I’ve been really busy for the last few weeks with some commercial work and now two lovely courses which have both come at the same time. The first one is my normal ” Book Arts” course at City Lit in London with expert bookbinder Sue Doggett.. and lots of other very nice people. This will be my 5th year now and I am going to try to actually get something finished, which means trying not to get too complicated. ( I’m failing so far!)
My second is a way-out-of-my-comfort-zone course in Plein Air painting. I was having a bit of a sort out and found an easel I bought 11 years ago which had never been out of its box. The Ugly Bungalow is bulging at the seams now and so I have decided if there are things I don’t use this year they must go. But before selling it, I thought I would give it a go.
Plein Air… a start
6 x 6 inches oil of the wate rtower.
I had thought when we moved here I might go out painting and try “plein air”in oils. I love the buttery colours of oils and the possibility of lovely brushwork. But I would not really describe myself as “a painter” as such and found many excuses for not starting to learn this tricky method of painting. It all seems a bit too difficult.
I am intimidated by not knowing much about oils. I am intimidated by the easel and I am especially intimidated by the thought of a blank canvas and paints I don’t know my way around and all the “stuff” you need.
My almost daily sketching involves nothing more than a pen and a sketchbook.
But for many years I have followed the work of the wonderful Roos Schuring https://www.roosschuring.com/ whose fabulous small and expressive paintings are so inspiring. The opportunity came up to take part in a challenge with her, (which didn’t involve going to the Netherlands), so I signed up for “50 days of painting plein air” with 4 or 5 feedback sessions and loads of hints and tips. See #50dayspleinair on Instagram.
So for the last two weeks I have been trying to paint, in some sort of way, outside, with brushes and either gouache or oil. It is way, way out of my comfort zone but think it will be good for me. I am hoping it will expand my understanding of colour and colour mixing, I don’t see myself ever making this my go-to technique but it is so good to have a challenge.
I am not going to bore you with all of my attempts but here are a few. Canvas boards are no bigger than 8 x10 inches.
Oil with colour notes .. Mixing oils is so very different from watercolours!
The tower on a breezy day
Gouache sketch by the reservoir
Garden oil sketch with colour mix notes
A4 gouache sketch while location searching
Starting a small oil at the woodyard
Two gouache sketches from the wood.
Some sprouting broccoli from the allotment gone to seed..
And today a quick oil with bigger brushes and simpler shapes.
So I don’t think I will be blogging much for the next few weeks but if you do want to see what I am doing with this new venture I am putting them all on Instagram at @workingdrawings.
Back soon with more printy stuff. 🙂
