New Abstract Workshop--results!

I  decided that we would have a trial run on small canvas today before the main event! Using transparent paints in the main,.everyone had great fun deciding what they wanted on their main painting! Not every idea was taken to the bigger scale but it was very interesting to see what worked and what was changed.

Rob used swirls and lines in his first painting,,

Dawn used more opaque colours--I wasn't sure if it would work as well--but it did--very well...the title of this one was "Love is Complicated"

Jenny's first painting reminded us all of a spider web and a seashell...

Irene was doing her painting for her daughter-she had a cushion with the colours to match the room it was to be hung in and a request that it used the swirls pattern and not the lines!

Terry used the swirls to start with on the practise piece..but decided to use another idea on the main canvas!

WOW--you can see how the paintings developed here-all so different-you couldn't predict it at all!

Loved Dawns painting--bold colours-its hard to see the detail in any of the photos--she used the wiping out tool to go back to the black canvas in places..

I'm sure that Irene's daughter will love this painting..I should have taken a photo of the cushion that was used as a base for the painting...its just a perfect match!

Jenny's painting was really vibrant--the hexagon shape lends itself to the abstract subject-she had the lines weaving in and out perfectly!

Robs painting looked brilliant-he painted it to look like the solar system-which it did! Terry used some dry brush techniques that made the finished painting look like embossed velvet-the colours and texture just don't show up on here...all in all a brilliant day --everyone really enjoyed it--we all joked that we don't know what a phycharists would make of the different paintings,,but all agreed it was great fun and very interesting to do--I will be setting another date for April 2014 for this subject..we will do a small painting on a canvas 10in x 8in to start so you can get a feel for the paints,canvas and what sort of end result you want! It really was great fun and I will look forward to doing this one again !

Durham Break

We had a lovely short break in Durham from Sunday -Wednesday..We were able to go and see our lovely little grandaughters  Hollie and Lucie who live nearby. They are growing up so quickly..

They loved their pressies we took them..looking forward to seeing them down here in Oct..

We went to the Beamish Museum on the Monday--the weather was beautiful...perfect for looking around! Its much bigger than expected though-good job there are regular trams and buses to take you to each section! You really need all day to go round here, so much going on!

So much to see and do there..

making bread..

This reminded me of my Granny Sankeys back bedroom...she had a bed just like this one--complete with the pot under the bed!

the 'smalls' or should that be the 'larges' lol drying by the fire!

the old privvie

loved the little porky pigs sunbathing in the sty's

On the way home we stopped by at The Angel Of The North--we have been by it many times with no time to stop so it was great to be able to go up close to it and see it...

We were not very impressed with our accommodation--at The Bay Horse, Brandon ---the carpet was filthy, the springs had gone in the sofa and the wall lights didn't work--also the electric sockets didn't work...glad we didn't pay the full price for it....but left appropriate review on Tripadvisor..shame it had great potential..

k

Lavender Lake Workshop

This little boy stole every ones hearts today.8 year old .Luke came along with his Mum and Dad...he was a little star and sorted out all my leaflets and business cards that had fallen off the shelf in the van.Thanks Luke!

We met Harriet on Thursday evening at the demo I did at Morville chapel...she seemed to find it quite easy and followed my directions to the letter..

Anne was painting with me for the 4th time..she always seems very relaxed and gets on with it!

Derek loves coming to the workshops--he has quite a journey bless him...although he has Parkinson's he manages quite well to follow my directions and create a beautiful painting--he recently won first prize at a local show with one of his paintings "Serenity"

Martin was with me for the 2nd time--

It was lovely to see Christina again--she has had a very busy time of it with 2 daughters getting married recently!

Luke was a star pupil...he made a few decisions all on his own--he wanted a fence all the way across the canvas and he decided to put his full moon peeping out from behind his big cloud!

Martin adding his finishing touches..

We had some lovely shaped ponds today--all irregular which can be quite hard to do..

Harriet is adding a few bushes here..

getting the fence in...

Nearly finished Derek!

The happy artists!

Luke with his masterpiece!

I love it when artists come up with their own original ideas--and Martin added a crack in the ice on the pond! We all laughed it would have been better if there had been an arm and a hand sticking out from it!

Demo At Melville

We had a very local demo to do last night for a change! We had a lovely trip over to Melville Chapel just over Clee Hill..a beautiful sunset on the way!

My easel got set up so everyone could see...

adding the finishing touches to The Waterfall

watching intently....

nearly finished!

Winners of the raffle--Harriet on the right is coming to the workshop tomorrow...