Monday 23 November 2015

Striding Edge, Helvellyn Limited signed edition

On the Edge

Signed Limited Edition Print

Price £65.00

Painted in Pastels on a cold Winters day from Red Tarn,
with a lone walker making their way along Striding Edge to the summit of Helvellyn

The Signed  Print comes rolled in a Postal tube
includes free postage in the UK

A perfect Christmas Present for a lover of the Lakes or for a brave soul who has scrambled across this famous ridge walk.


Friday 13 November 2015

Golden Leaves pastel Demonstration


The last of the Golden leaves are hanging on for dear life against Storm Abigail.
 But what better way to spend an afternoon, especially when it's purely horrid outdoors.
 Painting bright Golden colours in an Autumn  woodland scene, pop some music on, have the kettle ready and away we go.


Stage One 
Tape down a piece of Clairefontaine pastelamat white pastel paper onto a board. 
Add some watercolour washes, not too wet, less water and you seem to have a touch more control. 
Splashes of Red, Yellow and Blue, let them merge together to create beautiful colours.
Leave to dry or speed it up with an hairdryer. 




Stage Two

The Background, I find is a good place to start when adding pastels. Think cool colours, tonal values  and less detail. Leave those bright colours for the foreground trees and path. Composition needs a little thought, I like to see a way through a painting. The light at the end of a tunnel, a fence dancing along the side of a field or maybe a couple out walking their dog. The choice is yours. 




Stage Three

A liitle blending in places to get rid of too much detail, I find a colour shaper ideal for this. Pastel pencils could also help to indicate thin branches along the way. Shadows will help to show the time of day and a bright area bathed in sunshine always makes my heart sing! A few more leaves floating down before the storms appear and the painting will begin to come to life


Golden Leaves painted in Pastels

If you fancy learning the joys of pastel painting why not sign up for my online course.
 Containing six projects and step by step instructions, a material list and personal feedback.
A perfect gift for the want to be artist

Pastel Online Course

Price £55.00

Sunday 1 November 2015

Autumn Pastel Demonstration



Rydal Water
Stage One 
I started with an under painting using watercolours on a piece of Pastelmat. I'm quite surprised at the effects you can get with this brilliant paper, but a word of warning you don't have much control with the watercolour wash, but this can make happy effects!! My giant cauliflower back run in the front of the lake was one such happy effect!
Once the paper was bone dry I then applied pastel in the background, wanting to give a soft hazing atmosphere on a cool Autumn morning.


Adding the Pastels is such fun and so tactile. Cool Blues and Greens in the middle distance and just a touch more detail. Leaving the front Island of Autumn colour, to take all the glory.


Stage Three
Nearly finished just a few more marks and thinking about the bottom right hand corner.
It's good not to rush!!! I'll let it sit happy on the easel and wait for a thunderbolt moment to strike.

Fancy painting in Pastels?
My six project course with personal feedback will show you everything you need to know.