Day 4 and I Quit!

I have quit the 30 day challenge!.  Have I failed?  No.  I dont believe that I have. 

Infact, this has taught me so much over the past 4 days and I will try and explain this........

This is pressure....pure pressure.  Not that I am uncomfortable with that as I work well under pressure.  But its unnesecessary pressure, without gain.  


Yes, I am painting more, but with a view to deliver and entering a piece every day and not really focussing on completing it to my satisfaction and even doing it well. But I am enjoying searching out the things that I really wanted to paint before and making myself do them. But why cant I do this anyway. Of course I can and now I will.

At the end of the day I way just delivering! And where and why! 

I wanted to revisit paintings that I have done in the past and re do them but not like this.   I could do it, but there wouldnt be much point because again time will not have been taken to do the job well and therefore not improve on what I had before.

If I were a professional artist and could dedicate my day to the task that would be another story, but I am not.

I have chores to do and holidays to run and family visiting and will not deprive each of those of my time because I want to despatch a half hearted painting.  I am even losing sleep over "what should I paint next".  It is not worth it!

I will paint more now because I have missed it and I love it but I will also respect the advice of those that I am learning from around me and take time rather than try and throw their theories down

Hopefully this will make me a much better artist and person too.

Bx

Day 3 of the Challenge

I promised myself that I would make an effort this year to study the books and the magazines that I have bought in the past and follow the exercises to learn each authors techniques. After all that is why I bought the books in the first place, but time just runs out. This is for me a great way of learning.

Todays choice was from John Lovetts wonderful book Techniques and Special Effects for Watercolour.  By far my 
most favourite book in my library of art books.  And I have a few!  Check it out for yourselves by Clicking here  and  viewing a review by John on this book.  His video too Splashing Paint is fantastic. 

I love his colour choices and how he focus's on his "centre of interest" and then fades away areas that are not important but still relevant enough to keep in.  This little exercise was in this book and I have added some elements myself but stuck to his colour choices and little tweaks here and there.  Definately my favourite artist.  So I shall be doing more from this book during the challenge.

John Lovett, if you visit this blog, I would love you to run a workshop here at Bandouille in France...which is of course what we do!!!

The Studio at Bandouille - Eugen Chisnicean

Talking of Workshops....2015  here is who we have coming so far!

Keiko Tanabe, Eugen Chisnicean and Joanne Boon Thomas have all confirmed that they are returning to us in 2015 and each will be holding 2 workshops.  We do already have bookings, so recommend that you book your place early to avoid disappointment.

Click here for all the information and our  website where you can contact us for booking.

More annoucements will be make very soon.  So watch this space.

Lastly, a bit of sewing.....I provide mens shirts as paint aprons and came across this idea on Pinterest on how to convert a mans shirt into an apron...and very soon worked out that you can infact get 2 aprons out of one shirt...



So here is one (or two) that I made earlier.  Fantastic idea and the cuffs I designed as nice big pockets for the front. Easy peasy.....

Click here for more ideas on Pinterest on how to make these gems!






More from me tomorrow on my 4th day of the challenge!

Bx

Bandouille Sunrise September 2014

2nd day of Challenge

Day 2 and this is my entry for today. 

Keeping it simple!

This was the gorgeous scene of the sunrise this morning of the lake and wanted to record it for once in watercolour. So I sketched using the colours I saw and then did this later in the day.

I do have several on the go at the moment and many in planning stages.  Just trying to keep organised as I know the pressure will build and I do have two more groups visiting us before the end of the season.

Great fun though and putting into effect things that I have learnt this season from our wonderful tutors that have visited us this year.  I will also be completing some of the exercises that our guests did with these artists and I was unable to partake in before.  Lets see what I learnt.

Catch up again tomorrow!

Bx

Autum Sunflower

30 Paintings in 30 days challenge

September 1st and I have signed up for the 30 Paintings in 30 days challenge set by Leslie Saeta.  Click here for details.

We are just coming to the end of a crazy season which has seen wonderful artists coming to Bandouille to run workshops and I am more than inspired.  But that comes with its own problems as I have so many ideas and techniques that I want to try out that my brain is a touche mashed at the moment.  So what better way to unmash it than enter a crazy challenge like this.

Saying that, it is something that I have been tempted to do for a while now.  So lets see how I fare!

Here is my first offing after being inspired by all the Sunflower fields around us at the moment. These beautiful flowers should be over by now, but due to the appalling start to our summer alot of the farmers over here planted late as if they knew we were going to have an indian summer and they would mature afterall.

Had fun just warming up! Watercolour 

Please keep tuned for lots more in the coming days and also for more information on our agenda for 2015......bookings have started already and we have an exciting line up in store!

See you tomorrow!

Bx