Paints are the artist’s words. Express your Self! Yesterday, it was brought home to me just how desperate we are to paint like someone who is ‘famous and well regarded.’ Halfway through teaching my class, a man pops into my classroom out of the blue and asks me where he can go to learn […]
I love leaves. All sorts of leaves – scarlet, yellow spring green, fallen leaves, skeleton leaves. I do not like snails! Yet here I am featuring a snail in my art post. How did this happen? I was in my garden having a quiet morning amble, a little zen, yoga, relaxation, enjoying the refreshing cool […]
The Masters knew. Make every brush stroke count. Each should sing! It should be easy, painting a single brushstroke onto a canvas creating a mark that is luminous and clean, fresh and lively – not boring! Full of texture, color and of course, with a good tonal range. That doesn’t sound too difficult, but it is […]
I want powerful, dynamic brushstrokes! I want them lively, not boring. And, I want 1 brushstroke to do the job of 20……. Its not that I’m slacking off, I tell myself I’m ‘efficient.’ I’d like my time, effort and energy to be optimised to the maximum possible. You too? I thought so! Let me tell you […]
Creative, imaginative and different. Unexpected! I like to see some surprises in my watercolour landscapes. Both landscapes I’ve shown, have illustrated a creative use of Line. Not Line use in the traditional, regular sense of Line work, but in imaginative ways that make the paintings resonate within. Watercolours Blurred Lines Landscapes fulfils for […]
There is a wealth of untapped Power in the Line waiting for the beginner artist to learn to use. Lines are an intriguing and fascinating part of art design and is one of the most versatile tools the artist has to work with. The voice of a Line can whisper, beckon, gently guide, hug or […]
As I paint, my goal is to create the sense of seamless progression of back to front, i.e. background into the middle ground and then foreground. The prior post Depth, shared information on how Colour is a great tool to create the illusion of this kind of depth in a painting. Edges and Tonal values […]
Photographs of simple common subjects with intriguing textures and patterns often create stunning images that capture the artist’s and the viewers’ eyes. Fallen Leaf photograph taken in Canning Vale, WA has great Soft edges in the background which creates recession in the photo, whereas the sharp detailed textures and patterns in the foreground bring it […]
Loose, free, colourful, impressionistic – thats how I love to paint landscapes. Using the Impressionistic approach I’ll use my hand, my brush, a colour to put my own personal interpretation of the subject into the paintings. I enjoy bold colour applied with confidence, something that looks like I was having fun! I really don’t […]
Early mornings and late afternoons are the ideal times to capture the serenity of nature whether I’m painting or taking photos. The tranquil setting along with the soft edges and cool lavenders create the perfect relaxing mood in the photo “Serenity.” Water is always a great subject for portraying calmness, especially using cool colours. If […]
