer.

On the way to the compost heap to throw pruned shrub branches away I laid several blown down daffodils on top.  These flowers I was intending to take into the cottage for a floral arrangement later on. But laying on top of the ivy, the flowers looked so pretty that on my way back to our home I headed into my studio instead and painted the posy in my hands. This made such a pretty composition, and to think everything was originally headed to be thrown away.

From rubbish can sometimes come beauty, as in this case.

And of the rest of the week I will look twice at what I throw away!

Have a great week ahead!

Jean

Christmas Roses : 2017

"Christmas Roses"

2017

Despite the cold weather I wandered around our cottage garden this afternoon and was thrilled to see the Christmas Roses in full bloom. These flowers have always fascinated me. They tend to grow with their heads facing downwards so their inner beauty is often hidden. Maybe like people, where our hearts tshine but others can't see how good they are. Or how kind.

I picked a few of the flowers and brought them into my studio to paint. My flowers have unfortunately been hit by frost, but to me this adds to the colour choices available to me to paint white subjects. I created a floral arrangement to work from using stems and twigs and began painting.

This is my first painting of Christmas Roses this year but it definitely won't be my last. In fact I have three washes right now painted with these beautiful floral subjects in mind and I am going to work on them, taking my time to enjoy what I am seeing in full view.

A lovely way to spend an afternoon. But thank heavens my studio is warm as it is freezing cold outside! 

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Wisteria 2015

 

 Wisteria painted in my garden this afternoon

I am still very much suffering from jet lag and catching up from my trip to USA but the sun shining this afternoon and the sweet perfume from the wisteria blooming in my garden were far too tempting to ignore. I have loved sharing how I paint Wisteria  on my workshops but today was time for me to paint quietly, and as I did so, I listened to the glorious birdsong forgetting completely the constant packing and unpacking of the past five weeks as we moved from hotel to hotel in each destination.

Being on tour is very tiring but it is so rewarding. I have had a terrific time but I am desperate to paint just for me at the moment. For my own personal satisfaction and growth as an artist.

I dread leaving my garden when I am on tour. Especially in Spring when so many glorious plants are blossoming which seem to set me up spiritually for the year ahead of me. I feel energised in a way that no other season can effect me. The minute the car pulled up on the drive of our cottage after such a long time away I was greeted with the sight of wisteria adorning our cottage facade. Hanging in beautiful candelabra formations. I see purple, violet and turquoise colour in each blossom.

As I painted at my easel this afternoon I observed the tiny buds still yet to flower on neat stems. Almost waiting their individual turns to shine. The sunlight was so bright that at times I could hardly see even though I was wearing a hat with a huge brim to offer me some comfort of shade.

I know tonight I will be dreaming of these stunning flowers and imagining how I will portray them in a series of paintings. Starting from tomorrow morning.

Isn't it wonderful to have something positive to constantly look forward to?

I will share more on my blog very soon!

 Wisteria from our cottage garden

 

I see the lighter petals as sections where I will leave white paper or lighter areas.

I am a keen photographer so I am collecting resource photos which I can work from inside my studio on rainy days! But nothing beats painting outside from life.

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Learning To Walk

Beautiful Veronica Flowers in a soft watercolour

Ever since I broke  my ankle I have had to learn new things every day. At first I had to learn to overcome the pain and discomfort.  I also had to learn to let go of my independance as I have needed help doing even the smallest of  daily tasks.  For example I can make myself a cup of tea but I can't carry it anywhere while balancing on crutches! It will also be some time before I am allowed to drive. But each day small steps in the right healing direction have boosted my soul and confidence so much.

My accident and what it has taught me really has been such a positive outcome for my life as it is  today. For a start I realise what a fabulous husband I have as nothing has been too much trouble for him and not once has he complained about his new role of carer.

But I also have stopped and looked at a white piece of paper each day and imagined what painting is like for the beginner or the artist who is frustrated at things not going how they want them to. Everything we do in life builds from the earliest, small baby steps, every new skill you try and sometimes even gaining back lost skills, lost for whatever reason. I am going to have to learn to walk again. Something I took completely for granted. Of course I know how to walk but putting my foot down in exactly the right way isn't quite as simple as I thought it would be. It isn't co-operating without a lot of encouragement from me!

Isn't that like starting out in watercolour. We know what we want to achieve but things don't always go as we planned at the outset. The main secret to any skill we learn really is not to give up when the going gets tough and to practise as much as possible. I have loved painting the Veronica flowers so much and each time I start a fresh painting it is better than the last. I am learning all about my subjects' colour, form and even "feel" because it is so delicate and that is what I am trying to portray in my results.

Learning to stand on my own, and walk again will take time, patience and determination. But I know this.  I know that if you want something in life badly enough you will get it. So if you are on the point of giving up or feeling disheartened with anything in life , take  baby steps to achieving your goal and guess what. You will get there. Like me. 

But maybe we should put off running until we are absolutely ready!!

Artist Tip of the Day : Never Give up and don't run before you can walk!

Lilac Time

Lilacs coming to life in a vibrant floral wash

I desperaely wanted to paint today.  Having taught workshops all week I found my fingers itching to hold brushes and as the day wore on I just couln't resist  playing with colour. I had taken some lilac into my workshops as subjects to paint. Having brought them home for floral arrangements I noticed they were beginning to droop today. So time was running out if I was to capture them in watercolour.

The blossoms were a pale mauve in colour that didn't make me feel energised so instead I painted my favourite variety which is a deep purple. The whole point of the exercise was to free me up from teaching mode and get me back into the zone for writing and working on my next book.  The rich colours definitely did make me feel good and I now  have a million ideas for my next paintings. Maybe a large vase of lilac next or huge sprays on a lilac tree.

We will see!

HAPPY PAINTING.

Spring Appears 2013

 Spring coming to life on my easel

Easter 2013

I have been visiting my studio every day and quietly collecting colour for a collection of Spring Florals. Taking my lovely dog Bailey for a walk I often see nature at its' best in nearby woodland. But at this time of year my own cottage garden is beginning to come to life.  In my studio I also have a box  full of gorgeous new shades given to me to try by a fantastic watercolour company. As my workshops start next week I thought I would look at which ones are best to portray "Spring".

I have always mixed my own greens until recently but now I find I am loving the  fabulous shades available. This section of primroses shows how valuable a selection of pigments at hand on your palette can be.  I am still heavily influenced by Madame Blanche Odins work in watercolour and feel this corner of the larger painting is definitely an area where my mind wandered to thinking how she would have painted had she still been alive.  

 

 Fabulous section of primroses with soft and hard edges.

"A painting within a painting" J.H.

 You see I am gaining such intricate patterns in my results but  I am still being totally true to watercolour as a medium by not using additional acrylics or inks. And by consistently experimenting I am finding even more beauty held within this challenging and magical medium. I haven't used salt or cling film on this painting as I am deliberately setting out to see how varied I can create the appearance of texture minus any aids.

 I have two paintings now side by side on my easel, as I have worked on them at the same time. One I decided was to be heavy in colour, with many layers gradually built up using opaques quite thickly in places. As a contrast to the softer upper section of the same composition where the flowers are in sunlight. The second painting is softer and full of Spring light. This so far is my favourite of the two although the drama on the heavier piece does have huge impact when seen from a distance.

 Different paintings with different moods of the same subject

Primrose clusters

I left the two paintings upright on my easel for easier photography shots and walked in this morning to a heavenly sight. Two paintings that are almost complete, bar a little definition in places.

What a great way to start the day!

Artists Tips: 

1) Do try new shades as often as possible. Its' like going on holiday and adds to the excitement of working in watercolour. 

2) Be brave and aim to stay working purely with the medium minus  additions of other products. This way your results will sing with life and energy and give viewers who look at your finished results the knowledge that you can work in what is classed as the most challenging of mediums.

Heavenly Scent : Narcissi Spring 2013

Narcissi painted in my Spanish Villa garden this morning.

The sunlight in Spain is  wonderful. It was impossible for me to ignore the temptation to paint in the garden this morning. I listened to the distant bells on the sheep grazing in the fields as I painted sweet perfumed narcissi. Their delicate flower heads have always been a favourite of mine as subjects  and the calm I felt whilst working on these was wonderful

Art can be therapeutic and relaxing once you get into that wonderful zone of your own world and no one else exists in it.

Heaven on earth!

Painting Primroses: Spring 2013

Primrose Step by Step in Watercolour

 Choosing Colours of Springtime

I really didn't think I would make it to my blog today as I had so much to do. First, I knew I needed to complete my catalogue for my exhibition in Devon at the end of this month. Next I had to deliver artwork to be framed for my show in Godalming. The collection is large  so it is taking time to  complete.

 The weather  today here saw snow and sleet making the roads difficut to manoeuvre,visibility was awful. But I managed to get there and back in one piece so here I am.  And I promised to share how I paint primroses on my blog this week, so I hope someone is eagerly waiting for me to share my technique.   If you are reading this, it could be you!

We are going to take a simple wash like this to the next stage of finding flowers in it.

 

 

 First stage wash for primroses

Not quite as easy as it looks but I have tips to share!

I am lucky in that I have real primroses flowering in my garden at the moment so I will share mine with you for this exercise and step by step. 

In the next image you can see how I matched the colour of the real flower with colours selected for my painting of them. That yellow isn't  easy to achieve either. Again I have a few tips to share!

Colour matching  to make the subject seem more alive.

(Real flower placed alongside my wash to show how true the colours chosen are.)

Tomorrow we will look at the  materials you will need, as in paper and fabulous shades  to work with, then we will begin!

Be ready and as a tip please think of Spring in your imagination and all the colours you "think" you see for that season and lets' see if we can bring them alive!

I will start by sharing the products and colours I use and how to create the first wash and stages to  almost feel the subject in the first stages.

Roll on tomorrow!

Dancing in Sunshine 2012

Rudbeckia

Flowers coming to life dancing across white paper.

While I was teaching  my watercolour course at Dedham Hall I noticed some gorgeous bright yellow flowers on very tall stems, almost dancing in the sunshine. One artist asked how I would approach painting them as a subject and so I gave a small demonstration to show my way of working. Basically I wanted to capture a feeling of sunshine.

Today in my garden I have painted  vibrant yellow rudbeckia that are also on very tall stems standing above all the other flowers in the same flower bed. They look proud, majestic and almost as if they are wearing bright skirtst which move with the aternoon breeze.

I felt so relaxed painting this piece and allowed the colour to work almost on its' own to bring my subjects to life with as much light as I could gain within the composition. Although it needs further detail, as it is drying it looks as though it could be left alone as a painting.It works beautifully making me smile and feel the last of the summers rays on my shoulders.

Don't forget whatever season you are painting, it is short lived so make the most of every day and paint what you can when you can!

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Please note my 2013 UK workshop information has now been sent to everyone on my contact list so if you have been in touch you should by now have recieved full details. If not please email me again on jeanhaines@hotmail.com

I will be publishing the workshop information on Wednesday of this week once my email waiting list has been notified and had a chance to book. Please email me if you would like to be on the workshop email list.

Last days Of Summer 2012

Delphinium picked from my garden this morning for a wonderful relaxing day painting in blues.

Over the last week I have witnessed the wind and rain knocking down all the beautiful delphiniums in our garden. Normally I leave these flowers  rather than pick them for flower arrangements as their beauty and vibrant blue shades add such drama to our cottage flower beds. But as the wind had knocked them down my husband had gathered them and given them to me while he worked outside in the sunshine yesterday. I do so love this part of my life, being given armfuls of gorgeous flowesr from our own garden to decorate our cottage with. It feels like something I have yearned for over the years of constant travelling from country to country while we lived abroad,to finally have a place that I know I will be living in for the rest of my life.  Initially I made a wonderful flower arrangement with the delphiniums for our home but I kept looking at it last night and dreamt about the flowers as I slept. So I knew this morning I would just have to get the majestic blooms

 out of my system and paint them!

Cerulean Blue as a pigment has sat in my palette almost ignored all summer and finally it created a basic wash which I merged Winsor Violet in places for the petals. Inside each centre I used Indgo added with my own personalised rigger brush which is perfect for adding fine detail or smaller amounts of neat pigment which I often use as a technique.. I have also used my rigger for working around individual petals adding touches that seperate blocks of colour. I am thrilled with the feedback I am receiving from buyers of my personalised brush sets and love the words " sensual to use" that keep cropping up. They do glide across paper beautifully and help with my work so much. But the finest of Kolinsky brushes always will be a delight to use!

My tip to anyone aware that  a season is coming to an end, is to make time to paint what you love before it disappears until next year. I often say life isn't a rehearsal and we should never put off until tomorrow what we could paint today while we feel so enthusiastic about it.  During my demonstrations and at art events I am meeting so many artists who tell me they never have enough time to paint. Well today there are many things that I need to do including plant foxglove seedlings so that I have lots of them to enjoy painting next year but my heart and mood feels so much more energised and happier because I painted what I wanted to paint first!

So my artists tips this Sunday.........

1) Do something just for you even if it is just once a week

2) Find time to paint! Even if its a ten minute play with colour, paint!

3) Don't put off until tomorrow what you know you could paint today!

Have fun!

Close up of the delphinium I am working on.

Workshops, Hampshire, UK 2012

Geranium

Watercolour Demonstration Dedham Hall 2012

The workshop programme for 2013 has finally been completed and full details will be on my blog and web site next week. There are some fabulous new sessions, old favourites and special opening door days for new artists who have not had a chance to come on one of my workshops before.

If you have forwarded your name by email to me you should be receiving information fairly soon.

Due  to my exhibitions and travelling next year workshop days are very limited so please book early to ensure you have a place!

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Artists from last weeks Dedham Hall workshop may be interested in the background wash of the simple geranium demonstration from the garden at Dedham Hall. Light played a very big part of this composition and the plants in situ helped by showing exactly where it should be!

Autumnal Abstracts

Inspired by Queen Annes Lace

Hogweed

A full week working on paintings for upcoming exhibitions in Wales, Surrey and Norfolk from September to November 2012. I am inspired by my rural surroundings and finding incredible abstracts in all forms of foliage at present. Hogweed  creates incredible patterns against an evening sky. Standing tall amongst brambles, nestling in hedgerows and bank it always seems to give amazing silhouettes that tempt my brush in so many ways.

My experimental and abstract work is leading my eye with colour and shape taking my work into a completely new direction. Bold in colour and complex in structure at times . Although simplicity is more striking in many compositions.

Yesterday I had a meeting to discuss my 2013 programme and as it will be a very exciting year with new gallery collections my time is going to be very limited  for workshops. The full programme of events will be shared on my web site in mid September with a restricted number of places. Each session is aimed at being highly motivational and inspirational. However putting it together has increased my own enthusiasm to an all time high so my personal  time in my studio to continue evolving and exploring is really important.

My collections are already taking shape in ways that I had not foreseen and my passion for colour and texture is stronger than ever.

I will share full details of my exhibitions on my web site shortly. 

My next show will be at the 

Albany Gallery in Cardiff, South Wales from 14th September - 6th October ,2012

Flowers,Flowers and More Flowers!

Because I know  I am going to be sharing blackberry, hips and haw paintings non stop I thought I would share the latest floral compositions that I have been working on for an exciting new project. I wanted bolder colour  and a feeling of strong lost and found sections.

I have loved painting these whilst sitting in sunshine in my cottage garden today. But I think my brushes will be moving on my autumn collection tomorrow as the berries are really tempting my brushes!

A Taste of Summer : Phlox in Watercolour August 2012

A Taste of Summer

The weather is glorious! It has been such a busy week delivering work for framing and to galleries. In fact I have been out  almost every day with brilliant appointments and exciting meetings all connected with showing my art. I took time out to paint flowers in my garden this afternoon. I have been reading my own book and strangely learning so much from each chapter which sounds really peculiar as I am the author! But I am going through each section and it seems as though "light bulb" moments occur each time something triggers an exciting idea I wish to put on paper. When I wrote my book I was hoping to inspire other artists. I feel a little wierd saying that I have inspired myself too! 

So in sunshine, I stood at my easel in my garden and  observed how the colours played on white phlox flowers.Their beauty is undeniable and I just had to capture them in watercolour. These have left me with a yearning for tomorrow morning to arrive so that I can capture more beautiful flowers from life  to add to my Summer 2012 collection of watercolours. Summer passes so quickly and I d not wish to waste a minute of it.

Here is the full painting.

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Sweet Pea Seduction

Sweet Pea watercolours from an afternoon painting in my cottage garden

The weather has been glorious today so I have worked in the fresh air allowing the sunshine to  cloak my shoulders.Its' been a really superb weekend with time to relax in my cottage garden and move my brushes to simply capture light in my work.

This year has been  so busy with exhibitions and deadlines to meet so I feel as though I have had a wonderful holiday escaping into a world of florals,painting from life and loving every second  of it.

I worked on several small studies and then brought them into my studio to place on my easel. A few finishing touches will be added to each tomorrow and then I will probably work on a few serious compositions of the subjects I have painted over the last few days.

My favourite sweet pea painting so far ,almost finished with a fabulous softness about it. It really does look like the flowers in my garden in strong sunlight.

It is such a great feeling leaving my studio knowing these will be waiting for me on my return tomorrow.As always, I can't wait!

Pretty In Pink

Japanese Anenomes coming to life from a watercolour session in my cottage garden

The weather is beautiful and as our summer has seen little sunshine this year, I am making the most of every day by painting outside in my cottage garden.

I have many flowers to choose from as subjects. Whilst the foxgloves in various sections of the flower beds and woodland have been tempting my brushes I couldn't resist capturing the first Japanese Anenomes that are now coming into full flower. Their delicate petals are such a contrast from the stronger bell shapes of the foxgloves. I want to  bring that sense of their being able to move in a breeze, so find myself opting for gentle brushstrokes whilst I work. Which is really encouraging my colours to sing on paper.

Artists who have attended my workshops will know I use very little pressure on paper whilst I paint. These floral brushstrokes have truly been a soft whsiper across the surface of each white piece of paper that I have loved creating on.

For now I am going back into the sunshine while it lasts. Like flowers  that only bloom for a short season each year I strongly believe in making the most of every positive moment in life. Never wasting a minute of something too good to miss!

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Foxglove Fantasia

Foxglove Collection

August 2012

Works in Progress

I couldn't wait to race into my garden today. Armed with paper, palette and brushes to continue with my series of foxglove watercolours.

I sat in sunshine and quietly explored several of these gorgeous flowers growing in my cottage garden. The wild variety  have wonderful single,bell like shapes hanging downwards. These are in one area of my garden but the more domesticated variety  I have grown form fantastic shapes,several varieties have tightly packed clusters of bells forming downwards along the stem,opening more widely as they near the base.

Its' been heaven sitting studying the colours and patterns within these subjects this morning. Happy memories came flooding back from childhood when I was convinced fairies existed and lived in these beautiful flowers. I was always told never to pick them because they are highly poisonous but their beauty is outstanding and they make great subjects to paint. As an adult I am loving watching fat  fuzzy bumble bees disappear inside each flower as they collect pollen.

My favourite paintings  so far is the one in the middle on my easel,waiting to dry for the next stages to be added. How relaxing to paint a subject you love so much and enjoy working on sheerly for the pleasure of making them come alive on paper. Although these will be completed and framed at some point for exhibitions.

I can't wait to continue with my new floral collection!

Beautiful Fogloves almost leaping off the paper towards me as I work!

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Foxgloves in Watercolour: Garden Painting 2012

Foxglove growing in my cottage garden

The sun has been incredible today and the light playing on the flowers in my garden has been tempting me to work outside and enjoy the summer weather. I didn't really know where to start first as so many wonderful flowers are in bloom at the moment. But a tall foxglove has been standing proud and almost calling my name this last week.

So with a board to lean on and several pieces of paper I sat and studied its' gorgeous colour. I have opted for W&N Opera Rose as the main shade for my compositions.

 First wash working around the bell shapes of each flower on the tall foxglove stem.

It was fantastic days painting especially capturing the light in my first study which seemed to breath with life immediately in sections. 

At this stage I enjoyed leaning my first wash against an old tree stump to see how my colours sat with nature in my garden. They worked perfectly for me.

Leaning my painting in its early stage against an old log that has been surrounded by these flowers all year so far..

Next I added some darks by carefully looking at the flower in real life. I find if you continually work from photographic images your darks can tend to become far too heavy and unrealistic. Painting from life in the fresh air is far healthier for you and can give you an insight into stunning colour combinations learned from observing, which can be missed by painting inside all the time!

Foxgloves building up gradually in a painting from a session in my garden this afternoon.

I know tomorrow I will be racing out to my garden to complete the series and I have one stunning group of white foxgloves which will be truly interesting to capture in a watercolour.

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Readers of my new book "Atmospheric Watercolours"  may be reminded of my "Woodland Fantasy " foxglove painting from inside the opening pages. It is now almost two years since this  original painting was created, as it was then with my publishers until my books release in May of this year. When it was finally returned to me ,it was framed and sold in one of my recent exhibitions. It was, and always will be an all time favourite painting of mine with several galleries wishing to showcase it.

Now its time to create a new " all time favourite" foxglove painting!

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Artists Tip: Please paint outside as much as possible and from life because the colours you will see will be far more interesting and the light effects so much more interesting to paint. In time your eyes search out the patterns within pattersn too so go for gold and paint something new this week!

Memory Lane; Sweet Pea

Yesterday I visited the Wey Gallery in Godalming,Surrey after delivering a new collection of work to be framed.  I loved seeing the fabulous gallery display and I have new subjects appearing there soon.

On my journey home I passed a garden that was full of rows of sweet pea, one of my favourite flowers. Their blast of colour  in the rural setting was incredible.  Everyone who came to one of my workshops, earlier this year ,will know I have been disappointed because the plants in my cottage garden this year at that time hadn't produced any blooms.  I am happy to say they are now flowering well and beautiful sweet pea paintings will be coming in the next few weeks I am sure.

Why do I like them so much as a flower?

They bring back memories from my childhood. I was brought up by strict Grandparents and flower picking from their garden wasn't allowed. But my Grandfather would pick little bunches of sweet pea now and then for me to give to my  step mother when my father remarried.  I would carry these little bouquets  as treasure to my new home, to a woman who changed my life by bringing colour into it. And kindness.

Their fragrance is so delightful that I now place little bouquets of the blossoms around my home to bring Summer inside. I chose two varieties to plant this year,both heavily scented. One is a  mix of vibrant colour.the other is soft muted shades. So it will be interesting to see which appeals to my brushes more!

You can read my orignal post about sweet pea via this link and it was really interesting for me to read this morning too. I am loving looking back on my older blog posts, enjoying how I felt at that time. I didn't realise by sharing my thoughts here I would be inspiring my own brushes to move on familiar subjects too. And see how I would portray them later on in my art journey.We will find out!

A real trip down memory lane!

http://watercolourswithlife.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/painting-from-life-sweet-pea-in.html

Inspiration From Life

Inspiration From Life

Peony painted during my "Summer Flowers in Watercolour "  Workshop

As a demonstration this week.

I am often asked questions  during a workshop  session. These  queries are invaluable to me as an artist as they make me think about how I approach certain subjects or add textures and why. This week I hosted my annual " Summer Flowers in Watercolour " Workshop and the room was filled with wonderful blossoms to tempt artists attending.  Amongst the vases and arrangements of flowers were some beautiful peony that really were absolutely stunning in both form,delicacy and colour.

" How would you paint the centre of these ?" Lynne asked. 

 (Thank you Lynne as I have some wonderful paintings now thanks to your query! )

There were many ways to approach the gorgeous complex focal point  of the  flower but as I avoid using any products other than watercolour I started with tiny yellow and orange brushstrokes. Dropping in water now and then to form texture minus the use of salt or even masking fluid which is commonly used on subjects like this. I am beginning to look at many artists who work in  "watercolour" and realise they actually don't in the true sense of the medium as they depend on so many other materials to achieve finished paintings. From years of exploring watercolour as a medium I have found I can achieve absolutely any effect I wish to just by working with pigment and water. And it is so much fun!

There is no right way or wrong way to paint but when it comes to saying whether you are a watercolourist or not I think it depends on whether you work in watercolour traditionally or with other mediums. I still for example don't accept that acrylic is watercolour. If it was it wouldn't need to be called arcylic!

We all had so much fun this week working only in watercolour.The results in the room from such a magical medium were incredible. I know in my heart I would never feel the same excitement or thrill  of watching colours merge when faced with other products. The room behind me was silent when I painted this peony. The petals emerged like magic on paper with a softness that reminded me of my time in China. My Shanghainese mentor was stronglyl influencing my placement of brushmarks as I worked. I am so grateful to have had such expertise looking over my shoulder for so long as they gave me so much. Now I want to give the tips I was given to others.

I cannot wait for my Autumn Workshops which take place later this year. For now my next demonstration will be at the SWA Society  For Women Artists 150th Annual Exhibition at the Mall Galleries on  Thursday, 7th July.Everyone is welcome, you don't need a ticket to see me other than paying the gallery entrance fee. I really am looking forward to meeting old friends and new so please say Hello if you visit. I intend to make the day fantastic with  the sharing of as many subjects as I can fit into one day!

 The beautiful peony that inspired a lovely gentle painting .

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Tip: Paint from life as much as possible as  this is the best way to see  true colour and light effects. It also teaches you far more than simply  "copying  " from a photograph!