Painting tutorial

Artists all have their own way of planning their painting, to get a pleasing result and I'm no exception. I have developed my own formula which I find works for me.
First, I do a few rough sketches of my idea. Then I meticulously plan the main characters and get the sizing correct. This is especially important for me as most of my work is illustrative and figurative. So I plan the main characters facial features and draw them up on tracing paper, until I'm happy. In this case, I'm showing my wisteria tree. The first bit of actual painting is of the background, which I layer up using acrylic paint, then build up with home made stamps, such as bubble wrap and raised wallpaper. I usually end with spraying paint through lace. I then use carbon paper to transfer my main figures onto the background. These are always very basic, as the complex details will then be painted in. If I'm using collage papers, I add them as I go along where I feel it's appropriate. If I'm selling the art as prints, which I always do, I then photograph it and store the images in the computer. Et voila!!!

" The Lemon Beach"

I love going to the beach and looking into the beautiful world of rock pools.
I can't wait to go back to Cornwall in September and enjoy being by the sea again x

Yay, new banner!!

I just made my new banner, it took me about four hours in photoshop. I still don't know all the short cuts yet, but I'm getting there!! Here's a painting of my tawny owl to celebrate. Tawny owl can be bought encased inside an Art locket. Twit twooo!! Many thanks for viewing ♥

Spanish eyes

I just wanted to show the last of my small paintings, completed on our trip to Cornwall in June.
I can only make very small artwork on these trips, as our Mini Cooper S has a tiny boot!!
This pretty lady looks rather Latin, with her brown eyes and so I am calling the painting, "Spanish eyes". She will be available as a mini 4 x6 print and a mini wood art block, when I get around to making them!!

Tangerine dreaming

I only acquired my first camera a couple of years ago. I could only get to grips when digital cameras arrived, as they are so easy to use.
It must be the artist in me that makes me want to take a shot, such as this one and manipulate the colours, adding the vintage boarder, to get a hazy summery dream like effect. I took this flower shot in my back yard. The sun was so bright, I couldn't see what I was taking. I just clicked away many times and luckily, caught the flower with the sun bursting through the clouds. I take my camera everywhere now, just in case, though many of my best photo's have been captured in my own street. My photo collection is for sale as prints and cards in redbubble.

" Sunny Sunflowers"

Rain rain rain!! We've had plenty in the UK this week! Well they do say " The great British summer, blink and you'll miss it!". Never mind, hopefully the weather will calm down and give us a few more halcyon days. To cheer us all up, I will show you a couple of sunny sun flower collage pictures, I painted on my recent trip to Cornwall. As the paintings are small, they are available as "mini prints", you can find them in my etsy and folksy shops as part of my mini print sets. More arty products will be coming soon!
Many thanks for looking ♥

"Tiny worlds"

When I decided to start making ART jewellery, everything was so overwhelming and I ended up buying far too many pendant bases, chains and other bits and pieces.
Now after much research, I am in love with these vintage style brass lockets.
I have placed a teeny glossy photo of my painting behind the magnifying glass cabochon. The results are stunning!! My images shine out from their "tiny world" giving a very intimate feel to the artworks. I love them and have already started giving them as gifts to friends.
The lockets are all available in my folksy and etsy art shops, with new designs coming up soon. Many thanks for viewing ♥