Keep your artwork, even your practice pieces

 

Today i met a lovely young lady on her art journey who mentioned that when she is unhappy with her art work she rips it up and puts it in the bin. This reminded me of something i learnt many years ago whilst at the start of my journey. 

Never bin your artwork. Keep as much of it as you can, even the pieces you are not happy with. You never know, it may be just the inspiration you need for a project in many years to come. 

I often create pieces that i call 'practice' pieces that i wouldn't use for prints / cards or to frame and don't want to keep in my display sketch books so i cut them out and store them away. In the future they may prove useful. Not only for inspiration but to see in later years how far i've come and how much my skills in particular art styles have developed. 

So i thought i would do a quick blog to remind you all, whatever stage of your art journey that you are on, don't bin your artwork. Keep it if you can. Put it in a folder and store it away somewhere so that you can look back on it in the future. Even if you think it is terrible (which the self critical of us often think!) keep it. Please. If 3 or 4yrs down the line you go back through your folder and still feel that it is of no use as inspiration or progression example then you have my permission to bin it but i bet once you get into this routine you'll thank me! 

Meadow Flowers

My meadow flowers painting got its fine liner layer. It took the longest of all my paintings to finish and it is only 1/4 imperial in size!

This piece reminds me of laying in a meadow looking up at the flowers surrounding me.

I'm really pleased with the finish. This piece will now be on display during the Devon Open Studios event. 

It is available as a framed original, prints & cards. 

Mr Whale - Watercolour & Brusho

I've loved experimenting with brusho and watercolour recently. I've been working on ways to create animals in my signature style of loose watercolour with fine liner overlays. I want the animals i create to feel friendly, as if for childrens books.

I'm pleased with how Mr Whale turned out, i love the way the water moved the brusho in the top center, to me it looks as if light is shining down through the water

This picture is now available as a framed original, prints and cards. 

Preparing for Devon Open Studios

I'm currently preparing for the Devon Artist Network Devon Open Studios event in September. I've prepared a short video talking about some ways in which i will be preparing.

Sea & Flora Art Projects during lockdown

I haven't been able to work on my art projects as much as i had hoped since lockdown. My sons health and happiness is most important to me which has meant that I've been spending as much time with them as possible. Home schooling has of course involved lots of art projects though which gives me the opportunity to include some art time for me too.

Here you can see one of the pieces i've been working on that i creating whilst with my son Finley in the art studio.

The process of creating watercolour base layers with fine liner overlays continues to be my favourite way of working. I love the effect it gives to the artwork. 

Sea & Flora Project #2

Another mini sketch done for my sea & flora project. This time a little jellyfish. I went for a really simple design for this quick watercolour sketch which i finished with a fine liner overlay. 

Sea & Flora project #1

I have had an idea in my mind for months now to combine my two loves of sealife and flowers but wasn't sure where to do with the idea until recently when this appeared on the page during a watercolour sketch session. It is funny, often the pieces i love the most are the ones where i simply let my brush take control and don't think too much. 

I was really pleased with the watercolour base layer to which i added a fine liner layer once dry. 

I'm going to continue with the idea and see what else i can add this flora & sea twist to. 

Watercolour and fine liner Daphne | Watercolour basics

I've been working on watercolour basics recently, just reminding myself of core skills that will help me progress then with my own style of work. Watercolour layering is something i was working on with this piece. The above photo shows the final Daphne, the below photo shows it as a watercolour painting before i added my fine liner overlay.

You can watch how I painted this piece and paint along here: 

Watercolour & fine liner bee in a meadow

I had a go at recreating one of my most popular pieces (bee in a meadow, one of my best selling card prints) in a different colourway. I'm not as happy with this one as i was with the purple flowers but it was fun to recreate.

I love working in loose watercolours, i enjoy the freedom to allow the paint to flow.

I don't feel like the flowers quite work as well in this piece, i didn't leave enough white space but that is something i can improve on the next piece.

Take a look at how i create this little piece here...

Please remember to click through to my YouTube channel and subscribe to help support me on my art journey. 

Working on character designs for childrens books

I've been working a lot recently on character designs for childrens books.

This little fox character i hope to paint in a variety of scenes, mostly getting up to mischief i expect as his character is based on my youngest son Finley who LOVES foxes

You can see a short speed paint video below of how i started him, the pen overlay part didn't film correctly unfortunately so i wasn't able to add that bit but you can see above how he turned out.

Letting the paint form the picture

This is a piece i created in 2018 (i think) one of the first pieces where i began to experiment with the loose watercolour florals and fine liner overlays.

It's funny, at the time i didn't realise this would be the style that i too further and developed into a who process of my ow.

I just love the freedom of creating these pieces, i don't feel restricted, i don't feel like i have to follow any rules. I can apply the paint and watch it flow, follow it and watch the piece form in front of me.

My experience of taking part in Devon Open Studios

If you are interested in taking part in Open Studios events then take a look at this video where i share my experience of taking part in the Devon Open Studios in 2019.



If you have any questions please pop them in the comments and i'll do my best to help. 

Imaginative Florals in Loose Watercolour & Brusho with fine liner overlay

Abstract & Impressionist florals have always been a love of mine. I love to create them and i love how other artists paint them, i actually own a number of pieces by other artists that are hung around my home. There is just something about imaginative florals that capture me.

I used inspiration from a layout i saw in this book to create the above piece, you can see how i created it in the video below. (Please remember to click through to the video, like and subscribe to my channel to help support me and my art journey)