Creative Loosening-up Exercises
I always start my watercolour tutoring sessions with some creative loosening-up exercises. I did just that yesterday during the first workshop of the year. It was even more valuable than usual, given that we had all been without access to in-person workshops for so long….
Cleaning Used Acrylic Painting Water
Cleaning used acrylic painting water is not something I had to think about much while I was predominantly using watercolour. I’ve used acrylics and oils over the years from time to time, but only to satisfy my ‘how does this work’ curiosity. That meant the…
Finding your inner artist
Have you ever thought about finding your inner artist? Last month I was honoured to guest blog for Instinctive Living. Here is the post, as Pablo Picasso said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”…
Painting Elements of Nature
In preparation for my workshop, Painting Elements of Nature, I’ve been going through my photographs to find some reference images. And I’ve got some fantastic pictures I want to share with you. What do I mean when I talk about painting elements of nature? There’s…
When a painting goes wrong
When a painting goes wrong, decisions have to be made. If we expect that every time we put brush to paper we will produce a masterpiece, we are going to be disappointed. The ratio of good paintings to sheets of paper used is surprisingly low. Between…
Painting Together
When can we start painting together again? Online workshops have been wonderful. There has been so much generosity from artists who have created free content that our lockdown period has certainly not been boring. But it has been a long haul. It feels like so long…
Finding Your Artistic Voice
We hear a lot about artists finding an artistic voice. For a long time, I thought that was just a distinctive style, but it’s so much more than that. Firstly, creating art is a process, not just a result. If your work stops developing, or…
Learning to Paint
Learning to paint is like learning to drive a car.I was thinking about learning new things in my studio this week. I’ve been focused on collage and composition. I’ve not had much experience with collage. So, although I have a broad set of skills that…
Art Societies – are they for you?
Art Societies in various forms have been a significant part of my life for more than half my time as an artist. Last Sunday, I stepped down from the committee of the Society of East Anglian Watercolourists after five years of continuous voluntary service to…
Granulation Medium in Watercolours
Granulation medium is a valuable addition to a watercolour artist’s toolkit. There is a prodigious range of granulating paints available from art supply manufacturers these days. Daniel Smith Watercolours are best known for their innovative range of mineral-based granulating colours. But sometimes an artist wants…