CHURCHTOWN ART CLUB

Well Did I have a busy few days!!  It was the exhibition at the art club that I belong to.  Churchtown Art Club (they are on facebook). I loved it.  It's the highlight of the club's year.  So lovely to see the work people have been painting and that we haven't seen on our regular afternoon meetings.

However, we do have a problem with the screens, so this is also a plea for those of you who may be able to help.  The screens, pic below, are heavy and awkward to assemble.  As most of our members are nicely mature, the lifting and moving them is quite a worry. Does anyone know of any lightweight, simple to erect screens, that are easy to store (only used one day a year) and we don't have the money to pay the earth.

Right now on with the fun I had at the exhibition, and be warned it may be a longish post  ..............

Ok three of us were working at the exhibition and I could hardly sleep the night before, hoping that my brushes wouldn't let me down and paint rubbish, but they were kind to me.  It is hard with lots of lovely interruptions and chats.   Here is me in full flow, having a bash with Brusho, the white tree trunks were taken out with bleach!

Then I painted a a view from Douglas in the Isle of Man, where I had recently been, and of course I had to paint a Pyrrol Scarlet painting.

And finally I managed to do some of my wacky flowers, clematis I should tell you, in case you are wondering what they are supposed to be.  My brain was hurting by now not to mention my feet,
and I just went berserk! People watching couldn't believe I was splattering over my painting.  But they could see I was having fun.

I had a wonderful day and to cap it all I sold a painting Autumn Colours, Derwentwater, in the Lake District, and quite a few of the cards that I make of my paintings, and print them off myself.  So, hey ho, a brilliant day all round.

This was followed by a stint painting at a local park, but more about that later. A real arty farty weekend!

    I hope you enjoyed sharing it with me.

THE END OF RED!!!!

Boy did I have a good time painting things in my new vibrant semi opaque Daniel Smith Pyrrol Scarlet. Thanks people for your challenges.  Here are the last of them. Will it really be the last of my red subjects ........... for now yes.  So here they are with the names of the challengers.

 Scarlet Woman from Lyndi Lou Lou I have named her Scarlett Pyrrol the Prima Ballerina

Then you get one bright spark that says something odd like Blood, and this is what I came up with. Thanks Keith Hornblower!

 Red Shoes (chickened out and did only one) Sharon Whitley and Joan Violet Stretch

 Tomatoes, Beverley Wells

 Red Wellies, yep done this week and it's not really worked, but I don't mind showing you any way.  My challenge as I suddenly thought of something red that I hadn't done.

These were included in the nickers challenge from naughty Beverley Wells.  

Well this shows you what fun you can have with just one colour.  I was experimenting along the way with layers, mixing slightly with other colours, dropping a little of another colour in, using it neat and trying to assess the strength and opacity of this delightful colour.  Now I am redded out!!!!!!!!!  Now I need a glass of red wine (oh no haven't painted that, but then it isn't this bright red, oh dear what am I to do).

RED PERIOD PART 2

Here's the next batch of red challenges that I received, when I was pondering what to paint with my new Daniel Smith Pyrrol Red. I call it my bright red period, as the colour is a really hot red. Semi opaque and very like Cad Red really.  The subjects that people came up with were a real challenge as you will see.  So here are the next few for your perusal and cogitation.

 Red knickers challenged by Beverley Wells (who did a super pair if you check the next but one blog to this)

 Red Poppy also by Beverley Wells, and Carol Hodge.  I think this is the best flower painting I have ever done.  I surprised myself with this one and actually enjoyed painting it too.

 Slightly muted red post box from Carol Hodge.  This is from a photograph of mine from the Lake District.

Red Rose, not my favourite, didn't like painting this at all but here it is for you to see.  Challenge by Ngaire Magalotti from Australia, who thought that the roses in my garden would be lovely to paint at this time of year.

One more batch to bore you with later.

Have I finished my red period you may hopefully ask? Well maybe .......

No comments required, I am just sharing my challenges with you.

Have a red hot weekend everyone.

DANIEL SMITH PYRROL SCARLET

Boy have I had fun, with a little help from my virtual friends.  I got this new colour and on facebook I just mentioned that I had pyrrol scarlet and wondered what to paint.  Yes, you guessed it out of the blue got some great suggestions, and I managed to do every one.  I will post them in two batches for your perusal!  I found it very inspiring to have these suggestions and I painted subjects that I would never have thought of myself. Hope you enjoy sharing them with me ........

Red and more red and more red -  Batch 1

 This was my idea. To paint a red banana just because ............

 This is also was my idea and was found on Painting Colourful Birds for Fun on facebook

 Someone dared me to do knickers! Yes I dared.  Thanks Beverley Wells

 A Red Letter Day, thanks Ngaire Magalotti.  You will find out what the invitation was later.

Red London Bus, thank you Val Downie

I will put links to the above artists who have blogs on my last 'red' post to thank them for their help.

It's very much like Cad Red as you can see and is semi opaque.  I tried neat paint, running other colours into the paint, two or 3 thin washes.  Really trying to experiment with it's qualities.  And how often to we get to paint in red?  More to follow..................

BRUSHO WITH JOANNE BOON THOMAS

Joanne's workshop was a lorra fun you can find her on facebook, look out for her name or Brusho Momemts page.   The knowledge she passed on was generous and comprehensive.  I have been to many workshops and courses and her way of tutoring was up there with the best as far as I am concerned.  She is genuine, enthusiastic, inspirational and a reet grand friendly northern lass!  It was like being at a childrens birthday party, playing with brusho and using bleach, salt, wax, spraying, dribbling etc. She has a wonderful DVD out (left mine at the Boonric Gallery yesterday but I hear it is fabulous) and an ebook that you can download.

Here's some photo's (including 2 I have borrowed from Judith Farnworth's blog, hope you don't mind Judith).  It was lovely to meet Judith after following her in blogland, so if you want another version of this workshop, pictures of other peoples work do visit her blog. I took my camera but was that busy enjoying myself I only remember once to point and shoot.

Twelve juicy colours.  First job piercing the top to shake out the fine salt like crystals.  I had a little go once before and used my fingers, they were filthy for days.

 These haven't come out in order so will just explain each one. Above the boss  is painting hot tulips.  Obviously this is Joanne working her brushomagic (eat your heart out Paul Daniels).

 Joanne's ab fab masterpiece.  2 colours shaken on then sprayed dried and wax highlights added. Then negative shapes with turquoise and bleach to create the form.

 Here's Me! (One of Judith's pics Hope you don't mind Judith) Looking ever so serious. Look at Joanne's work behind me, brusholicious.

 Here is Jolly Judith having fun brushoing this daisy that Joanne had demonstrated.

 After lunch, and those of you who know, know that I don't really like painting flowers so what does she come up with brushoblooms - tulips and a large daisy. Yes, you guessed, I enjoyed it. This was a combination of techniques,  but negative shapes (hard to do need practice)

My Nude well at the moment you can't tell if it's male or female, but need to cut in with some negative painting and add some bleach for the highlights   

 This was the first exercise, paint sprinkled on paper and sprayed, some crystals put in palette and water added just like watercolour. House picked out with bleach and bushes were negative shapes.

 Concensus was that cheap bleach is not good.  Neat eg. domestos and sometimes half bleach and half water or spray this diluted mixture for other effects.

This big daisy I enjoyed but was done quickly so not finished (btw all were done on half sheets) A tiny amount of paint shaken on paper and lightly sprayed then flower picked out negatively, again paint used like watercolours

My paintings were photographed outdoors so look at bit pale but this medium is vibrant and doesn't dry lighter like watercolour.

And there you have it! So much learned and so much to practice.  So exciting and new!

NOT MY BLUE PERIOD!

Got this new colour, you see, Pyrrol Scarlet (Daniel Smith). On my facebook page I just happened to say, - now what shall I paint.  Well I got loads of suggestions, so silly me went ahead and painted them all, with a couple of my own ideas thrown in.  And then, what do you know, people starting joining in. So here are their paintings and will post some of mine later.  Wasn't that brilliant of them. You will be surprised at the different subjects.  Everyone is a winner.  Are you ready, then off we go ......................

Ngaire Magalotti

Ruth S Harris

Stephanie Guy

Beverley Wells

Ann Mortimer  (yes the Ann Mortimer!)

Sharon Whitley

Judith Farnworth

Sharon Whitley

Stephanie Guy

I think that is them all. I hope I haven't forgotten anyone.  They are all on facebook but some have blogs and and I have linked them up for if you would like to see more of their work.

Well what a wonderful array of masterpieces and thank you all for joining in.

END OF HOUSE TOUR

Well I have been painting 'something from each room in the house'.  We are upstairs now.  The back bedroom, where my hubs keeps his gym gear and his golf clubs etc. He usually sits in the room watching my husband clean his shoes, dry his clubs, but  when I go away on my art courses, I leave a note with this little fellow, telling him to look after my hubby.  I sit him on our bed so that when he gets home from taking me to the airport, he will find it.  I also usually write a stupid poem too.  So he is a special little bear.

Now come with me across the landing to the spare room, office,  art materials room.  With boxes, cupboards, drawers, all bursting with paintings, frames, paper,  mounts, bubble wrap, pastels, oils, acrylics etc. etc. etc.  This is a small selection of what makes this room the untidiest in the house!

Thank you for walking around the downstairs, and climbing the stairs to have a nosey upstairs.  I  hope you enjoyed joining me. Here's your coat.  You can leave now.  Come again sometime.

PIXIE DUST

Here's another from my 'something from every room in the house' challenge to myself.

Now we are upstairs and in the main bedroom.  I love to smell nice but I don't like heavy perfume.  My favourite perfume is this one and it is called 'Pixie Dust' I kid you not.  It's a Disney perfume.  Light and magical, you never know what I may do when I am wearing this ............. and like tinkerbell I can be a little mischievious, so be careful around me! I may make you use blue instead of green, or dry your washes too quickly, put a stroke in the wrong place, or make you have paint on your hands etc., ..........  So when things go wrong you can blame me .............