It's a new month so that means a new gallery to be featured. December - what gallery could it be? Yes, you're right - 'Winter Wonderland'. It had to be really didn't it. Winter can be a surprisingly colourful time for an artist. When we're young we tend to associate snow with being white which technically I suppose it is. In reality though it very seldom appears white to our eyes. This is because it reflects light so takes on the colour of its surrounds. Generally this gives it a blue hue (reads easier than it says!) due to the sky colour. I use ultramarine blue as this gives a slight hint of warmth. So my snow paintings start with a blue wash and then I work my forward adding tones and details - classic watercolour technique. You can have a closer look at how I painted "Winter Path to Dane's Dyke" here. For iPad paintings the technique is completely the opposite. I can start with the dark tones and work on lighter ones much as you do with oils. The colours are just the same though - not too much pure white. So - wrap up warm and enjoy a pleasant stroll through my winter wonderland.
0 Comments
This is my featured painting for this week. I called it "Green Peace" - it was my attempt to convey a peaceful summer afternoon, a place shaded in greenery far from the blazing heat of the day. It's not a specific place but an amalgam of many pleasant places visited since I began my journey with art. This is a painting to 'escape' into when you need a respite from the literal heat or the problems of everyday life. I was asked once why I paint these sort of pictures - why not paint the edgy realities of life? I decided that there is enough anxiety out there so if I can give someone just a brief respite from their problems- I have succeeded as an artist.
......... Old Rainbow Paintings I was really pleased to stumble across a batch of old paintings of mine that I thought I had lost. They were painted a while back and though I was pleased that the originals had sold I thought we had lost all record of how they looked. They illustrate exactly why I was so attracted to watercolours and why I have resisted all attempts to try other mediums. Quite simply it is impossible to get these beautiful effects with oils or acrylics. They are a development on early experiments in mixing transparent colours together wet on wet. A slightly simplified version of this scene is the very first demonstration painting on all my workshops no matter how advanced the students are. My wife called them 'rainbow' paintings and I think you can see why.
|
AuthorProfessional artist now semi retired and enjoying being eccentric! Archives
September 2022
|