WATER COLOUR TECHNIQUE

I was explaining to some of the group at Hempton this morning how to use cling film to create a fascinating water colour texture. Unfortunately there was no cling film so I showed them as best as I could with ordinary plastic instead which obviously does not work as well, but served as a diagrammatic way to indicate what to do ....

so here is an example, two photos, as the painting is long and thin so you might be able to imagine how it fits together, and if you look closely you can see the underlying texture and pattern overlaid and worked into with painting and pen work.

DATES

someone asked about dates today and so here is a recap, next week beginning Monday 21st is our last week, except for Wednesday groups who have an extra week,(because we lost one week earlier) so the last lesson for them in on Wednesday 30th.
Don't forget LIFE DRAWING on Monday 28th at Marsham Village Hall, 10-3.
And the WATER COLOUR SKILLS course at Natural Surroundings on 9th, 10th, 11th September has enough bookings to go ahead, so please confirm your booking next week with me so I can keep a check on numbers since space and my time defines how many people I can take.

CAWSTON

and here is some of the work from Cawston, and I am through I love these vigorous and dynamic formulae I am starting to crave subtlety....so lets see how that pans out next week!

MORE PICS....

here's the carpet beater from Gressenhall Rural Life Museum!

and some work from the portrait class.

Monday afternoon Portrait Class

here is some of the work from the Monday afternoon PORTRAIT class.
 I want to continue with this format next term, I have found these sessions interesting and stimulating.
What do you think? let me know please, I try to provide what you want, and some challenge too!

RESEARCH.....

You could just look up a few artists, and a gallery, to help with the upcoming work
Elaine Pamphilon
Debbie George,
Mary Sumner,
Helen Herbert,
Red Rag Gallery,
Tessa Newcomb,
Mary Newcomb,
and Mary Feddon.

up to date work...

Some lovely examples of work from Marsham....and I have to let you into a little secret here, when I photograph your work to put it up here I do 'enhance' the colours on my 'edit 'program ( it just raises the colour value a little, doesn't change anything) on the computer, because subtleties and colour quality can easily become diminished by the time a photograph has been taken and then transferred to the computer image, but now the background showing off the pictures is so dark as well they really do show up, and I'm worrying that they look brash here, though in reality I don't think they do.

Natural Surroundings or the Wildflower Centre at Bayfield Hall, Holt.

...our Summer School went well, as always, and it is interesting that you never quite know what will come out of an experience, and on this occasion one of the things that came out of it was a sort of  water colour workshop because though the first day was gloriously warm and sunny and everyone got on well outside,

a view from the river up to the trees behind Bayfield Hall

the second day rained lightly, and then it rained a bit more so we were driven to work in the Chalet and it was technique which people were interested in investigating, so that is what we did.

So this all made me think that a WATERCOLOUR WORKSHOP BASED AT THE SAME VENUE COULD PROVE ENJOYABLE AND VERY USEFUL FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO LOVE LANDSCAPE. Therefore I have arranged it for September 9th, 10th, 11th, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The Schools will have started term so there are unlikely to be children about, and our term starts the following week so really this seemed to me to be the best time.
I will include techniques I think helpful, some based on Chinese Brush painting plus use of gouache and ink in conjunction with watercolour. As you know I am always looking for a less hackneyed and fresh way of working, I like to get away from cliché, and experiment. Remember we don't (I don't anyway) want to add to the huge pile of boring paintings which already exist in the world!
I will give you all details of this Summer School during the week. Times will be 10-4, cost £85, the plan will be studio practise and learning then outside to put new skills into action. There is a good cafe, loo and undercover working space.

HEMPTON

just some action shots here so that June can see the class! and see the wonder of Google.....