Working in Watercolour

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Jan 252009
 

Ever since I was a lad I have always painted in oils and much later in life in acrylic. These two mediums seem so adaptable, so expansive in their effects and the way you can manipulate them, that they seemed to offer all the answers.

But for the last few months I have had a sort of artist’s block, I have started lots of paintings but they haven’t gone anywhere. I came to a dead end really. Then one day I was teaching a watercolour course – I teach quite a few watercolour courses, the technical stuff mainly – when it suddenly dawned on me what a very flexible watercolour really is.  Part of the reason was because I realised how my students were using it and in some cases ‘misusing’ it and it opened huge possibilities. Needless to say, I am working on two water colour paintings which are going well, my artist’s block has disappeared and the world has taken on a subtle watercolour hue.

Moral of this story: If you’ve hit a brickwall with your work – try a totally different medium and enjoy the freedom of just going for it.

 Posted by at 12:05 pm

Published in 2 magazines

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Jan 162009
 

Articles about my paintings have been published in two magazines and I didn’t pitch either of them which is really good.  This month there is an article in ‘Wye Valley Life’ it looks good apart from the fact they missed the ‘e’ out of Priestley. I’m a noun not an adverb!! Next month, February,  a magazine I’d not heard of before called ‘Country and Borders’, is going to publish some of my Welsh paintings of   Pistyll Rhaeadr, Wales
 Posted by at 4:53 pm  Tagged with:

Leafleting and a Challenge

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Jan 132009
 

I have just spent the last few hours driving around Powys putting out my art leaflets in all sorts of places. It is amazing how friendly people are, the shops, pubs and especially butchers in Llandriddrod Wells, welcome you with open arms and rarely refuse to take my leaflets. This is obviously very good as I get alot of business for my art courses through leaflets. The other benefit of drop off leaflets is how fit you get I must have walked a good few miles today.

My daughter Melissa has laid down a challenge. This year we are both going to enter a painting into the Royal Academy summer exhibition, whoever wins takes the other person out for a meal. It will be the first time either of us have entered this prestigious exhibition. Entries have to be in by the end of March, so I shall have to get inspired.

 Posted by at 2:39 pm

Saturday, 20 December 2008

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Dec 202008
 

I am sitting in  my studio, looking out at the bird feeders having  finally put the finishing touches to my new art courses website. Hopefully, it will attract a few more customers. I spent the whole of yesterday putting together the video on the sites main page, what a palavar! Still I managed to get it done and it doesn’t look to bad considering I am not a professional film maker.

Those bird feeders look empty, no wonder the blue tits and long tailed tits seem to have moved off elsewhere. I just have to put the links in now to connect this new blog to the website and then I am finished for the day. This afternoon Bradford City play Chester, obviously I hope they will win, we need the points to maintain our challenge for promotion. A chaffinch is sitting on the bird feeder looking a lit forlorn. I’d better go and feed the birds.

 Posted by at 10:28 am  Tagged with: ,