Lakes and Mountains Exhibition

Canadian Goose, Derwentwater.

Second day of my Lakes and Mountains exhibition at Moot Hall Keswick, it's great seeing all the new work framed and hanging together on the walls. A  big sigh of relief. All those weeks of  worry that I didn't have enough work , but I did! I'm often asked which medium I like best, people look surprised when I say 'all of them' and then ' did you paint this there' which is usually 'Striding Edge in deep snow' again they look disappointed when I say 'no but I did sketch quickly in the freezing cold'

5 days and counting to 'Art Live' feeling excited and only slightly nervous!!

Loughrigg Tarn watercolour

Loughrigg Tarn Watercolour by Jane Ward

I've just finished this large watercolour it's a full imperial size so quite a large view.

'Tarn Hows' the perfect Autumnal painting location in the Lake District

'Tarn Hows'  Acrylic by Jane Ward

Dare I say it's all 'go, go, go' at the moment, I had a great bunch of students at last weekends Watercolour Workshop and it is excellent when you see a total beginner produce a lovely painting, and I do believe that anyone who wants to paint CAN!

I've an exhibition at Moot Hall in Keswick from Saturday to Monday so I've been getting ready for this, I'm at this moment finishing a imperial size watercolour of 'Loughrigg Tarn' but I'm frightened to paint the foreground!! So here I am writing instead the blog, but glancing over my shoulder at my as usual' Left hand unfinished corner' What is it with this left hand corner?

NEC Birmingham 10 days and counting Tarn Hows above was painted with Daler Rowney Acrylics.

Anyone that does'nt know 'Tarn Hows' it's a gem of a Lakeland Tarn, I personally think it's one of the top 5 and at this time of the year is a pure delight, go armed with paints, camera and flask and you'll have a super day.

Lakes and Mountains Calendar 2011

Busy day today getting ready for  Watercolour workshop tomorrow and Sunday here in Keswick, it's for total beginners, which I always enjoy. I'm hoping that we are going to complete 3 masterpieces together, so lets see! I've just got my Desk calendar back from the printers, it's come out lovely I complemented each month with a Lakeland scene, we have January up on Helvellyn, through to Grange in Borrowdale in March, Bluebells had to be May and Italy is perfect for June, Autumn Mist  makes a lovely entry into September and we finish with a cold and wintry Wastwater in December. If you would like to buy 'Mountains and Lakes by Jane Ward Desk top calendar it's £8.99 if you want to send me an email with your address,

On the Edge

Grange in Borrowdale

Bluebells at White Moss

Misty Morning, Derwentwater

And see as though it's Friday Here is my Friday Vibes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbTF4-FbpxA&feature=related

You can't beat a bit of Boney M, not sure about the outfits!!

Loughrigg Tarn

Another sunny beautiful day here in Lakeland, it's one of those classic days that shouts at you to 'get onto those fells'. Had a lovely morning with my monthly Keswick class the subject was mist in watercolours and everyone brought in some reference to work off. Isn't it funny sometimes that you are inspired by others reference and not your own! Why is this! But with the sun blazing at lunchtime we packed a sandwich and headed to Loughrigg Tarn, I've been asked to paint the view from here. It's a very special place is this tarn, and it was pure perfect today. The light on the Langdales was in the right place to show off those distinct shapes, the trees had a good amount of foliage with great negative space and not too green. Lily leaves were floating majestically in the Deep blue water. It was great doing a quick sketch  but I was pleased I had two coats on!! It was a real cold breeze, the pains you go through for art! I was so engrossed in the sketching I didn't see what was happening behind me I did wonder what the chewing noise was, so got a bit of a startle when I looked behind!!

And this is an artist who might go on a long detour instead of walking through a field of cows

The photo doesn't do this lovely tarn justice

It was quite a friendly cow!  Nige was brought up on a farm so is not the chicken that I am

Evening glow, Newlands Valley

The weather is changing in Lakeland, gloves and warm jackets were needed today, I can't believe only last week I was painting outside in Keswick with no jacket needed.But the light is so clear, you can see for miles and the colours are just beautiful. After a day of inside work, what better place than an stroll to the Lake edge. I love this time of day, the last ferry or 'Launch' as local people call it was 'docking in' with a small collection of  Autumn walkers. A rowing boat, out for hire, came in with a family well wrapped up against the cold wind and two dogs looking like they were ready to dive in to the cold water any moment. But best of all is the warm light that glows behind Catbells and brings to life Newlands valley, while the rest of the fells are all in shadow.

Nice reflections on the Canadian Geese.

Skiddaw looking dark and threatening behind Crow Park

The heat is on!

The pressure is on, with 2 weeks and 6 days to 'Art Live' at the NEC I've been painting madly all week, trying to get my demo piece together. The table as you can see from the above photo looks like a Daler Rowney Bomb of paints has gone off, and the floor see below photo is struggling for space, I have Tuesday's disaster in the top left corner, Thursday Morning, followed by Thursday afternoon in bottom left corner, Friday Morning in the middle followed by Friday and Wednesday afternoon in the bottom right. Now if you are still with me and not totally muddled, I also sneezed on Thursday morning and pulled my back enabling me to sit down until now. So the mood is brighter, or maybe the pain killers and deep heat have kicked in to action.Keep following for more NEC countdowns.

 Friday's Title tune

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0KabaOPO2A&feature=related

Back into the Lakes

Over the weekend we had a strange light in the Lakes, it looked like a 'sea fret' over the mountains, but maybe it's just Autumn light! Decided to walk up ' The Nab' a steep hill at the end of the Martindale valley.

Silhouetted fells towards High Street 

I'm lucky to say that these weren't the old wild beasties we saw, from the summit we spy ed a herd of  Red deer.

Derwent Isle

1st day back into painting, spent the morning in my studio, scraped the 1st attempt, then moved outdoors in the afternoon with the warm sunshine drying the watercolours at an amazing speed, there was no time for dilly dallying. I'm going to demonstrate this on Wednesday morning to a Keswick groupe of artists.

Cycled round the lake just as the sun was setting, Derwentwater was glorious sparkling with warm orange hues.What capped it all,we passed Sir Chris Bonnington returning from a Borrowdale climb.

A job for life.

Back in Sunny Keswick and we have been threatened with a mini heatwave today. Here's a few photo's from France that I couldn't post last week.

It was fun cycling through the busy streets, we did get a few strange looks but that all changed when the 'Mini Moke Club' came into the town resplendent in all colours and with owners to match.

 One way to earn your living, Looks good to me!

 One of the great things about the trip was looking up at the brilliant blue sky. Everyday.

 A 5 hour walk in the Esterel Massif to 'Squirrel Lake' when we got there it had dried up!  

The view from the campervan  at Menton

I was really impressed with this bustling town, and with high mountains and tiny villages perched high all in the vicinity it's a place worth exploring.

Grand Prix circuit

It's been a roller coaster ride along the Cote D'Azur, on the last blog we were heading to Frejus, but we did'nt stop, a quick wander around St Raheal a busy bright Port, what has come across most in this trip is the fantasic light! Leaving the busy port we headed round the cliff hugging red rock coastline to Agay. What a beautiful tiny port, with pretty boats bobbing gently, not those big luxury cruises which don't sit well in a painting! A crescent of Golden sands and our camping site on the edge of the beach, what more can you ask for, oh yes and shapely jagged mountains with Palm trees softening the picture. The Lavender season is over but walking in the Estereal Massif the liliac heather has taken its place sitting pretty underneath the pine and eucaliptus trees.I've been suprised when doing some colour sketches that I've used Ultramarine, usually Winsor  is the chosen blue in warmer places.Leaving Agay and heading towards Cannes, I was thinking lets stay! But Cannes is a great people watching place, and then onto Nice which was quite nice! But again too busy. Before we knew it we had entered Monaco and it felt like we were taking part in the Grand Prix circuit in our precious van, but catching glimses again of extreme luxury cruising, now this is where the money is! So you might wonder where we are and did we find another peaceful haven? 'Menton' the town of Lemons, beautiful church spires and a campsite perched high above the town with a stunning view, as I look up from the keyboard, the sea disapearing into a soft light, but a beautiful blue that complements the roof tops of terracotta, the sunlight is catching the side of the church tower and cypress trees elegantly jostle for space amongst the pines.Sorry for no Photo's but the wifi is not allowing it!