Six Weeks

Six weeks in the course and the improvements are clearly visible. Students gaining more confidence and finding there own artistic direction.

Enjoy viewing the artworks!

Working Outside

Last Friday we took the opportunity to work out side at The Louis Joel Arts Centre. With some rain earlier in the morning it turned out to be a beautiful day. With a great garden to use for inspiration, the students set out to work on the deck. Included are some of the finished results while others are still in the progress.

Again some very nice results this week from our mentored and beginners group.

This week the beginners tackled for the first time a subject of interest.

Scary for some, easier for others.

After learning the basics of using watercolour, the absolute basics, the task was to draw and paint a simple flower, piece of fruit, leafs, etc. Keeping the sketch fine, but detailed, the students are then putting on the first layer of water colour.

It is important not to go overboard with the choice of subject and choose something that is within your capabilities but also will challenge your skills, to be able to go forward. Being patient is important and realising that good work takes time. At this stage it is good to experiment and take some risks, not very often you would make the same mistake twice!

Mentored Group

In view are some artworks that our mentored students have produced recently.

Thinking that the majority started less then 6 months ago, with no or little experience, the outcome is pretty amazing.

Confidence comes with time and although some would love to produce master pieces after a few lessons, you need to learn to have patience. Take it step by step and every week you will gain more experience. Study the masters! Think about how they would have tackled a certain object.

Also great to see is the personal style of each student they are developing. In my eyes it is extremely important to find your way of working with the media, you are comfortable with.

Off course you would need to challenge your self to improve, but don't stray away to far from home. Find subjects that take your imagination and interest.

Getting stuck or frustrated is normal! This happens to every artist at some stage. It's about learning how to overcome these stages and put them in perspective.
It could be that you have chosen a subject really to complicated at this stage of your development. Start Simple! Perhaps the paper you are using is not your cup of tee, find the materials and surfaces that are working well for you.
Experiment with paint and colour mixing, try a different paper, new brushes, brush handling, etc. Don't be afraid to make mistakes!

Sharing those moments with your fellow students or teacher is one way to overcome them.

Confidence

The second week of the Botanic Art Classes was challenging for a number of students. Nearly all students had never tried using water colour before or even touched a paint brush at all.

After last weeks drawing class we practised some basic exercises to get a feel of how to use watercolour, mixing colours, primary and secondary, how to use your brush effectively and use watercolour as watercolour should be used, transparent!

I am always exited by students first attempts and see there personal style coming trough already. Some work fast and others more carefully. The aim is to get more confidence using water colours by practising and making mistakes! Don't be afraid.

The first term for the beginners is really to get an understanding of how to use watercolours and feel confident to tackle their subjects of interest. Most students are pleasantly surprised though at the end of the course to see that they actually produced a work of art. The start of hopefully many to come.

I have practised watercolours for about 24 years and although feel comfortable using it, I am still learning as well. Different subjects will give you new challenges which all the more exciting. Once you think you know it all, it’s time to move on!

So as a word of encouragement to all those new students, please be patient and take it week by week. Choose your subjects carefully, don’t go overboard by wanting to paint a Banksia straightaway because you love them. Start with simple flowers, leaves, vegetables until you feel challenged to take it step further.