Autumn Splendour Art Workshop

Last month I was lucky enough to enrol on an Autumn art workshop with artists Ohn Mar Win and Clare Therese Gray at the lovely Lower Norton Flower Farm, near Winchester. A beautiful venue and we had the perfect weather to go along with it.

The morning session was with Ohn Mar, sitting under a small gazebo in the flower garden. Ohn Mar Win is a watercolour and ink artist, creating loose illustrations and paintings. Following a demonstration our first exercise was to produce quick flower studies, timed from 1 minute down to 10 seconds. For anyone scared of white paper it was pretty daunting just getting stuck in like that but definitely something to keep practicing. 

Following the warm up we went into the garden to paint in situ, a flower or flowers of our choosing, keeping it loose.

Ohn Mar Win giving an in situ demonstration.

I chose a single hydrangea and although to started off ok, my colours were weak and I didn't wait long enough for the layering. Following the watercolour we went back to the gazebo to start adding the ink.

Group photo

It's a shame everything was slightly rushed due to the time constraints for lunch and the next session with Clare Therese Gray, but it was really enjoyable and I've taken a lot away to help me loosen up in future.

After a delicious lunch we swapped artist. Clare is a gouache artist, who paints the most beautiful flower illustrations. We started by laying a flat weak gouache wash to paper before heading back out into the garden to choose three flowers each to paint.

Hunting for flowers

Even though to was the end of September there were still some lovely flowers to choose from but we were told to steer clear from the stunning Dahlias as they would be too hard to paint.

Back inside the studio we chose a layout with our three stems, lightly drew it out in pencil and were advised by Clare to start with mixing our greens and painting the leaves. 

Sadly again time was limited and I think most people didn't end up finishing, I certainly didn't but I wasn't unhappy with what I achieved and at least we were able to bring our paint pallet home to continue at a later date.

Final painting

Group paintings

This was the first time Ohn Mar and Clare had put together one of these courses and I would highly recommend it to anyone wishing to paint flowers, either loosely in watercolour and ink or in a more controlled way in gouache. If I could do it again though I would prefer a full day with each artist, as everything felt quite rushed, rather than relaxed. I thoroughly enjoyed it though and have already booked on to another watercolour and ink painting day with another artist in November.

My boy.

I had a last minute trip to Aberystwyth last week to collect Jourdan from uni as he was not at all well and too ill to get the train home on Saturday. Although I was a bit nervous about the drive, I actually made pretty good time, just over four hours each way. Very tired afterwards but also very pleased to get him home and off to the doctors the next morning for a weeks worth of penicillin. Four days of looking after him and he is finally back on his feet and feeling back to normal. 

It doesn't matter how old they get they will always still need their mums!

Acrylic on canvas

Another painting

After handing over the 'golfer' painting recently I was emailed a second photograph to paint. I didn't think there was anyway I would get this done before Christmas eve but have surprised myself and finished another painting. I say finished but I know I will keep fiddling with it until it's actually delivered on Friday.

I found this one more difficult, partly due to the size (60cm x 60cm) but also the subject. It didn't help on Monday that the water from the shower upstairs came through the kitchen ceiling and ruined my paper reference, so I had to wait another day to get a second one printed, I really need to get that fixed! 

Anyway I spend a good six hours or so on this yesterday and here we go, another painting for Madeleine.

Abstract portrait

I was asked last week to do another abstract painting of a work colleagues husband.

She sent me over the photograph to work from....

And I did this....

It's quite big, 60cm by 60cm and I really, really hope she likes it. 

I always feel very nervous about giving people things, as although I know they will be nice and seem pleased, you never really know what they are thinking, oh well fingers crossed.

My paintings

A little while ago I painted the above picture above of my son Jourdan. The photograph was taken on his mobile phone and we played with it on the computer until we got a much more abstract look to paint onto a canvas. We were both really pleased with it and it really does look like him.

I have the picture as my icon on my Flickr page and obviously in my photo stream. I showed my friend at work and she asked if I would do a painting of her daughter and had one photograph in mind. When she brought in the photograph for me (below) my heart dropped as there was no way I do do the same sort of abstract painting I had done previously. The picture is quite 'flat' and she didn't want black and white either, but sepia please!!. Oh well I do occasionally like a challenge, not very often, granted, so I set to it on Sunday night messing about with the scan.

The finished photos after editing were lovely, so on Monday night I started. On Tuesday night I had this, ta-daa, finished ready for work tomorrow. Although i'm not sure if Sam will like it quiet as much as I do. Oh well if she doesn't i'll keep it.

With regards to the others edited photographs I have one in mind to do a drawing with as well. If it works i'll add it to the blog. Although actually maybe I ought to finish the 3 blankets, 3 handbags, 1 scarf & 1 shopping bag for the Christmas presents first. Oh and of course all the wedding makes we haven't yet started...