Some more little stars!

Here are some more of the children who had a go at the encaustic art yesterday.Andy and Mathew had a great time and did some lovely pics.

Next we had Harriet who is being watched by little brother George. Harriet chose the pinks to do her first painting, she returned a short time later to have another go-this time using reds and yellows.

Beautiful Sunset

Ive managed to get some interesting shots of tonights sunset-for the second time in a week, Bill has jumped in the car and taken me camera in hand as we tryed to get to a good place to catch the sun as it goes down behind the hills! We almost made it tonight, got some interesting shots that will make for a good painting when I get time to do it!

Path Through The Birch Trees

Ive just signed the contract to allow the film director John-Paul Kelly who has bought the "Path Through The Birch Trees" painting to use it on film sets!

It will be interesting to see if we ever spot them in any films or TV programs.

He will be hiring them out to different set designers, so they could turn up anywhere!!!

Latest Poppy

Ive finaly finished the ''Red Poppy'', I have added the wax centres to all of the 4 canvas and they have had their first coat of varnish.
The colour is absolutly vibrant now they have had the varnish, you can see all the different shades of reds clearly.
The only problem with painting the red poppies is getting decent photos of them-they tend to come out orangey rather than red!
I am very please with the effect of the lava rock paint that I used just outside of the wax cenres-it looks just like pollen-very effective.You can see me adding the melted wax with my special tool in th photo.
They will get another coat of varnish today and the final one tomorrow.

Sundorne WI--- Wed 2nd April

After a busy start to the week getting work on a commission nearly finished, we had a trip to the other side of Shrewsbury to Sundorne WI.
The letter sent when booking stated that they met at "The Lantern"
Unusual I commented to Bill-they meet in a pub!
When we followed the directions to The Lantern we found it was not a pub but a community centre!!
It was packed when we arrived, and we set up at the back of the room while their meeting went on.
They turned their chairs around watched my demo -there were a few questions but mainly it was silent!!!.
I finished the first painting in record time-Winter Wonderland was finished in less than 15 mins-and I was stopping to talk as well as painting!
There were many comments when I carried the painting round after I had finished it, -a lot of people said "its the first time Ive seen an oil painting that looks fantastic close up as well as at a distance"
When I started the second painting "Summer Day" it was even quieter-again I finished in record time.
Joan won the 'Winter Wonderland' painting and I donated the 'Summer Day ' painting to the WI to use for raising funds for their chosen charity.
I am conscious that all of the WI and art groups that have booked me to demonstrate all have to pay for the room that they meet in by the hour, so if my demo goes on for too long they have to pay out more money for the room, so I have to keep it as short but imformative as possible.
So my demos range from 60 mins to 120 mins depending on their circumstances!
There are lots of interested ladies in Sundorne WI that will be coming to a class.
I have 3 ladies from Hadnall WI coming again to class tomorrow.
This will be their 3rd time.
I also have one of the WI members neighbours booked for a class at their home for 6 people! Its all go at the moment!

Class For June 21st "Summer Day"

Back by very popular demand 'Summer Day' is one of the most popular paintings that we do in class.
The changes can be rung in many different ways and it is always very successful even with first time students.
The painting always turns out different in every class-as usual!
Each person interprets what I show and tell them in the step by step sections differently.
Each person will paint their sky different to the next person , as with the sea and the beach, when it comes to doing the foreground flowers, its lovely to see the confidence emerging from even first time artists as they paint a variety of flowers from poppies to daisies.
If you would like to join this class please get in touch via the website
www.paintingmyway.co.uk

Sundays Craft Fair

After the awful weather on Saturday and during the night we were not sure whether we would be going to do the Craft market or not until we woke up and saw what the weather looked like on Sunday morning.
After losing an hour's sleep with the clocks going on the last thing we wanted was to start unloading and getting soaked!
However the morning was bright and the sky was blue, so we decided to chance it.I'm so glad we did.
We had a lovely day, several of my students called by to see us for a chat too which was lovely.
One of them ,Kay took the opportunity to book up for another 2 classes.
Chris and Pauline who had attended yesterdays class,also booked up for May too.
It stayed lovely and sunny all day, there was a steady stream of visitors to Ludlow,and some locals were mooching too.
All in all we had a good day, we seem to get quicker setting up the stall-we were done by 9am.Its been as late as 10.30 sometimes but we have got it off to a fine art now!
We know how many paintings we can fit on the stands and roughly where they will go.
I like to have all the class subjects together so I can explain to potentual students the sort of thing they will be able to paint when they come to class.Then all the other paintings, that I dont teach can be displayed together.It works very well, but I leave the hanging of them to Bill-he gets them up nice and straight--unlike me!

Yorkshire Student

I have a new student coming to Ludlow next month all the way from Yorkshire.
Joyce is travelling down by train to Ludlow to attend my advanced students class and also to have some one to one sessions.
I have found her some great accommodation at a nearby B+B.
I will be collecting Joyce from the station on the Friday she arrives.
We will be doing a one to one here on Friday evening, and sorting out the painting supplies she wants to buy-brushes etc.
Saturday she is joining the class at our usual venue and then on Sunday and Monday she will be having a one to one with subjects of her own choice.
We are really looking forward to meeting her.

I have students coming to me from all over the country these days,most of them find me through word of mouth or via the website.
The feedback suggests that being able to see the results that students have achieved in my classes via the photos on the snaps pages on the www.paintingmyway.co.uk site goes a long way.
They can see REAL PEOPLE with REAL PAINTINGS-Its one of the highlights of the class to get everyone lined up with their masterpieces for the photos to be taken, everyone goes home and checks that Ive got the photos on the site.They then call all the distant relatives and faraway friends to have a look too!
When I check my stats each evening I can see whos been looking at the site and whose relatives have had the call!!
Very interesting stuff!

Todays Class"African Dream"

I decided to take 3 different paintings to the class today. All using the same colours, all on the same theme.
All very contemporary paintings,I wanted to see how everyone would interpret what they saw, and boy was it interesting!!!!.
After having 2 last minute cancellations and having just 5 in class I couldn't wait to get started on African Dream.
Only one student-Colette wanted to do the painting on an 'upright' canvas-everyone else wanted to do the landscape one .
While we were painting Bill framed Oliver's and Colette's Summer Day painting from the last class.
It was such an interesting class to do--acrylic is sooo different to oil to use-and everyone who attended today had used oil with me.
Everyone interpreted the paintings differently today. Mandy got her first coat of paint on her canvas and it looked brilliant, didn't really need a second coat!
Everyone else let their first coat dry and then built up the layers afterwards.This was the time to take out the brush strokes, and add more definition of distant hills etc!
After we all sat down, having a cup of tea and coffee, away from the pics we all were able to pick up different things in the paintings-for example-Mandy didn't need to do anymore to her painting-it was great as it was!
Jan's needed a little water in front of it(sent Bill home for the special interference paint to do the water-good job its only a few hundreds yards away from the room!)
Barbra made a beautiful job of her painting but we all felt a little water in the front of her painting would enhance it also-so she added some too!!
Then after sitting down and looking at his pic--Oliver wanted some water in the foreground too.
They all used the gold and red interference paint and what a difference it made, shame it dosent show up in the paintings-they all look a lot redder than in real life.
Unfortunatly none of the pictures show up as good in the photos as they really are!
Its always the way with the red and orange paint, it just dosent photograph well!!
.
Had a lovely suprise when I got back after the class--''Acacia Tree'' has sold!
Bill had given it the final coat of varnish this morning, so it will be ready to post on Tuesday Morning for delivery on Wdnesday.
All of my paintings get 3 coats of varnish to protect them.
All my work is copyrighted with www.protectmywork.com

Carole's Paintings

Carole has been painting by herself at home and bought along the 3 paintings shown above to show everyone in the class.She has made a beautiful job of them and Bill framed the one seaside scene for her in a matching frame.It set it off beautifully.
It has taken Carole a little while to get enough self confidence to have go at home, but she said coming to the advanced class helped her a lot.
I have only one place left now in the advanced class on April 12th and no other spaces in other classes other than the Winter Wonderland one on Easter Saturday March 22nd.

Mandy's Summer Day

Today Mandy came to do her one to one. She had chosen to do "Summer Day".
This painting is one of the most popular ones that I do.
We had a real laugh while painting.We had time to chat about loads of things-I gave her loads of websites to look at-some to get art materials and some for more general things.All in all a great day!
She has booked up another 7 classes for the near future, so that means that I only have space now in the "Winter Wonderland" Painting which is Saturday March 22nd --which is Easter weekend.
I will work on new class subjects and dates tomorrow and publish them on here and my website asap as I know there are many of you waiting to see what is planned!!!

Todays Class

We had a great day today. It was held at a new venue in Telford.--thank you Sharleen and Dennis .
We were able to have all the brush strokes projected onto a big screen for everyone to see as they were being done.
We had some very nervous 1st timers with us today! Amanda, Michelle and Sue had never painted before and were quite frankly scared to death!!
All were convinced they wouldnt be able to do it, so the big white canvas was very nerve racking for them all!!
As soon as we started putting the black paint onto the canvas they all started to settle down, and they all did some beautiful paintings.
I had told everyone that they could go back to being a child again when painting this painting--we started off with natural sponges and ended up splattering paint at the canvas--all of which has everyone laughing.
To the do the detail at the end of the foxgloves we used encaustic wax and a special heated pen-something no-one has ever experienced before--everyone agreed it was the mosy marvelous tool, and everyone was amazed at the difference it made to their painting!
I recieved a call tonight from Michelle who wanted to book another 3 classes. She said her son and daughter didnt belive that she had painted the picture when she had taken it home!!
It is such an ego boost for people when they take their paintings home and they get comments like that!!! I am sure they all got the same reaction when they took them home!
I think Amanda is the furthest travelled student I have have had--she lives in St Lucia--lucky thing--but she is coming again to the Stormy Skies class.
The classes are getting booked up very quickly,so if there is a painting you want to paint---- please book it sooner rather than later,as the places go very quickly,having a max of just 7 students in a class .

Summer Day Walk

This is the latest in my "Summer Day" series of paintings.
Tranquil and calm, the poppies and daisies lining the meandering pathway down to the beach, are bobbing gently in the sea breeze.This painting can be framed in a matching lightwood frame for an additional £15.
It would make a great Valentines Day gift for a loved one.
I always post my paintings by special delivery, so they are recieved the next day.They are also insured and trackable.
The Summer Day Walk is £120 including P+P in UK-if you are outside Uk please get in touch.

2nd Feb Class--Poppy Fields

We had great fun today in the Poppy Field Class.
I was a bit worried last night when I saw the weather forcast-snow snow and more snow! As 3 of my students were travelling a fair distance from Northampton I wasnt sure if the class would be able to go ahead if the weather was bad. The other 2 students were coming from Leominster and Bishops Castle.
However-everyone arrived safely and we started more or less on time.
There was the usual nerves to start with--the first timers---Chris, joan and Maureen were all a bit on edge -not knowing what to expect.They soon settled down after the initial bashing and tickling of the canvas!!
It was interesting to see both Cheryl and Maureen turn their canvas upside down in order to paint the grasses background-both said it was much easier than doing it the other way round.Ive no problem with it-as I told them-if they find it easier to do it upside down thats fair enough!!
The canvas got turned up the right way to paint the poppies and cornflowers. The class went very quiet at times while the flowers were being painted-so much concentration was required, there was a lot of debate about where to place the poppies.
Then after they were done, it was sugested that a few daisies would look good too, so I showed everyone how to do them.It was amazing as always to see just how different all the paintings are in the end.
The palette at the top of the page belongs to Chris--he ended up using mine as he had run out of space to put any new paint.Its not quite as colourful as Jacks was the other week though!!

The signing of the pics turned out to be very interesting too--Joan painted a little ladybird bug in the corner of her painting instead of a signiture,Cheryl painted her sig then wiped it out and put a little mouse charactor there instead.
Maureen was really nervous about spoiling her pic but managed a good signing in the end!
Everyone enjoyed them selves, and agreed that it had been a lot easier than expected, and a lot more laid back.
The classes are always very ''easy on''
We learnt that Chris is a proffesional chef who is creating his own Pate as a business--we are looking forward to trying some out.When asked if he made any low calorie Pate he replyed "not the way I make it" must say Im looking forward to trying some!!

As we were packing up after the class a gentleman came in and asked all about the classes, he had seen all the comings and goings over the past few months, as he lives near the room we use-- and Greg will be joining us for Emerald Woods in May.

Next weeks Birch Tree Walk class in Telford is fully booked-as is the Oriental Dawn class the week after on Feb 16th.I have one space for the Frosty Reflections on March 1st, the African Dream class on March 8th is full.
I am advising people to book up as soon as possible for classe subjects they want to do, as places are taken very quickly. I may have to start holding classes midweek in order to fit everyone in--could do with 2 saturdays in a week now!!!!!
One for new students and one for returning students!!!!!!
I only have 6 people in a class in order to keep instruction to individuals as detailed as possible.

Saturday 3rd May--"Emerald Woods"

This painting of the sunlight breaking through the tree's in'emerald woods'has proved very popular in the past.
It is suitable for all ages and abilities including first timers.
If you want to join this class please get in touch with me via
www.paintingmyway.co.uk

19TH April --Stormy Skies

This is the subject for Saturday 19th April--"Stormy Skies is suitable for all ages and abilities-very atmospheric painting and its amazing that that 2 colours are used in this work.
Black and white paint are blended to make every shade of grey to create this work.Its a great exercise in tonal painting.
If you would like to join this class, please get in touch via
www.paintingmyway.co.uk

Sat 26th Class

First of all a big "GET WELL SOON" to Sharleen, who couldn't make it today due to the dreaded lurgy that has been doing the rounds.

We had our 2 regulars Jack and Yvonne and 2 new students Colette and Bill today.

Both of the new students admitted to being very nervous-this was soon forgotten as they got used to using brushes to bash and tickle the paint on the box canvas!!

As you can see , Jack got down on his knees to paint his daisies-this is a regular occurrence among students, they get in all sorts of positions to do different parts of their painting!!

I did ask Jack to say one for me while he was down there!!!!!!!

Everyone soon settled down and relaxed after putting in the sky-its a bit daunting putting paint onto a big white canvas for the first time, and today was no exception--Bill admitted that his arm was stiff from nerves and tension at the beginning!

We had several breaks when we all looked at each others pictures and were surprised at the differences in them.

I find the secret of it is to be able to stand away from the easel's all the time to be able to see what has been painted.

If you are sat down at the easel, its hard to see what you have done properly,being able to keep standing away from the picture makes all the difference.!

Towards the end of the class, Colettes husband turned up and was amazed at the results-he couldn't get over the standard reached first time of painting a picture!

I showed everyone how to paint daisies and poppies and gave them all the option of doing one or both on their paintings, as well as doing a walk down to the beach instead of a row of foliage and flowers across the bottom of the canvas as in the original Summer Day pic.

We will be seeing both Bill and Colette again soon, as well as Jack and Yvonne.

The frames ordered will be ready for the next class too.

Although they have recently gone up to £12 each they still represent great value for money, the box canvas that we work on are very deep and you would be hard pressed to find frames to fit these at under £25 normaly.

Thanks to Dave The Frame who supplies Painting My Way with the frames.

Cancer Research Donation

I have had an enjoyable few days-apart from having a streaming cold---painting some variations on Caroles picture that she painted at the weekend at the Advanced class.

I have painted this picture in order to raise money for Cancer Research.
Cancer has touched many peoples lives in one way or another, and I hope that this painting will raise at least £180 for the cause.
This oil painting called "Foxglove Dream"is done onto a high quality Loxley Gold deep edge canvas measuring 10in wide x 24in long.
The painting continues on all 4 sides of the canvas so it does not require framing.
The photographs do not do this picture justice, it is much brighter in real life.
The foxgloves are quite detailed, and lighter than they appear in the pics.
I will take some more close up pictures tomorrow when the light is better!!

It will (or should be) dry enough to post in around 3 weeks, it can be delivered in time for St Valentines Day-I only use special delivery for paintings.
It is next day delivery,insured and trackable.
Please note that this work is copyrighted and logged with www.protectmywork.com

New Home

We have spent the day helping my daughter Beckie and her boyfriend Wayne to move house-the weather was better than forcast-thank goodness.
They have worked very hard to get it as they want it-every room had to be decorated, it has been painted white all through-though it dosent look white on this photo of Beckie in her new front room!
Im sure they will be very happy in their new home and we wish them all the best for the future.

Ashford And Caynham WI

We had a lovely turn out on Wednesday night, the hall was packed with interested people.As you can see from the photo, there was an interesting backdrop on the stage, a painted scene of mountains!

I started the night with a demonstration on a black canvas--using transparent blue paint ,I started painting on the canvas--of course no one could see anything until I started putting on the white paint---then there were lots of oohhs and aaaahhhhs as it quickly developed into a snow scene.Using the same brushes but this time on a white canvas I painted the ever popular Summer Day painting.This is one of the most popular painting's that I do in class, and it always goes down well at the demos too.

Ann Tyler won the raffle and she chose" Summer Day"--she has just moved into the area from the seaside and she said it reminded her of where she had lived.

I donated "Winter Wonderland" to the WI to use for raising money for their chosen charity.