Hello Spring!

My most recent online art class challenged students to come up with something that represented the welcoming of spring and the waving of a metaphorical goodbye to winter. I asked them to include some spring flowers alongside something that represented their winter. Pictured here is my demonstration painting, for which I chose to paint a…

Food & Drink in Lockdown III

I was recently perusing the list of themes for Grayson Perry’s upcoming new series of his ‘Art Club’, the first series of which last year I found very inspiring. In search of new subjects with which to challenge my art group, I thought one of these themes (though spoiled for choice really) – ‘food’ –…

Painting the Winter through a Parental Haze

A demonstration for Heswall Artists Association this Saturday provided my first opportunity for an extended painting session since the arrival of our baby Robin. Though feeling significantly rusty after a 2 month layoff, struggling to concentrate fully after several sleep-deprived weeks, and making by no means one of my finest paintings, it was hugely enjoyable…

Painting: a Battle of Wills

This morning I attempted to demonstrate ‘Landscape Painting in Acrylics’ to a lovely, friendly group of amateur painters in Wallasey. This demonstration was made more than a little challenging by a competing crafting group in the adjacent room, the intense volume of whose chatter made my attempts to engage my audience in a riveting and…

Beyond the Madness

I was asked last month to make a painting demonstration for a group of non-artists. Given a challenging time limit of not much over half an hour in which to complete the demonstration I unwisely chose too complex a subject – chrysanthemums in a glass vase. My approach to the early stages of painting can…