New Workshops for 2015!

I am delighted to say that i am introducing two brand new workshops to 2015 at The Cloud 9 Gallery in Bacup!  Following on from the popular Introduction to acrylic painting workshops, i am now running an advanced painting workshop for those who would like to develop their skills further with new techniques and more challenging subjects to paint!  I am also offering drawing and shading workshops for those who would like to learn how to draw or would like to develop their own drawing style.  We will be drawing and shading with graphite and coloured pencils and creating a lovely drawing to take home.  To book or find out more please visit my workshop page on my website.

Beddgelert

Beddgelert is my newly finished oil painting on canvas.

Inspiration came from one of my own photographs taken whilst staying on holiday in the little picturesque village of Beddgelert in 2013.

Beddgelert  is a village in the Snowdonia area of Gwynedd, North Wales.  The old stone bridge with it's two arches stands in the centre of the village and crosses the River Colwyn.

The little village was thriving with visitors the day i took the photo!  Most of them queuing up for ice cream at the fantastic ice cream shop with it's many flavours!  Yes, we did visit once or twice whilst we were there! :)

Painting this scene really took me back there, i can hear the sounds of the river water, birds tweeting, and of course the chatter of the people as they decide on which ice cream to have!

Snow Baby

For years i have been avoiding the dreaded portrait!  They need to be so precise, so accurate and well executed in order to be truly accepted as a representation of that person.  Well i had conflicting feelings when the January challenge was announced by Colored Pencil Magazine and that challenge was to be a portrait!  I fancied the challenge, to really push myself and to see where i could take my art.  Could i take it into the unknown, way out of my comfort zone and produce the elusive portrait?  Well i just had to find out!  


I had to approach this one in a completely different way by using a grid to accurately sketch the face first, this was the daunting bit, even planning out the grid was a challenge in itself never mind sketching as accurately as i possibly could!  One line slightly out of place could jeopardise the whole thing and it was a nervy, tentative start for me!  The rest of it just seemed to come together naturally, i was used to the shading part and everything was in it's place from the sketch!  It was very strange once the eyes were in, i was being observed from the paper itself!


Today i finished my Snow Baby portrait, and i must say i am very pleased with myself!  Maybe i won't be so frightened of the portrait from now on, who knows maybe i'll even do one of myself!

"Snow Baby", Polychromos pencils and white gel pen (for highlights) on A4 paper.

Reference photo curtesy of Sally Ford as part of Colored Pencil Magazine's art challenge