Latest Lockdown Works

Here are my latest lockdown paintings. All 16" x 12" except where noted.

The activist ~ Alfre Woodard

The old man of the jungle



'That's lunch sorted"



Indian scoop owl.




Mother love 12" x 12"



Golden Tamarin

Roland Hilder

Zoe. If you haven't already picked this up John Softly is happy to speak to you about Roland Hilder. His e mail is softly@ozemail.com.au

Hope this helps.

Shirley Trevena

Shirley Trevenna is a British artist,  internationally renowned for her watercolours of still lifes, flowers and landscape imagery. She has a strong abstract approach and seems to me to fit the description, popularised by Kees van  Aalst,  of ' Realistic Abstracts". She has been in the top rank of watercolour artists for many years, although she might well be also considered a mixed media artist.

Some years ago , when I was flitting from artist to artist - I never intended to copy other artists, rather be influenced by them - I soon realised how difficult her style and approach was to emulate. Very feminine also.  I have seen a few paintings - not many - by one or two other female artists which resonate with her style. I bought 'Taking Risks with Watercolour (Collins 2004)', both the book and DVD www.townhousefilms.co.uk. The book was listed as being with 'Albert Jackson' and may have been her first (although she is now 79).

Other books are ''Vibrant Watercolours (2006), 'Breaking the Rules

of Watercolour' (2012) and 'Shirley Trevenna Watercolours' (2015) All still available. There are also more DVDs from Townhouse and Pulsar Productions www.pulsarproductions.com

No Craig Young palettes here but this image is not that recent.

In the first book she lists her basic kit as Artists Quality watercolours - Daler Rowney are shown in the photographs - but emphasises she is flexible , is no restricted palette supporter and particularly likes the then new synthetic watercolours being introduced for their intensity and brightness. I imagine she may well be into Daniel Smith these days. She used water soluble inks as well. Her brush choices are rounds , nothing larger than a number 10 but also cheaper brushes including Chinese. I have noticed that Rosemary is offering a Shirley Trevenna Kolinsky Sable set. Four short handled Series 22 (Rosemarys top range) sizes 2,4, 6 and 8 for £75. This is actually slighter cheaper than the prices of the four individual brushes. She also uses pencils, oil pastels, pens and drawing sticks and texture medium.You get the picture - breaking the rules! Many of her paintings are obviously mixed media but watercolour predominates. In a later video she is using Winsor & Newton watercolours and has made up a large series of swatches,

What more can I say? She likes good quality paper for the 'majority' of her paintings 140 to 300lb.  I should think a not surface, but likes smoother paper for drawing. 

I think I will leave it there as there is a mass of material about her on the web, youtube etc, including a huge number of her paintings so you are spoilt for choice if you wish to explore further. Like many good artists I am sure she has continued  to evolve so some of the information above may have been superseded. Enough to wet your appetite?

Latest Paintings

Here are my latest works. All 16" x 12" unless otherwise stated.

"Sheep"

Nitram Liquid Charcoal and Daniel Smith Lunar Red Rock , Lunar Black. Love the Nitram.

"Mask"

"Mother and Child"




Blakistons Fish Owl



"The Pose"

Nitram Liquid Charcoal and Cadmium Red Light

Watercolour Paintings 69

Here are Augusts batch. Once again a vary varied collection comprising artists old and new, the new those that I have come across in recent weeks. A huge variety of styles, subjects and approaches. I hope you find much to enjoy and intrigue.  You will notice I sometimes - in fact  I often  - include more than one painting from the same artist. These are amongst my favourites as you probably guess and I hope you don't mind my personal indulgence.,

Shirin Nemat Zadeh

Dean Crouser. I love his work



Thankachen Kumaran




Charles Reid

Gerard Hendriks

Yuda Azuma

Patricia Osborne




Louise Hammett

Igor Sava

Christian Couteau





Wu Sih Shian



Rae Andrews





Ilya Ibryaev



Debbie Bakker




Lang Du Ca




Corneliu Dragan - Tarnoviste



Akbar Akbari

Bev Jozwiak The ever reliable and interesting Bev




Praful Savant




Prafin Puthra



Nguyen Lam




Chainuwat Chuäykhongthong



Charles Reid



Bev Jozwiak Another from Bev

BLOG INDEX JULY 2014. Go to the section on the right of the opening page. Scroll down to 2014. Then click on it and go to July. You will find the Index there.

Morning All.

Hello there. Just to break up the monotony I thought I'd indulge in another of my fireside chats. Not really just a few musings about things art and especially watercolour painting.

I hope everyone who reads this is well and best wishes to my many friends and followers. I sound like a sage when I say that but in reality am just a humble hobby painter. I'm still striving to improve and at the present time am painting more than I have for a considerable period, perhaps more than ever. This is courtesy of the pandemic although I'd rather it wasn't so.

At the moment halting steps are being taken to restart my Avon Valley Artists group though it is proving difficult. Salford Hall, where we meet, wants to start again for obvious monetary reasons and we've been issued with a  set of new conditions in addition to the normal ones regarding the hire of rooms. This amounts to three pages of dense print.! The group has shrunk and we are barely seventeen, although already some of that number have indicated they aren't coming back. Others like myself are reluctant to commit to the suggested start date of October. How things have changed -in every way - since this virus appeared. I was just two when WW2 began and this current pandemic is undoubtedly the most serious major event since then. Of course WW2 was different and unlikely to be equalled, at least I hope not, but the problems we have are unparalleled. I'm optimistic though and think a vaccine or vaccines will arrive sooner than later. Why do I think that? In many respects, although completely different, the current disaster is equal in magnitude to aspects of WW2. As an amateur historian of WW2 I know that technology in five and a half years, advanced at a rate that would have taken fifty years in peacetime. Why? Because things were desperate and such things as budgets and profits went out of the window. Money was no object with concerns about how it was to be paid for put aside. The best brains on all sides  worked at winning the war and fortunately the Western Allies with  the Soviet Union came out on top. This current crisis has the best brains in action on a massive scale once again.

As regards painting we do have a number of tools that help. The internet and social media like Facebook have come in for much criticism recently, but aside from that it has been a boon when so many of us have become somewhat isolated. Youtube is also very good, in fact I was looking at various videos the other day on the new Roman Szmal watercolours, which intrigue me. I'll undoubtedly try some at some stage. In addition I was asked by Jacksons if I would like to review products on my blog. After some thought I said yes but only those relating to watercolour. I am not getting any remuneration for  doing so although none was actually offered . The first product which should arrive soon is a new mop brush under the Jackson label. I've no idea if or when they might ask me to do others.

Since  the death of Charles Reid, who was only six months older than me, I've been pondering mortality, but less morbidly remembering all the workshops I did with him and his wife Judy. She sent me a very nice e mail about the obituary I wrote. I think life is proving a little difficult since Charles died.

I get regular e mails from Jacksons, the most recent listing all the makes of watercolour they sell. Very impressive and mouth watering. The problem to me is how expensive paints have become. I'm not pleading poverty because I can buy more or less what I want within reason, but both mine and my wifes parents had very little money and this has taught us prudence. Anyone starting off now with a 12 palette set can easily exceed £150!. This is a lot for 12 small tubes. When I see artists promoting Daniel Smith - good though the paints are (mostly) - I do think amateurs are being badly served. Many must buy them as Jacksons say they are 'Best Sellers'. They do say Jacksons own label are also 'Best Sellers'. I'm trying a few of the latter at the moment. Unfortunately several of the other leading makes have edged up their prices towards the DS level, although there are a few that are still very good value. Daniel Smith have a huge range with many appealing paints but most of the basic colours can be purchased from others like Lukas and some of the Asian makes at much lower prices, and are quite good enough. I know personal preference plays  a part but even so the differences are not that great for the average painter.

I wonder what has happened to the 'new' Rembrandt range? It was supposed to be introduced last Spring. I don't know what the pricing will be but the new range, when and if introduced, would compete with all the  majors  at 140 paints with excellent pigments. In the meantime Schminke continue to expand their range. As I've said prices have edged up but I'm interested in what Rembrandt do as the current artist quality range are very well priced. I also recommend trying the enlarged Van Gogh range of 72 paints. Very reasonably priced and pretty good.

That will do for now so best wishes to everyone and KEEP SAFE!.

Latest paintings

Here are the latest efforts. despite a post seemingly directing me to an artist who'll teach me how to draw  I'll continue on my path well aware that my painting  (and drawing) is far from the finished product.

"A Magnificent raptor" 16" x 12"

"Monkey Business" 16" x 12"

Nitram Liquid Charcoal and Daniel Smith Lunar Black



'Maori Chief' Third attempt.

I'm much happier with this one although it has received few likes on facebook.

"Jay' 12" x 9"

I'm pleased with this and it has been well received. Even my wife likes it!

'What Big Ears you have Grandma" 12" x 12"

I wasn't 100% happy with this, although that's the case with most of my paintings. However very well received on Facebook