" Grumpy"

"Grumpy"

A fine cockerel gradually growing in  washes and layers of vibrant colour.

There is something far more interesting in painting subjects that aren't immediately seen as being beautiful. Last weeks " Animals Only " watercolour workshop saw me demonstrating a veriety of subjects looking at different sections and how to bring each to life in a unique way.

Here I am progressing from a simple eye demonstration. I have looked at this subject from different angles and he works very well as a landscape or portrait composition.  He is beginning to turn into a very exciting piece. All from a few simple brushstrokes!

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During my demonstrations last week there was often complete silence and I had to look to see if everyone was awake. There wasn't a sound in the room as subjects began to appear on white paper during each new demonstration. I describe how I work with each new brushstroke and these were being completely absorbed by everyone in the room.

I started talking about the character of this cockerel and  raised the question of wondering why he  was so grumpy and in such a "fowl" mood. Comments such as " Maybe he's been on a hen night" or possibly been "hen pecked" gave rise to lovely laughter and the session really did turn into a wonderful day which flew by far too quickly.

Putting that smile into a painting and a feeling of being relaxed while you work definitely aids results.

Try it. Try laughing while you work or at least smiling and see what happens!

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"Animals Only" June Workshop 2010

"Beady Eyes"

A very grumpy cockerel is about to appear from an excitingly vibrant first wash. 

I have no idea why I seem to find myself laughing non stop when I paint a subject that looks grumpy! I am not alone as this wonderful cockerel in a very bad mood seemed to have everyone smiling last week on my "Animals Only" workshop. I did promise to share some of the studies on my blog so to everyone who was there "that beady eye" is now surrounded by beautifully glowing colour. 

I am delighted with how this is turning out!

I was demonstrating how to paint a number of different eyes. I painted a lovely cats' eye, a dogs' and this cockerel purely because they looked as though they were in such a bad mood!

Eyes say so much. It is important to try to capture personality by painting them full of life. Once the eye above appeared it seemed really alive. I have continued with some interesting  brushmarks around the eye and then worked into the feathers.

Fresh , clean colour. Confident brushmarks. A  huge touch of enthusiasm and a relaxed hand will bring this fellow to life. He may look very mean but I think he is beautiful!

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Lupin in Watercolour: Experimental Wash

 Lupin Appearing in an Experimental Wash.

Having a cottage garden really is a huge asset to an artist especially this one!  Each day I see wonderful shapes and vibrant colour that tempt me to pick up my brush. I am constantly feeling the thrilling urge to capture new subjects in completely different ways. As always light is the most important factor to me so when sunlight hit this particular plant I just had to play with an idea in my mind. I want to try to make the flower seem as though it is literally jumping off my paper at me singing with glorious highlights and a sense of being very delicate.

Lupins have a complex formation of  tiny petals forming one tall bloom. In my workshops I often use the word "Simplify" so I find myself looking at how to do just that in each study of these beautiful flowers. But there is a need to identify the complicated formation as the tiny individual petals tell a story which is so vital to the final composition.

Starting at the top which really was in strong sunlight I used  my W&N No. 10 sable brush and made marks for each  tiny bud.

  Brush marks making each bud appear.

A technique from my Shanghainese mentor of having the brush loaded with two pigments worked well here.

Next I gradually worked down the flower stem adding individual  petals.

Lupin petals forming around the stem.

I have kept my colours very light and transparent in places to capture the feeling of a gentle flower that is soft to touch.

Finally here is one lupin from the flower bed. This image really does demonstrate how painting from a photograph is so different to painting from life. If you look at how flat the image looks to my painting which is full of light and life this becomes a very good example of why working from real subjects is so much more effective.

Lupin Photograph. 

Note the dark background and how it kills the subject. In reality this flower stood among many others which is the reason I have used pinks  for my own composition to enhance my focal point in the foreground.

Tip: An artist once suggested trying to guess which artists paint from life and  those who always paint from photographs when walking around an exhibition. Doing so has taught me so much about my own journey in watercolour. I prefer to paint from life!

If you have time I suggest finding one flower today and a few minutes to capture it on paper or  simply just enjoy it by studying its form, seeing how each petal interacts with the others and while doing so close your mind to any worries of the day.

Let go, relax and smile.

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Poppy Fusion

Poppy Developing from an Initial Wash

Sunlight shining through the upper petals  and ripples in the beautiful petals  create interest in this  first stage.

Looking back this week has been full of wonderful moments. Holding workshops in Hampshire  to demonstrating for a wonderful art society. Meeting incredible people. Recieving brilliant news of an exciting new project and most thrilling of all recieving a brown  package from my publishers. In it  is the advance copy of my book. It is here, the real thing. And you would imagine I tore it open eagerly  to look inside to see the result of all  the paintings and text I have so caringly put together.

The strange thing is this package is still sat on my desk. Seriously!

I have been looking forward to this moment for so long but I feel the same sensation of when my cover was to be on view for the first time. At that time all of a sudden a peculiar feeling of not wanting anyone else to see the cover set in which was completely unexpected. 

But this is different.

I have dreamt of writing a book to share my passion for watercolour for such a long time. I knew I wasn't ready to write until now. And to be honest in my soul there is already a second book full of exciting new ideas and techniques. However my first book has taught me how to paint. I thought I knew what I was doing until now. But putting into words why I  work in my style has really opened my eyes. I have studied why I choose colour combinations and why each brushstroke matters. I have enjoyed how water and pigment create patterns. Always. But now  I understand more clearly why every single detail is so important to my results.

It is as though someone has turned a magic switch on and I just can't paint enough  or find  as much time to capture all I feel . I see colour and light so clearly now. So much so that painting it  has become an addiction. I want all of my watercolours to literally sing with life as beautiful explosions of colour transformed by light.

I sat in my garden this afternoon and gently played with pigment and water to capture a poppy from my cottage garden. Photographs of the flower can be found on my cottage blog. I listened to birdsong and  became fascinated at how the light  shone through the upper petals making them appear to be transparent. I took a photo of my first stage and a memory flooded back of this time last year.

Then I had decided to include a poppy in my book. And that too is an explosion of colour and watermarks.

A year on I have grown so much. Light is even more important to me now and how it effects everything I paint.

In a few days time it will be my birthday and only then will I open my package to see my book. This will be the most special of birthdays . I will wait patiently looking forward to celebrating the magic of holding the first copy in my hands for the very first time as my dream comes true.  Until then I have a feeling I will be painting a rather large collection of poppy paintings!

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" How to Paint Colour and Light in Watercolour"   my first book will be launched at the Mall Galleries on 7th July during the S.W.A. Society of Women Artists 2010 Annual Exhibition. 

Please join me to celebrate the occasion. Everyone is welcome.

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Cottage Haven: New Blog

 Each day so many wonderful sights  greet me in my new home. Many are inspirational to paint, many are just simply beautiful. Far too beautiful not to share and so I have opened "Cottage Haven". A new blog where I will  share images from the countryside and my garden from time to time.

If you ever need somewhere to relax or simply find something to motivate your brushes please feel free to join me there.

http://cottagehaven.blogspot.com/

 Our first duckling family sunbathing on our lawn.

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Alresford Art Society

Having been invited as a guest artist I arrived in Alresford last night to demonstrate to the Alresford Art Society. I recieve many requests to give talks and demonstrations  but sadly due to ever growing commitments quite often it is impossible to fit them all in. Fortunately dates and timings worked so that a while back I was able to agree to this occasion.

I have walked into many rooms full of new faces in different locations so always have an open mind on what to expect. However I was  really impressed with the professional arrangements  at Alresford. being held in the local recreation centre with the meeting take place in a very large modern room.

I was met by Sue Gentry who aided me in the arrangements for the evening which meant being fitted with a microphone and then working out where  it would suit best for me to sit to be shown via camera on a large screen so that the members where ever they were seated could have a good view.

Members  started arriving and a warm atmosphere was immediately evident which is often the case in many societies where artists are eager to meet each other and share their news or experiences. The number attending was almost fifty as an audience so the screen really did  make a difference for those sat at the  back.

After the welcome and news introduction I started with a loose interpretation of delphiniums which  very quickly covered a large piece of white paper. Often it is that first brush mark that terrifies an artist along with the thought of looking at a white piece of paper. Imagining ruining whatever you put on it so we looked at how to take the pressure off our shoulders immediately by deliberately painting for the bin  which is now an expression permanently linked to my name! It is a  wonderful feeling just relaxing allowing colour to simply  run over paper without caring about the results. Try it!

Next I moved to a complex racing scene starting from a tiny point and working away from the face of one rider. I answered questions as I worked regarding what paper I prefer to use, how I have evolved over time and do I feel I am still growing as an artist. The answer to this last question is yes, definitely ! On top of this I look back at last years work and see a huge improvement in my results now with the extra added excitement I know I will feel exactly the same next year when I look back to today.

My style is  fun because even I never know exactly what is going to happen next. Each time I pick up a brush I feel a heady sense of excitement and sheer joy  as I watch colours merge and play  with the water on paper. Sharing this joy is such a privilege. One I never take for granted.

During the break I met several members individually and enjoyed the stunning view from the balcony  which   looks onto amazing countryside.

To receive comments on how much my demonstration and method of working was enjoyed, found to be  inspirational and motivational was such a terrific feeling.  To hear one member tell me I had removed the fear of painting for them was a most magical highlight of the night.

I left thinking about the society. How lucky they are to have such a terrific venue and  such  brilliant equipment. I also was really impressed with their organization and warmth not just to me but to each other. Friendship  was obvious and a very keen sense of enthusiasm.

You can visit Arlesford Arts Society for their upcoming exhibition from 16th -18th July or if you live nearby I am certain they would welcome new members.

For full details please use this link...............

http://www.artsociety.alresford.org/index.php

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Thank you so much to everyone who was at last nights demonstration, I loved meeting you and I really appreciate the invitation to be a guest artist for your society. I hope you will be painting up a storm following last nights session!

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Whispers and Shouts.

 "Annas Hollyhocks"
By Jean Haines

First Wash of beautiful Hollyhocks from Monets' garden in Giverny, France.

This has been an incredible week full of magic and many memorable moments. I held two watercolour workshops. One was "Watercolours With Life" covering my technique and the second was "Animals Only" which is definitely going to be repeated in the future.

On both sessions as always I met the most wonderful people and I know I am so lucky to do so. On the first workshop a lovely lady called Anna thoroughly enjoyed the day and achieved so much in a short space of time. What fascinates me most is that someone like Anna will come to one of my workshops after painting in very tight detail for years, discover a new approach to painting, let go and absolutely enjoy themselves creating the most magical of results.

I often sit and work by demonstrating one on one in the later part of the day creating individual studies on various subjects chosen by each artist in the group. This is a personal way of giving my time and guidance plus tips. When I came to sit by Anna I was delighted to see she had chosen a favourite image of mine. I visited Monets' garden in Giverny a while ago now and took so many photographs as  memories to always keep my spirit in that amazingly inspirational place. Each time I pick up a brush with one of these images I feel a sense of wonder. Anna must have felt the same as she started to work because her first wash was gorgeous. But it was losing something in her translation. 

This particular flower had started growing sideways rather than upright as you would expect from a hollyhock.

 Anyone who knows me well will be familiar with my art terms and vocabulary which you will discover in my book. I have my own words to describe how I work and see things. I call quiet washes "whispers" and louder washes or detail "shouts".  They work perfectly to my style and  I know  artists who know me smile when they hear me say them. Anna had captured the idea of a "whisper" perfectly but was lost on how to "shout". I sat quietly next to Anna and painted the above first wash to demonstrate that quiet sections in any painting work well when they are combined with a few  more exciting and bolder sections. Deep blue fading to pale became  very beautiful and this also enhanced the white of the petals. The pair of us became enthralled with what was happening on my paper.

Anna then followed my demonstration and I am thrilled with the outcome, a gorgeous creation of  soft colour enhanced by darker gentle "shouts"!

As always I have left my own workshops very eager to paint quietly and that is what I intend to do next!

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