Waste Not Want Not

I was doing some teaching today and there was some acrylic paint leftover, good stuff, Liquitex. Waste not, want not, I thought and used it up on a canvas board. I rubbed a layer of black on first, in a rotating motion with a large stippling brush and when that was dry, a layer ofContinue reading “Waste Not Want Not”

Motivation

I work part-time for a charity for people who are homeless, delivering art and craft sessions in different venues across the city. It’s much easier to engage people in crafts than in fine art, crafting seems to be more accessible and less threatening. I try out different things to motivate people who don’t think thatContinue reading “Motivation”

Crazy Hair, Don’t Care

I’ve been working on this painting for a little while, I rarely paint but this is a birthday present for my dear young nephew, just turned 14 and the owner of some very unruly hair. I painted this from a photograph which I particularly like for its typical teenage insouciance. I used Liquitex Heavy BodyContinue reading “Crazy Hair, Don’t Care”

Layering

I’ve been carrying on painting, I don’t normally paint but this is for a special someone. I don’t really know how to approach paint so I’ve come at it from the point of view of the printmaker that I am and I’m adapting a technique I use for monotypes, where I layer translucent glazes ofContinue reading “Layering”

Colouring In

I rarely paint, it’s not a medium I feel much affinity with but I’ve been working on a painting the past couple of days, it’s for someone special. The reason I don’t paint much is because I feel that all my creativity goes into drawing and once I’ve got the drawing as I want it,Continue reading “Colouring In”

Warts And All

I’m working part-time for a charity, running arts sessions for people who have housing problems. Some of the people who come along are experienced artists and enjoy a few hours in a warm, safe place to get absorbed in their art. But some have very little experience of making art and I often hear, “OhContinue reading “Warts And All”

As Dark As It Gets

This started as a very pale watercolour landscape that I uploaded onto my Samsung Galaxy Note tablet into a free Markers app. I’ve been making it darker and darker with cross-hatching and scribbles but I think this is about as dark as I can go with it. The slides show the process from the originalContinue reading “As Dark As It Gets”

Getting Somewhere

I started this little watercolour a couple of weeks ago, when I was in Ceredigion, using Winsor & Newton half pans onto St. Cuthbert’s Mill watercolour paper. I’m not used to watercolours and the scene before me was very pale and misty and I was a bit disappointed by it, to be honest. So IContinue reading “Getting Somewhere”

Getting Darker

I’m carrying on drawing experimentally on top of a little watercolour sketch I did en plein air a couple of days ago. I uploaded it onto my Samsung Galaxy Note 8 tablet into a free Markers drawing app and I’m working over it with cross-hatching and scribbling. The version I did yesterday is better thanContinue reading “Getting Darker”

Wishy Washy

I’ve been having a go at watercolours recently, since I won a really nice St. Cuthbert’s Mill Saunders Waterford glued watercolour block in a Facebook competition. I’m not really into painting but this is lovely paper and there’s a lot of it and, frankly, waste not, want not, as my Nana used to say. HusbContinue reading “Wishy Washy”