Stunning Six-Packs, Chalk pastel

Recently I raided the nearest shop display retailer and stocked up on some burly fellows for drawing. Well, bits of burly fellows. 

Sarah M

Anne H - who told her husband she was drawing her perception of him..  aw!

My students rather loved them.. Their drawings are astonishingly good, and I'm really proud of them.
Here are a few examples, in Compressed Charcoal, size A2 on tinted sugar paper.

by Joanna D

By Pat F, a wonderful drawing. 

Tomas R. (clearly, a self portrait..) 

Of course, the temptation to 'wear' the drawings was too great to resist, though (ahem)  I DID try to discourage such frivolity, for gooodness SAKE...!! Here's Carolyn looking very fit (her partner was a little worried that next week she'd be drawing the 'lower half', as Carolyn 'neglected' to mention to him that the model was plastic..

Admittedly, some of them were an astonishly good fit - as Ruth discovered, much to her embarrassment! 

Jeremy, being gorgeous. 

The star of the show was Kathy, who more than amazed herself with her drawing, below. At one point she announced that her man was 'lacking in muscle tone' ( how very worrying), but she soldiered on, with fabulous results. Kathy has only been attending the class, as a complete beginner, for a few weeks.

Kathy L

The chalks used were 'Jakar' Compressed charcoal, which looks like this:

Up and coming - weekend workshops in portrait drawing, oils and drawing. 

Watch out for news of my Summer Drawing Event from 25th August - 5th September with visiting tutors from  Ireland, UK and New York.

If you would like to be on my mailing list for information on workshops, contact
julie@juliedouglas.co.uk

A Muse your muse - Step by step Oil on Canvas 8in x 10in

Sometimes, it's good to take a challenge. It helps enormously who gives you the challenge too. It helps to have a Muse. This can be anyone whose opinion matters to you. Know your muse. Make sure your Muse knows you too (you don't just want someone who agrees with you all the time). Then use your muse. A musingly. 

My Muse asked me to take my favourite broken decoration from the Christmas Tree and paint it with the largest brush I could bear. Ooh, challenge indeed! After pondering the broken fairies and chipped sparkly angels, I chose the Santa who's reindeer had lost its front legs but was valiantly carry Santa nonetheless. I was over ambitious and decided I'd do TWO paintings, but ended up completing just one. The first image shows the one which I abandoned  - this was drawn straight onto oil board, which is smooth, and I laid down a diluted wash of burnt sienna to get the tones down. It looks a bit like a water colour at this stage. Adding tones really helps with balance. 

While that was drying I started drawing another one onto canvas. I knew this would be quicker to paint, but cotton canvas is very rough, so the end result would be chunky not fluid. But for the big-brush-challenge, chunky was fine. I drew it directly onto canvas using a colour pencil, quite freely, as I prefer painting over this than painting over charoal. it's a horrible surface to draw on, so rough that it almost sharpens the pencil as you go along! Detail is not possible. I then bypassed the tonal stage and went straight to colour.

Painting with a big brush had major limitations - I did my best to use the tip of the brush or the side only, or to only pick up paint on one small section of it. But finesse was impossible, and tonal balance and shapes became more important than fine detail. 

The end result is farily rough. But it did the job for me - I needed a kick start to focus myself, and being given a Musey challenge did the job. 

I abandoned the first one, on smooth board, precicely because I didn't NEED the challenge of it any more and have begun some tree paintings instead. 

Kids Day In

One of the (many) wonderful things about children and drawing is their willingness to do it. The younger they are, the more enthusiasm they have. This sometimes begins to wane from about the age of 9, but that is more to do with their own self perception and self criticism (aw) and NEVER about ability, for they (and WE) are all Well Able. 

The cure for re-establishing enthusiasm is Praise, Encouragement and Appreciation of their efforts. If we can keep these three things going, self confidence gets a peep in the door, and the child will blossom once more. And let's face it, it's the Blossoming that we're after here. 

What is also interesting to watch is each individual childs own progression. I don't teach children very often and this handsome young man (above, in his Christmas jumper) hadn't been for about a year. Then he was 6. Now he is 7.. What a difference that has made to his artwork! He drew with real care and attention to detail and was focused and interested for the entire class. Awesome!

The other thing that children do is... LISTEN. Who'd have thought?? One young lady who attends as regularly as possible, went home after her first class and proceeded to explain in great detail to her grandmother (who is a long term, advanced student of mine) exactly how to observe, and how to apply paint... So even when the finished artwork may not SEEM to be the masterpeice you expected, it's just because the hand takes a while to catch up with the brain. They listen and absorb like sponges. 

DELICIOUS! 

For information on classes please email julie@juliedouglas.co.uk

Upcoming - weekly drawing and painting classes, oil workshops, portrait workshops, Drawing workshops and portfolio preparation. 

Why Resolutions don't work, and you won't find any HERE..!!

I've had a look at a few arty blogs in the past couple of days and the theme seems to be 'Resolutions' - and one or two are a bit overwhelmed or unsure of their near-future creative path. Some even mention the Winter Blues. Whatever NEXT?
Well.
I have some thoughts. Resolution is resolving a PROBLEM. There's no problem, you just need to make a DECISION.

Firstly, I don't think resolutions work - even publicly announced ones. Words are only words unless you feeeeeel them. Words are an expression of the feeling, otherwise they are empty. Drawing, painting, being at your desk, being inspired, getting ON with it are personal experiences. Personal and Intimate. No matter how much whooping or shouting from the rafters, no matter how much anticipating or cheering, the Activity, the Action, the Experience (in an ongoing fashion) is Singular. Single Focus. Solitary.

Creativity is NOT instigated through making a resolution on a given date in the year.. (oh, PLEASE...!)

It is NOT a group acitivity. Of course, colliding with creative others (or even just Others) is often wonderful for our creative spirits, and can inject us with enthusiasm - but to take that enthusiasm and translate it into personal creative activity is another thing. A different branch on the same tree, if you like.

Let's stick with trees for our analogy, for I love trees. Creativity is the root of us. The root is embedded, grounded, holding us together. We are Earthed. Ideas are like life blood - they flow up from the roots and burst out the top of our highest branches, scattering the birds in our excitement! Those top branches are free to sway and bend in the breeze, safe because of those big strong roots. And in between is the trunk. Which connects all parts of us together. The little twigs, the branches that grow a bit off-kilter, the leaves and the blossom. Oh yes - we're a tree with flowers and fruits. There are, of course, not too many trees flowering or fruiting on the 1st of January..

Trees don't speak much. Yet, they DO connect with us. They make sounds, creaking and swishing and cracking and groaning. And they are gorgeous. They breathe. They help us breathe.

Creativity does not require words, or a forum. Oh Lord, who invented the Forum?! For me, the act of publicly 'showing' things on forums, while appearing to be laudible, is in fact the kiss of death. If a forum jump-starts you, all to the good. But remember, the jump-start is all we are looking for - NOT the be all and end all answer to All Things. This doesn't mean that I don't think you should join things - there is nothing better than a great class, a great conversation, a great sharing. But if we talk too much, we're merely theorizing, not practicing. We are holding lots of interesting information but not producing anything. To practice gives more matter and enthusiasm to the next conversation. But the conversation is not the point. The point is personal practice.

So. If you've not done as much drawing or painting or poetry writing or whatever your creative choice is recently, then firstly, forgive yourself. It's ok.

If you want to do more, then do more. Start with a small plan. Robert Genn's advice is - Go to your room. That's a great one. Go and sit at your desk and don't leave it. Sooner or later you'll start, even if it's only to relieve the boredom of just sitting there. It might even feel good to be just sitting there.

Busyness - has it occurred to you that perhaps you don't need a routine, but a regime...?! Take no prisoners in the act of getting going.

Focus - this means giving it some serious attention. It means Work. And how fortunate that the more we focus, the harder we work, the more involved we become, the more into it we get. And once we're into it, we're THERE.

Inspiration - this is, I'm afraid, a bit of a Myth. If you wait till you're inspired, you may be waiting a long time. If, however, you decide to do something and start, lo and behold, inspiration will COME! We just have it a bit back to front.

Oh yes, and making a mess is important. Make sure you make a mess. See below..

Go to your desk now. Focus. You have begun.

Here's me writing, blogging and painting two paintings at once.. Of trees!

Merry Christmas! Oil on canvas 8 in x 10 in

I have taken step by step photos of this and will share them in the next post. It's Christmas Eve, and I've a few more carols to sing.

Abundance of... Apples. (water colour leaves, student work)

On Tuesday, I tried  an experiment. My laptop had finally gone on strike (see pic below, all white-screen and no action....) so I wrote a blog post on my phone. This seemed all very sensible, until I checked what folks could see - it was all text and no pictures. Strewth.

The laptop, which was 'charmingly' described as 'aw, sooo retro..', by staff at the Apple Store (it's obviously geriatric at 5 years old, then),  had been telling me for some time that it's a bit tired (though it's used the word 'full'), so it wasn't a total surprise, but a bit sad all the same. It's lived a life,  has been dropped a few times, is rather tinged with charcoal and has a piece of masking tape holding bits of it together, but I love it so. It's like a faithful pet.

I wonder what makes us hang on to the Bitter End with machinery - is it the familiarity of working with it, or the evidence of my life that is stored inside it? I know for sure that when I get a new one, my life will be transformed and I'll wonder why I didn't do it sooner....

... now it's Friday. I've been to the Apple Store (have you got one near you?? Aren't they FABulous?! The leaders in customer service and smiling) I am now in that bridging place, where I'm all tooled up with technology, frightening myself in trying to become familiar with the all-singing-all-dancingness, so not normal service here yet,  I am waiting from the info from sad-laptop to be transferred to the new one, and the only apparently geriatric part is the user (er, that'd be moi).. I'd not be surprised if there's an App here to make my tea. (bag out please).

It's been an awesome Autumn here, with crunchy leaves still on the pavements and the days dry and mild. Here is some golden evidence from the season - a photo from the park and some lovely student water colours.

Ciara C, student

Linda B, student

Carolyn G, student

Liz C, student

Geraldine B, student

Up coming - oil painting workshops, Christmas vouchers for classes, and booking being taken for weekly classes from January. For info email julie@juliedouglas.co.uk

(and please be patient, in the light of my technology-challenges!) or call

0044-7730 560517

Conkers, drawing and water colour, student work

This year was a good year for conkers. That means the trees were heavily laden, and that lots of conkers had prickly spikes. In wetter years there are fewer conkers, with no spikes,  which makes them less interesting to paint.

If you're a compulsive collector of natural things, like me, you get to know where nature performs well, so you can revisit frequently.. I am blessed that there is a conker tree at the bottom of my own garden - it kind of doesn't get better than that..

Collecting conkers can be a messy business. Lots of climbing and scrabbling in undergrowth..

(son scrabbling under the tree.. )

My students did so many wonderful drawings and paintings of conkers that I haven't room to put them all here, but I'll show you a selection. If you would like to see more student work, I am having an Open Studio in a couple of weeks, so email me and I'll send you an invitation. I am displaying portfolios of their works in progress, showing how students have progressed in their learning journey.

Nisa, student

Pat F, student

Glynis M, student - showing the benefit of attending two classes in one week, and drawing the subject twice. It really pays off to do things more than once. She did the pencil study at the bottom first, then the water colour.

Geraldine B, adding some colour pencil to the water colour.

Judith G, a lovely drawing and only her 3rd class!

Sarah B, student

Caroline, who has forgotten temporarily how much pain was involved in producing her lovely drawing..!

Going nutty! Sweet Chestnuts, Colour Pencil

Recently I received a lovely commission - the client wanted to buy a drawing I had done previously of a conker, and asked for a sweet chestnut 'to match'.  Fortunately, she asked at just the right time of year, for the autumn was getting itself ready to produce seeds, so I spent some time walking and driving around looking for trees. Eventually - after many miles across the city, which turned out not to have many Sweet Chestnut trees at all (as opposed to Horse Chestnut trees, which produce what we call Conkers) - I happened upon two fine specimens, right on my own road...! 

The next problem was that the chestnuts were quite high up, and none had fallen. But I had a deadline, I couldn't simply wait. So... after dark my son and I took the dog for a walk, and brought along a big bag, and the loppers. He climbed up the tree and bent the branches down, and I managed to 'release' one or two which just happened to fall into my bag... Except, there's a better one, 'lop', ooh, and another over there, 'lop'.. Until the bag was filled. All the shells were tightly closed, and it was difficult prizing them open - it was as if they were glued shut, until they were ready to come out. I got into them eventually so that I could show some of the nuts in the drawing.

It was a very challenging subject, made harder because the size needed to match the conkers I had drawn previously. Mark my words, I wished I'd drawn the original conker larger! Getting those incredible spikes had my eyes crossed sometimes. 

I could only manage a few hours per sitting as the prickles were mind boggling. In all the artwork took around 25 hours. Yikes! I got a lovely thank you letter from the client - it was a special birthday present, and the conkers and chestnuts had a personal, special meaning. It is such an honour to contribute to people through artwork, and I'm always relieved when the recipient is happy!

The light during the autumn is very variable, sometimes shadows are colourful and strong, other times very weak. Strong in the drawing above, weaker and more 'diluted' below.

A week later when I was walking the dog I stopped in my tracks... There, under the same tree, the ground was covered with chestnuts, as if someone had pushed a switch making the whole lot fall at once, with ALL the shells opened, naturally. Sheesh!

Of course, by then I was addicted, and filled my bag, again... And leaves, oh my goodness, the LEAVES...

Up coming courses - weekly drawing and painting courses, portfolio guidance workshops, oil painting workshop. For info email julie@juliedouglas.co.uk

The art of refreshment

A poem, to Tea.

Fruity-bag-in
Fruity-bag-out
Lemon-and-ginger-bag-in
Lemon-and-ginger-bag-out
Minty-bag-in
Fruity-bag-in-no-OUT!
Green tea
Weak black tea
BUILDERS, bag OUT!!
Er... can I have coffee? With sugar...?

Such are the requests at tea time around my table. It used to be that a cup of tea was a cup of tea. Sometimes with sugar, sometimes without milk. But over the years, the herbal and fruity teas have become more popular, and in most of my classes, its rarer to have 'normal' tea. In this part of the woods, a good strong cup of tea is known as Builders Tea - you'd nearly have to mash the bag. For the builder-tea drinker, the notion of leaving the bag IN is beyond imagination..! And it's got that some of the coffee drinkers feel embarrassed to ask for coffee..

Refreshment, whatever the preference, is an important part of the drawing process. A regular break gives time for the eye to look away from the board, meaning you can look at things more freshly when you return. The walk to the kettle is good for stretching the body. My students don't get to put the kettle on (I do it for them!) so they indulge in some shoulder-rolling instead. The tea arrives and a slight break from the work arrives with it - and even though most people don't actually stop working, the cup sitting there is a small comfort, as well as a time-guide as to how far into the session we are. 

On water colour sessions, someone usually dips their brush in the cup in leau of the water jar (it's a little known fact that a tea cup is actually a MAGNET for brushes). 

After all sessions, there are those who haven't remembered to actually drink the tea as they were so absorbed in their work. Fortunately, no one has been tempted to drink from their water jar, even when the water has become temptingly fruity-coloured.. 

Water colour, Belfast

Possibly the happiest class.... in the world? I think so.

The most interesting thing about it is that my classes are actually rather DIFFICULT. Students spend a lot of time Observing, rubbing out, altering and changing their minds, which makes them look pretty grumpy at times, take my word for it. Rosaleen, on the right here, is the world expert on sighing, or announcing, "I hate this..."  Yet a short while later will exclaim how she LOVES it, and in spite of the pain, everyone decides that was the most relaxing thing they've done for ages.

How can that be?

When something is taxing and difficult we have to focus on it completely, at the expense of all other thought. Once we settle our minds and begin to properly focus (as opposed to quietly panic), true learning begins and real understanding grows. It is this focus which makes the 'pain' enjoyable, and it is the growing which makes us a little bit addicted. If you are simply copying someone elses work, you don't get it. The striving and observing is the creative part, and THAT'S what makes the world go round!