A Colourful Life - Edition 2

Featured Art Work

‘WANDER OFTEN, WONDER ALWAYS’

2024

Oil on canvas.

This painting is inspired by the beautiful Embleton Bay and Dunstanburgh Castle.  I spent the day in the summer time painting from the sand dunes to capture the essence of the place, with its magnificent sand dunes, interwinding paths and stunning beach, as well as the silhouette of the Castle watching over the view from afar.  It is a popular place for walkers and wanderers, and invites you to stop and stare.  Hence the title.

The pattern used in this painting came from the Round North stained glass window of Chartres Cathedral, where I spent time last year studying the windows and architecture.  I particularly like the way the pattern radiates outward, coming from a central point and reaching out in all directions, it kind of feels like life itself - growing from a single starting point.

Sketchbook work from Chartres

Capturing the essence of Embleton on the easel

The pattern then sits on the dimensions of the golden ratio, a sacred ratio that can be found in nature as well as art.  For more information on the Golden Ratio and Art follow this link

This painting will next be available to view and buy from my exhibition at St Andrews Church in June, with 30% of all proceeds going to the church, so an even better excuse to buy a unique and original piece of artwork, that comments on Our Beautiful World.

The materials used in this painting are oil on hand stretched canvas and I used very thin paint in parts to allow a drip affect, joining sky and earth into one single part, and allowing the paint to work it’s own magic on the surface.

Bargain of the Week - Free online class

I would like to offer you a free one off online workshop in exchange for a very small bit of your time.

I am currently carrying out some market research for my online classes, and would love your help.  It would be really amazing if you would be willing to complete a short interview with me, to answer some questions around online and face to face classes and what might interest you, or be holding you back.  Whether you have never joined an online class or are an avid collector of classes, your help would be fantastic.

If this is something you might be able to help with, please follow the link here to set up a short meeting with me to go over some questions and get your free one off workshop.  The meeting will not take any longer than 30 minutes, and in reality, may only take 15 minutes of your time. And once you get the online workshop, it is yours to keep forever, to access whenever you want to use it.

For those of you who have already helped - a massive thank you and your free workshop will be with you by next weekend.

Sign up for your free online workshop here

Tips, Techniques and Tutorials

This week’s tip is on the use of a sketchbook.

There are many different ways in which you can use a sketchbook and I am not saying there is a right or a wrong way to use one. But for me it is very much a ‘tool’ to help me work towards a painting, rather than an end product in itself.

If you are thinking about making a painting, or anything visual for that matter - it might a thank you card for a friend, a fancy dress costume for the children or grand children, it might even be a cake! The best way to start is with a plan, and that plan for me begins in my sketchbook. It might be the seeds of an idea, a plan for a composition, or a pattern I am thinking of using.  But whatever happens, before I make a painting, I start with my sketchbook.

I have a sketchbook with me in my handbag (which in my case is actually a small rucksack!) all the time. I then always have a pen or pencil and sometimes some colour of some kind, but as long as you have a pen or pencil, you can work around the rest.

That way, if you think of something while you are out, you can jot it down for later - or if you see something inspiring, you can either draw it straight away, or take a photo and make notes as to what it is about the view that you liked.  The problem with photos on their own, is you might have seen a beautiful shard of sunlight hitting a tree trunk, but when you take a photo of it, it gets lost in all the other ‘stuff’ that a camera takes.

Behind the Scenes

I have had quite a frustrating week at the easel this week, with my painting inspired by Alston Moor not playing ball!  However, I have persevered and feel like I am coming through the other side with it! Sometimes paintings don’t go quite how you pictured them in your mind!! But then they often turn out to be the better ones, because you have to invest an awful lot of time and energy into them.  This is definitely going to be one of those kind of paintings.

I have also spent a lot of time this week preparing for the second session of Painting the Spring Landscape, which is live via Zoom on Wednesday at 7pm UK time.

Curator’s Corner

‘Support Local.’

If you are thinking of buying a piece of original art, you are a collector - it might sound grand, but that is the title given to you if you have original art in your home, so enjoy it.

Places to look for a bargain:

Open Studio Events

Often held at least once a year in a particular area, all artists and makers in a region will agree to open their studios/ houses/ workshops/ sheds to the public.  Check out online any local art groups and forums for what’s on in your area.

Degree Shows

If you have a university or art college near you, there will be an annual degree show of graduating art students, who often will sell their work at this event.  Remember Hockney was a student once - imagine if you’d had the chance to buy from him at his degree show!