Greetings girls from a corner of my studio today.
Before I update your gallery this week I thought you would find it of interest to see what I have been doing in the studio. Here we are looking at trees in a forest in mid winter, painted in oils.
As you learned at an earlier class snow is never 'just' white, it reflects everything that is around it and also the temperature too.
For this painting I used a limited palette of Shale, Phthalocyanine Turquoise, raw titanium bluff and transparent earth red by Gamblin, flesh tint by Michael Harding. Chromatic black and titanium white (also Gamblin). I wanted to keep the tree trunks and branches transparent. The Shale and Chromatic black are transparent. The use of the turquoise and the flesh tint with transparent earth red has made the scene a little different to the usual cold colours we may find in a snowy landscape. I also used small brush, 0 for the small branches.Other brushes were a size 1 and 4. Canvas board size is 10 x 12 inches. I used a gel medium by Gamblin to paint with.
I hope you enjoy seeing my winter tree painting on such a sunny Spring time!
I will update your gallery soon girls. Enjoy the beautiful weather we are having in our gardens!
Greetings Girls and I hope you are all keeping well and are busy painting and tending your gardens. Here is Wallace Bear! Our traveling companion when driving around the highlands a few years ago. I remember this day so well, we were up along the coast not far from Gruinard Bay. A fine day for being out and about, just look at that lovely blue sea and golden sand!
Once again many thanks for your beautiful paintings from home. Good to hear from you! It looks like by towards the end of next week Lock down will be less restrictive and we may be able to go to garden centres and play golf!! Do take care everyone and remember your social distancing!
Now for some paintings! Click on the images to see them at a large size.
Angela has been very busy painting indoors, the walls of her guest house! So no time for her own artwork, but she is very happy to share this beautiful painting of a bird she did at class. She used fiber pens and the effect really is very realistic!
Carole's beautiful painting of her dog Poppy was from a photo. Really well painted and I must say the blue towel really does suit Poppy so well! I like the simple background that sets off the main colours of the dog and the towel so nicely.
Alison Macdonald has been inspired by a photo of her family holiday in Harris. Here is a fine beach view. The top painting has been created using watercolours. Very nice use of strong colours and contrasts. While the colours are strong they are very natural looking. Alison then decided to try the scene again using coloured pencils, natural colours again and that lovely blue sky sets off the drawing perfectly. It really is so interesting to see these lovely works side by side. I do like them both very much and the drawing is also very nicely done. Those could be an early evening and morning take on the scene! Well done!
This fine Spring weather has Susan busy in her garden along with her new friend, the little wild rabbit that lives near her wood pile. The tame little rabbit happily eats the grass while Susan gardens, hope the rabbit doesn't take a liking for the flowers once they come up!!
When taking a wee break from the garden Susan carries on with her new project two new Monet's! Using acrylics on canvas. I just love the colours in these beautiful paintings. Well done!
Here is Vera's delightful Deeside croft beautifully painted in watercolours on paper. Very nicely done and those trees are so well painted.
Here we are again at sea! with Margaret's lovely painting of a lighthouse. Bridges and lighthouses are a favourite painting subject for her. This painting captures the joy of standing by the beach, the sea breeze, blue sky and sea, while boats and birds float by. The lighthouse is really nicely painted too. Well done!
Yvonne's serene and beautiful watercolour painting of a Lewis landscape. I feel very peaceful when viewing this scene. Love the gentle watercolour wash of sky and the delicate hills in the distance.
During Sandra's walk around Gordon Castle she came upon this bonny gal! This is Sandra's third attempt at using pastel pencils, I think you will all agree she has done a grand job indeed. Lovely work!
Avril's beautiful delicate flower painting using pastel paintings on tinted paper. The petals are very realistic and so fragile looking. Well done Avril.
Greetings girls, here I am on my holidays! two years ago exploring the beautiful coastline of Sutherland. Further along this path we came to the remains of an old gathering of crofts that were lived in by the folk left behind during the clearances. The Duke of Sutherland had a few of his workers tending the sheep here in this barren place on a cliff edge. The winds so raw and fierce the mothers were said to have to tie their bairns to the rocks to stop them blowing away! There is a memorial that gives the names of all those who once lived there. As I remember one of the children made good and got educated and returned with money for the stone for the memorial.
I have a very nice selection of paintings from those of you painting from home. Thank you again for those who have emailed me to say how much they are enjoying seeing everyone's beautiful paintings from home.
For those of you feeling inspired to paint in watercolours on a canvas so make sure that the canvas is primed ready to accept the watercolours. Some brands do state on the canvas that they are suitable for watercolours. But if you only have a regular canvas you can use two coats of gesso. Or you can use a watercolour ground especially for the job. Once you have finished your watercolour on canvas you will need to seal it, as the watercolour will remain sensitive to water. You seal it with a spray varnish which will make the painting waterproof. Make sure the spray is very finely sprayed.
Vera created her beautiful flower painting using mixed media. The use of colour and free expression is really nice in her painting.
Sandra has used acrylics on a square canvas. Inspired by the beautiful fruit blossom in her garden. She has used a little iridescent medium on the bumble bee's wings. Her bee looks very life like! well done! Her second painting is nicely done and captures the beauty of Spring time.
Alison Murray has been away in her garden painting in watercolours the apple blossom on her trees by the wall in her garden. You can see a detail from her painting in the second image. The old mill stone comes from her husband's family. Alison has really captured the joy of Spring! Lovely painting.
When Susan was in Australia visiting her family they went to a beautiful location called the 'Getaway Cafe'. Where they serve wonderful cakes while you can sit and view the palms and the water lilies which Susan plans on painting next. She has focused on a palm and her beautiful painting is well suited to a round canvas! Lovely work! I am sure a lot of you will now be on the look out for a round canvas!
Margaret's fine Scottish landscape is painted on a long canvas. The water reflections are beautiful and I think you would agree this looks a fine place to be!
Margaret loves the challenge of painting bridges, she has done a few over the years. I remember one she was working on at class that had snow! Her pretty painting is done in watercolours. Her choice of frame sets off the painting perfectly!
'Thoughts of home'! Carole has painted a lovely cottage from her hometown. Inspired possibly by the 19th century art Henry William Carter. I had a search for this artist on the internet but couldn't find a biography on this artist. He does paint some wonderful rabbits though! There is a nice feeling of distance in this painting, very good work on the cottage, sky and trees, well done!
Finishing with one of Elaine's bird paintings in acrylics. Elaine spends many hours and days slowly developing her paintings in fine detail. Now that the weather has changed bringing her in from the garden we may soon see the finished painting of the birds by St Kilda that we saw at the beginning of our painting from home blog.
Wishing you a peaceful week painting from home. Best wishes Caroline
Hello again girls, here we are again and another week has flown by! I was pleased to hear how you are getting on with your paintings and that the fine weather has a couple of you painting outside! I look forward to seeing your lovely works soon. Please keep them coming as I know many of you are feeling it is a good goal to work towards having your works posted here to share with your fellow students.
Here I am in Ullapool! You can just see the fine snowy mountain in the distance. I love this place so much, lots to see and indeed paint!
Margaret has a great love of painting lighthouses and here she has worked from two of Thomas Kincade's. She has given each her individual style and her skies are beautiful!
Jackie loves flowers and you can see this come through in her delicate watercolour flower painting. Fine work!
Jean's poppies in watercolours are always a joy to behold!
A stunning beach view painting of Bamburgh castle by Yvonne completed during her time painting from home.
Alison Macdonald's Jolomo inspired painting. Lovely how she has produced a delicate romantic impression of this scene.
Strong work in Ann's magical landscape painting full of colour and energy!
During the lock down Ann has been painting in her summer house in the garden. She was inspired by two ornaments on the table and created a painting from the idea. You can see a wee person sitting under the blossom tree. Well done!
Missy painted on a Birthday card for Carole's father, he has been missing seeing her during the lock down, fine work Carole!
Lovely fresh work from Carole who has undertaken an exercise from the SAA magazine, well done!
Important to try new things and to keep practicing.
Many of you will remember Jane's lovely painting from the student art exhibition at the library last year. Those blues are stunning. Lovely wee girl and dog.
