Watercolour Challenge

Hi O ,
I painted exclusively on silk for about three years .
It's a wonderful medium .
My latest craze is pen and wash .
I often return to it .

Esmay I've only painted on silk a couple of times. I'd love to do it again as i really enjoy it.

I agree with you about someone's art having a distinctive style. I felt bad saying it, but I think a lot of people do recognize someone from their work.

Its hard to take photos of art in frames. I found that when I took part in an exhibition. Haven't done that for a few years even though the opportunities are there. It's a lot of effort carting things around. One of mine that I exhibited last time is very heavy and now I don't even know where it is! (Somewhere in the house...)

Mostly I just paint and it goes in a huge drawer. I have too many paintings. Sometimes I don't finish and go back to them years later.

Yes, if only everyone made art and did crafts there would be no wars!

Hi Whiff ,

I've also painted on silk - one of my favourite styles .
You can achieve great subtlety with the colours .

My art has really been on hold looking after my father .
At the moment , I'm trying to create an arts space in his extremely cluttered house .

Last year , I tried to have some of my work photographed -but was loath to take it out of the frames . The photographs of my smaller pieces aren't good .

To be honest , my style is distinctive and I prefer to remain anonymous !

Keep painting !

If the World concentrated its energies on art - it would be a far better place !

That's great your friend doesn't mind Whiff and that you don't mind. I agree its very beneficial to create.

I am a lot more private because I've shared my art in other places online before and since I came to GN and I try to keep my online identities separate so I can stay truly anonymous here.

Yes I understand and I don't feel mine is perfect either, but being creative and losing yourself is the main thing. Sometimes I just do exercises to keep my hand in. Other times it flows into something useful. I just keep an open mind and go with the flow.

Onward my friends don't mind me sharing there work. Like I don't mind them showing my work to others. My sister in law does beautiful needle felting she had MS but fines it helps her . Crafts of all sorts or interest in going to exhibitions takes you out of yourself because you concentrate on whatever you are doing or seeing. Crafts of all types can help your physical and mental health. And you end up with something lovely at the end . But as all crafters and artists we are never happy with our work. My friends at gel printing and my craft group are the same . People see beautiful things but I know where the faults are in my work. 🤦

No but I've read a lot about her. Interesting!

Did anybody see the 3 parter recently on the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo? Fascinating.

Art history is interesting Esmay I am reading a book called Matisse/Picasso but it's quite thick and I've been doing it in bits. It examines the crucial relationship between Matisse and Picasso. The introduction explains the way in which the work of each artist both inspired and often provoked the other. The illustrations of the paintings and sculptures are grouped in sections, each accompanied by an introductory text, with the intention of demonstrating evidence of artistic encounters between Matisse and Picasso over the course of their careers. In fact later in life Picasso himself stated that time would show that he and Matisse had been following very similar paths during the years that had established their individual artistic supremacy.

Your friend's paintings are lovely Whiff, but I feel slightly uncomfortable looking at them in case she may not know they are posted here? ( only because I would be unhappy if one of my friend's posted my work on here, as it's meant to be anonymous and people can be identified by their painting style)

These days, images can be stolen and used unscrupulously or through AI. I've seen it happen to many of my artist friends, so I am over careful about things like this and probably really unlikely to post my work here. IF someone does post a finished art work online, it's always wise to have photos of each stage so you can prove ownership if the art is stolen or used without your consent.

Last night I dabbled a bit, nothing conclusive but some ideas I had that may or may not develop into something. Due to illness I'm forced to stay inside the home a lot at the moment and would love to be using this time to be artistically productive , except Im really tired and not got the mental energy.

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Here is some of her work the 20's flapper is my favourite.

Esmay you sound as if you have surrounded you with art. You say you aren't a professional artist does than mean you do paint but as a hobby. If so would love to see your work. I have a friend who paints on silk as a hobby by goes to an art group as she says she to messy to do it at home. But her work is beautiful . I will ask her to take some pics if you would like to see. One of my craft friends goes to as an art group . I will look for a couple of her paintings and post them here .

Hi Whiff ,
As I don't earn my living from Art I don't consider myself a professional artist .
I have studied it and done many courses and taught it .
I enjoy history of art enormously .

That's good Whiff, very positive! I haven't joined a class as Im hoping it will pass soon so I can get back to work. I'm just doing exercises at home to keep fit as best as I can at the moment.

I know what you mean though as I struggled to even use the commode when I was in hospital. I seem to be healing gradually.

Hope you all have a lovely day

Onward I go to a sit fit class people think it's a soft option but you no doubt like me have a proper workout. Our instructor always says after 60 are you ok to stay a bit longer so class lasts 70-75 mins you get your £5 worth. But we always wait for our slowest member especially in the sit to sat exercise. Which helped me when I couldn't get off the loo at the hospital. I used the normal loo instead of the disabled one. And couldn't get off . So thought I would try otherwise I would have to have phone the hospital.

Sorry OP turned your thread in a different direction.

Esmay are you an artist?

Lovely work Ijustwantpeace2020 and framed too! I must admit all mine are in a large drawer and I don't know how to frame art properly.

Id share my recent ones but they are of my pets and it would be outing.

I admire your outlook Whiff. I know that exercise is great for a feel good factor. I am lifting weights and doing sitting down exercises at the moment due to an illness but drawing and painting is always a wonderful head break. Having something beautiful and being fitter is so positive.

I think in life there are things we can't change, but there are always things we can do that will bring us joy.

Onward thank you.

Ijustwant peace your pictures are beautiful. I love poppies and yours looks so real . You are very talented. Do you still go to classes? As I think people would learn from you . I know in my gel printing class I am learning from our teacher but one of the class is very talented and all her feelings go into her art . We are disabled with different neurological conditions and it's therapy for us.

I started cross stitching because of the stress of looking after my mom with cancer and dementia plus the grief from my husband dieing I just loose myself in my work.

I think crafts and exercise are a relief from any stresses in your life for a while . And you end up with something beautiful and fitter.

They are lovely Ijustwantpeace I love the shine on the strawberry.

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I went to watercolour art classes after I retired and stopped when covid hit. I’ve turned a spare room into a small studio so I can paint when I feel like it without the hassle of getting it all out and having to put it all away again. Here’s 3 of mine.

Thanks for sharing your work Whiff, looks very cool and therapeutic , lovely textures!
I believe "process over product", which means it's more important to lose yourself in your work and the best thing is being free to make mistakes because those often lead to a happy accident! I have not tried gel printing, but used to do lino cutting.
The best thing is being creative. I have drawer full's of paintings which mostly do not see the light of day haha. Somewhere in the midst of all the creating , I might get a happy accident! The main thing is to find your joy and lose yourself in creation and that's precious.

Some of my attempts which are iffy🤣🤣🤣

I love watercolour challenge. I also liked the programme with Fern Britton on BBC can't remember if that was also called watercolour challenge or not but it was good.

I tried water colouring and went to class over 20 years ago and was hopeless. But 4 weeks ago started gel printing class and love it I am a bit hit and miss with it but am proud of this I did yesterday. Did it on copy paper first and then used canvas for the first time. My usual craft is cross stitch my work and others are on the cross stitch thread very talented stitches there.

Well this is my work.

I watched this years ago when off work after a hip replacement. All good until one episode where they were painting a lovely scene - a church , trees. etc - something like that and the winner was a woman who had merely coloured in several squares to express how the scenery made her feel. I nearly threw my walking sticks through the telly !!!

Thank you, I loved this programme. Will be watching

I love going with the flow in watercolour painting.

One day I'd like to learn to oil paint as I've never had the confidence to try.

Thanks

Thanks for the heads up, a definite watch for me. I dabble with watercolour, I'm a beginner really but I find it very adaptable and very absorbing.