The Other Woman
“It’s a benign addiction,” says Chris, “Or it’s the other woman, quite often. You can’t pay attention to your nearest and dearest because you’ve got to finish this thing… and they’re jealous of that and rightly so. But we can’t…
Where Your Art Really Begins
I was gazing over a student's shoulder at a work that I can most charitably describe as 'experimental.' "I just waved my hand around and there it was!" Jenny said. "And that's exactly what it looks like...," is the response I never…
Imagining The Landscape
Vague, hazy distances or intricate, closeup details; a hillside habitation or the veins on a leaf; clouds, blades of grass, tree bark and shadows; if we can take it all in in a single glance, then why can't we work…
What colour is your sky?
This September, as we approached the final day of my two week stay at Studio Paradiso, a guest asked if all my painting holidays weren't the same, with every week like the one before and so on and on down the years…
Commitment
A few years ago, when I was offered a small show at Black Swan Arts in Frome, I decided not to gather together my past glories but to create a collection of entirely new pictures, painted especially for the exhibition. I was going to…
Industrious
A couple of weeks ago, one Tuesday evening, I was privileged to take part in an engaging conversation with artist, Lucinda Rogers, before an enthusiastic and receptive audience at Rook Lane Arts. The conversation coincided with the showing of Rogers' latest work…
Who needs a painting holiday? – Me!
You can paint anywhere, of course. Beautiful scenery and fine food and wine aren't absolutely essential to the creative urge, but when that watercolour isn't working, what could be more redemptive than a head-clearing dip in a beautiful pool as…
Going With The Flow
On painting holidays and at workshops and classes at home, when I ask students what they want to achieve with their art, the answer is almost always the same: to be looser. It's an almost ubiquitous desire amongst painters and it isn't…
Last Goose Before Christmas!
Here's a little something to go with your brussels sprouts this holiday... Draw a grid, 5 squares by 2, as lightly as you can with an HB pencil. The head of the goose occupies 6 squares and the beak, 3. Getting the position…