Lakeland Sketchbook

A few photographs from a damp day in the Lakes.

 You may think it's not as inspiring as a glorious sunny day. Students often feel deflated when they see the rain and think I am crazy taking them out on location, but I think it can be much more dramatic and certainly atmospheric.

So here I sat, just out of the gale force wind, blowing fiercly down the lake. The Launch had been cancelled due to adverse conditions. I had to hold onto everything and time was the essence. But how uplifting it is to paint against the weather, it was just a quick sketch, and so enjoyable. Not quite a Turner and fastened to the mast, but I do love to see wild conditions rather than a Blue sunny day. Mind there is nothing quite like sitting in the warm sunshine with the lake gently lapping at your feet!

Not Sunflowers! Fancy having a go at both of these with a watercolour base and a little pastel.
I'll keep you posted.

 Learn to paint watercolours on my online watercolour course with lots of personal feedback with each project www.watercolourcourse.co.uk

Summertime Pastels

Derwentwater painted in Pastels

 Fisher 400 paper

Summertime Fells, Derwentwater

Painted in Pastels

Fisher 400 paper

 

Delighted with a massive capital ' D 'to see my article about Pastels in this months 'Leisure Painter ' magazine. One of my favourite mediums and probably my favourite Lake.

I've realised that I do paint the seasons as they pass by. The colours that inspire me everyday help to bring the paintings to life. It also helps to paint things you love, I feel that these precious feelings help to give a plain piece of paper some meaning.

I've painted now daily for around fifteen years, you would think that I would be all 'painted up' and looking for new inspiration. But for those that paint, you'll know ideas are endless, and time is the culpit. I do often run around with many ideas popping in my head to be painted.

 

I will keep you posted with the new Pastel Online course due to begin in September.

Pastel and watercolour workshops

A quick update for 2016  Workshops and Courses.

With lots of Pastels and exciting new Watercolour techniques 

Loose and Colourful 

2016 New Dates

To reserve a course or workshop

 just send me an email lakelandart@hotmail.co.uk

 Watercolour Weekend at  Grasmere

Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st February 2016  

Learn to paint  wonderful watercolours in the studio at the Glenthorne looking on to the Grasmere fells. Lots of techniques, colour mixing and landscape painting will be covered in this two day course.

Suitable for Beginners and Intermediates with Single and Double ensuite rooms  available.

Price £225.00 including Bed and Breakfast ( Friday and Saturday evening) staying at the Glenthorne Hotel, Grasmere

 Pastel Weekend at  Grasmere

Saturday 30th April and Sunday 1st May 2016  

A pastel workshop for Beginners with  indoor demonstrations in the studio and outdoors  looking on to the Grasmere fells from the Glenthorne

All you need to learn to start pastel painting will be covered in this two day course.

Suitable for Beginners and Intermediates with Single and Double ensuite rooms  available.

Price £225.00 including Bed and Breakfast ( Friday and Saturday evening) staying at the Glenthorne Hotel, Grasmere

  Watercolours and Pastels  at Grasmere

Monday 9th to Thursday 12th May 2016

 Watercolours and Pastels painting magical  Bluebell woods near to Rydal water and Grasmere Lake. Indoor demonstrations and workshops in both mediums and plenty of outdoor on location painting.

 Suitable for Beginners and Intermediates with Single and Double ensuite rooms  available.

Price £395.00 including Dinner Bed and Breakfast.This popular course fills quick

 Summer  Watercolours at Grasmere

Monday 27th to Thursday 30th June 2016

 Wonderful, Colourful,  Watercolours experiment with new techniques and colour mixing indoor and outdoor demonstrations in the beautiful Lake District. Lots of Flower meadows, Foxgloves, streams stunning scenery to paint.

Suitable for Beginners and Intermediates with Single and Double ensuite rooms  available.

Price £395.00 including Dinner Bed and Breakfast.

  

Summer Watercolours and Pastels

Monday 8th to Thursday 11th August 2016

A course for the beginner or Intermediate in  Pastels and watercolour  exploring different papers and techniques. Indoor demonstrations, workshops and plenty of outdoor on location painting in the grounds of the Glenthorne and nearby locations,with a visit to the Lake Artist exhibition.

Suitable for Beginners and Intermediates with Single and Double ensuite rooms  available

Price £395.00 including Dinner Bed and Breakfast.

Autumn Colours with Pastels Grasmere.

Monday 10th to Thursday 13th October 2016

A   Pastel workshop suitable for beginners and Improvers painting indoor and outdoor on location with many demonstrations and stunning Autumn colours to capture.

Price £395.00 including Dinner Bed and Breakfast with Single and Double ensuite rooms  available

Email Jane at  lakelandart@hotmail.co.uk for more information or to reserve a place

See Here for more information.

Summer meadow Pastel

Summer Meadows

in Pastels

Size 7 x 9 inches

Fisher 400

 

I love working in Pastels, but yesterday I had a real battle in this pretty flower meadow.

Below is the first painting, I was unhappy with this scene, I know certain things didn't work.

But I didn't want to give up and surrender defeat to the pastels.

So I looked hard and realised the composition and tree could be corrected, I also wanted to paint different hues in the meadow, and not too many bright Greens.

 

So with a stiff brush I removed plenty of pastel, changed the shape of the tree, added more light in the back field to try and give more distance to the scene.

The flowers became smaller instead and I thought much more about mark making, softness and colour harmony.

 

I am much happier with the top finished painting and it's much more challenging to go back to the drawing board and learn the basic skills.

 

 

Trying out different compositions, trying hard but not getting there!