HAZEL SOAN COURSE - ITALY

I've had a wonderful 11 days with Hazel in Italy along with 18 others.  It was a challenge for Hazel as well as us, as the weather couldn't have been much worse, grey, damp and cold. But boy did she manage to find some subjects to challenge and inspire us. Colour mixes for grey days were interesting and workshops indoors when we were unable to paint en plein air.  A keen bunch to say the least, mixed abilities but all progressing under her gentle but constructive tuition.

I will post some of my versions of her work with a little explanation. Later I will post the paintings I did in the afternoon, without her as a safety net!  And also some of my sketches done before breakfast and in my room after dinner (no one was venturing out for the nightlife oh dear).  I did over 30 paintings, so will obviously pick out the best!  I am no fool. And perhaps do a few posts.

I will start with paintings done in Verona. First 3 are 16 x 10, and are in the style of Hazel Soan. I will give you the main colour combinations as some are quite interesting.

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A reddish bridge with strange thingies on the top.  Clouds Aliz and F.Ultra, Bridge Burnt Sienna and Winsor Violet two colours I would never have thought of.

Section of the famous Arena where the Opera is performed en plein air.  Hazel thought the arena wouldn't make an interesting composition but still wanted to paint the main thing in Verona. Painted mainly in Indian Yellow, Alizarin and Prussian or Winsor Blue.

This was a really difficult subject, especially as the police were having to park around us! We didn't get booked for taking up their parking spaces!  Look at all those windows and shutters. Camera has distored the lines but must confess it wasn't my best drawing, and the people are not in correct proportion.  Was glad to get this one over with!!!  Main wall was in Raw Umber and and F.Ultra.  Raw umber is a colour I don't often use.

BRUSHO BASKET CASE!

Yes you heard it officially  from me, I am a big fan now of brusho, but realise that it may not be something I will do a lot of until next summer. I don't know why, but painting with it in the outdoors seems the right thing to do, with all the lovely vibrant flowers in the garden, and the beautiful bright blue sky above me. (they are not all done in the garden I might add)  So, here are some more from this summer.

Also, for a while I will be back be back painting in my first love of  Watercolour (you will find out why in my next post) and later on fancy trying water based oils (it's many a long day since I used oils).  So enjoy seeing this lovely vibrant medium with it's bright summery colours.

Here's an ephalump (my childhood word) first drawn with ink and twig, then paint sprinkled on and then sprayed.  I really didn't do any painting, it painted itself!

Same method as above, but a pencil line first and some wax. But careful painting done to bring out the flower

Here is a more gentle use of brusho, leaving some of the sprinkled texture on and then some exciting spraying and tipping



As we say goodbye to summer and hello autumn with it's lovely rich oranges, gold and rusts perhaps I may squeeze in another outdoors painting, weather permitting

Have a lovely autumn.

HAZEL SOAN AFRICAN WATERCOLOURS WORKSHOP 2013

Am I lucky, or am I extremely lucky, to be able to join Hazel Soan in her studio in London,  this weekend, along with other like minded people,  to learn from her and be inspired by her.  She is so generous in passing on her knowledge to mere mortals like myself, and so good at demonstrating her magical skills.  We watched her first and then attempted to do something similar!

In at the deep end to start with,  we painted lines of ostriches and a giraffe without drawing.  Yes, I said without drawing!

No drawing remember. Colours used were Prussian Blue, Indigo and a little Alizarin, trying to use the least number of strokes

Best lion I ever painted in my life.  The last one looked like the advert for The Lion King!

  I still can't believe I did this without drawing. I thought I would paint him again without drawing just the outline to see if I could do it a second time and a third!  I don't know why, but if I am on one of Hazel's courses my brush seems to behave itself!

This poor Masai chap has a tiny head, but I enjoyed painting him and it was done in a very short time.  Last  painting  of the workshop

This is an excellent exercise for getting to know your brush.  We drew roughly the outline of the Zebra and don't they have a big head, and then twisting and turning the brush we painted the lines in Inidigo. I thoroughly recommend this 

This is a lovely picture of an elephant with highlights.  This was painted with love and care as ephalumps are my very favourite animal.

Thanks to Hazel I now have some wonderful reference material and memories too.  I surprised myself with what I managed to paint.  It is amazing what we managed to do in a weekend workshop with the lovely Hazel.

I have put a link to her website at the top this post and also recommend her wonderful African Watercolours Book. Do have a look at her work if you haven't already come across it.

Do you think I am a fan of hers. Yes, absolutely.

BRUSHO CRAZY!!!

Brusho crazy is what I have been this last week.  I have Joanne Boon Thomas's ebook and DVD Brusho Moments, at last. So, armed with my brusho, brushes, bleach and enthusiasm, and fear of a change in the warm weather (I wanted to paint outdoors as I am a very messy painter), I had fun, fun, fun trying out some of the exercises, and then painting without the safety net of the book and DVD.

Exercise mixing the powder in the palette like watercolour.  See how vibrant the colours are. They don't fade like watercolours

This was drawn with a stick and ink and spraying method

Well I am over the moon with this one! Some negative painting here.  This was following a superb red poppy that was demonstrated by Joanne.


Money well spent if you ask me.  I have had a ball.  Got more ideas in my head but need to set up the cold garage, which is away from the house, as a makeshift Brusho studio.  Buy some thermals and fingerless gloves.

IT'S TO SAVE THE PARK

First a little about my day painting in Botanic Gardens on behalf of the art club I belong to.  Churchtown is a small village and it is a small park near where I live and where the art club is. It was the first time they had a Victoria Fair and it was to raise money to help maintain the park, which shouldn't really be the volunteers task!  Some people came in Victorian Costume. And then a nice story, so please read to the end.

 This is not a proper painting, I just painted the odd person who was standing in front of me. They just looked at the brass band playing then moved on.  So they were quick studies.

And this is me!  I had painted all of the previous day at our exhibition so what a lovely arty weekend.  Here is what I managed to do in the afternoon I was there.

Here is the nice story.  Five youngsters about 10ish, were asking me what was going on in the park, they usually went there and didn't know this was going on.  So I explained that the volunteers were trying to raise money to keep the park looking nice. We talked for a while and then one of them asked the others for some money and they raised the grand sum of 40p between them.  Then one with a sad look in his eyes said 'It's to save the park'.  That was what I call a special arty moment.  It made my day and I will remember those children whenever I go to the Park. Now that IS special! I hope they grow into lovely adults.

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!