There are so many fun techniques we can try when we paint trees

What tools - some suggestions

Lots of fun techniques - play and be surprised

​Big thanks to Lynne and An-Maree for dreaming this in and putting it together for us.  This is how the day went ...

Simply for the Soul - Meditative Creative Journey with Water Colour

What we will need to create:
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• Keeping it simple so that we can play with tonal gradation,
• flow and freedom

Paint:     For this workshop we will use just one colour - Indigo
Paper:    A3 size watercolour paper - nothing less than 300 grams
Brushes: Flat brush, round and rigger/liner
Water container, spray bottle, table cloth to protect the table, an apron, old towel, paper towel

I will bring light Maizey boards upon which we place our paper.  If you like using them you may purchase the board for R40

​Most of all, bring your fun, creative spirit as we allow the water and paint to show us the way.
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Contact Susan 079 857 5339 to book your place - 10 tickets only
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Take time away from Life and enjoy!

Sonja, An-Maree, Lynne, Marna, Joy

Lynne inspired our gathering and then produced this inspiring piece of art.

Paints: Translucent colours - Winsor & Newton or Cotman are best for glowing colours.  The cheaper paints will make your work look muddy.  Paints on a palette or lids - see BASIC SUPPLIES LINK ​ROSE MADDER  OPERA ROSE SAP GREEN HOOKERS GREEN ​LEMON YELLOW What else: Water containers Protective table cloth *** most important Spray bottle Masking fluid (not essential) Printed images of lillies if you wish to have another reference Charcoal and fixative spray (can be hair spray) ​4B pencil and large sketch pad (A3)​ ​Paper towel / tissues Kneaded / Putty Eraser

Paper: 300 gram (no less) Arches or best quality you can afford. Cheap paper will disappoint and not withstand the process. 2 sheets that are at least A3 in size Brushes: Flat brush Round brush with good point Liner / Rigger / Loose Goose  ​ Board upon which to place your paper (I will bring extra Maizey boards for those who wish to purchase) Bulldog clips Basic supplies

NOW LOOK WHAT THESE WONDERFUL ARTISTS ACHIEVED !
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Thank you Fran van Rooyen for this collage of the art work.

My Mom was working on this painting many years ago and I loved the effects that were created. The painting was created on artist board which makes for a fun variation.

Still to be finished - this painting shows the effects that can be created with some fun techniques.

Look at our explorations in this theme

Kathy Nichols

Amazing art comes out when we just allow ourselves to play and let go.

These paintings created on Yupo paper - a very smooth polypropylene paper, sadly not as great a quality as we obtained previously from the UK.

Pat still working on this beautiful piece. Rosemary playing with the Yupo paper and lifting out Look where Kathy took her beautiful painting on Fabriano board! Rosemary working on this vase painting brining in drama and flair

Look at the fun texture-pattern Kathy created in working towards the finishing of the painting.

St Francis Bay - Artists with passion and flair

Oskar and Ursula looking on It is always so lovely painting with the St Francis group and two new to water colour artists.  Well done to Oskar and Ursula for jumping in with such enthusiasm and producing some excellent art.   Big thanks to Christine and Heather for getting the group together and for the venue at the Bowling Club with is so fabulous with lots of space for everyone.

Debi paints so fast and with delightful abandon - just amazing! Tish created such an amazing painting. Such a pity the paper was not so great. Well done Tish. Anne paints with such grace and her work is a reflection of her personality - I love your art Anne. Anne Oskar Heather Ursula stepped into the new adventure of water colours with such delight. I just love your energy Ursula and the fun you had creating this beautiful little painting. Keep painting! Debi creativity in every finger Debi Debi Thank you St Francis Bay for two days of fun.

Christine about to launch into a white piece of paper ... so exciting Heather - our lovely artist friend and maker of delicious numsies Tish Truscott Anne This was Oskar's first experience with water colour and he only managed to do one of the two days BUT look at what he produced! Heather's painting was well on the way with cheerful sunflowers - some more work and then it will be another magic Heather painting Ursula Such a wonderful effect of clear glass. I love this painting. Lovely friend, Christine! An incredible artist! Christine

​Coming up in September 2016 we are going to paint the stunning architectural forms of strelitzia.

Look at how we have been playing with our strelitzia paintings 

Day One 

Kathy Nichols giving Shambles some attention

Megan Stobart doing a beautiful drawing

Pat Douglas doing a lovely fresh drawing being mindful of the glorious lines and shapes

Experimenting with a fun technique as an outline

Such a great beginning Megan!

Rosemary Codron hard at work - lots of concentrating

A beginning from Kathy Nichols

Kathy brought her friend from the UK and Kiloran Rider did this fabulous expressive painting. Lovely! Let it FLOW - it's the only way to go

Kathy just stepped in and began to paint like a star

Kiloran capturing the essence of the strelitzias

Kathy, Rosemary, Kiloran, Megan and Trish

More to come ....

Kathy Nichols - not yet finished but so amazing already. Trish Heslop created this very unique effect with careful work in the negative shapes - I just love it! Rosemary and Pat Douglas

Megan Stobart - just amazing! Rosemary Codron - what a brilliant effect and design! ​ ​The painting below was interesting because the paper had a poor finish around the edges and it seemed to suggest a frame which was loosely placed into the painting.  It is always fun to mix up the positive and negative in a painting and this one shows this idea.

This is going to make your painting experiences just pop!

Dates for August 2016:  Mondays 9:00 to 12:30 1st, 8th, 15th and 22nd Dates for September 2016: Mondays 9:00 to 12:30 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th

​Value of monthly workshops is R600 and of course it is in your best interest to come to all.  Lessons cannot be "made up".   Spaces for only 6 participants

You can easily do this ...

Then this ...

If you would like to join the group for August and September - this theme will continue for 2 months as we explore simple and beautiful ways to portray flowers.

... and then you can do this ....

And eventually this ...
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First session of Module 6 - Look at what we did

Our first lesson for this module was to learn to paint beautiful daisies.   I just love these simple and beautiful flowers. They remind me so much of my childhood.

First we had to scout for daisies in abundance from the roadside

Megan's beautiful painting taking bloom

Pat Douglas started off with such a great little painting in the making

Megan doing the delicate work that comes so naturally

Kathy painting towards a beautiful piece

June's work is expanding in leaps and bounds

More and more playing ....

Kathy Nichols working it out beautifully

Ingrid James putting it together

Pat Douglas bringing the learning into a delightful little sketch painting More delightful playing and happy madness - not sure what we will get when the plastic wrap comes off but for sure it will be a unique piece - impossible to duplicate!

June Rissik played with colours and created this beautiful scene June, Pat, Kathy and Ingrid - gorgeous, fun co-conspirators

Quick dem for capturing daisies, the positioning and randomness of these fabulous flowers

We did it!  Thank you dear Ones for a fab month of daisy happiness

June Rissik did this little gem

Megan Stobart's light touch brings the spontaneity of daisies to this sketch picture

Dazzling Daisies full of charm We will be able to put these charming flowers into our paintings of flower arrangements with ease now.  Well done and thank you for persevering.

​Water Colour Workshop: Module 5  Now you choose!  July 2016 is the month you get to be the boss!  Bring the resource image or idea you wish to paint in water colour and you will be guided in possible approaches and techniques in achieving a unique painting.

Click for more details

Take a look at what we are doing this month ...

Dawn Pearce brought this beautiful painting into being - nearly done in this step and look at the result ...

Kathy Nichols produced this amazing little painting with such vibrancy and beauty. New to painting and look what can be achieved. Just brilliant!

There is no stopping Kathy now ... this is the next painting she leapt into today ....

June Morris has captured this scene with great creativity. Almost done ...

June Morris forged ahead and did this amazing painting today.

Megan Stobart paints with such a fine sense of balance and Grace. Beautiful work!

Megan Stobart is bringing this painting into its complete beauty.

Ingrid James popped in for one of the days and painted this blooming delight of colour and happiness.

June Rissik started this beautiful little scene inspired by a photo her daughter, Karen took of the canola fields on the way to Cape Town

June Rissik went a little further and pushed this painting into a very pleasing scene.

Anne Marie just started with water colour and this is the charming scene she captured. Belle peinture Anne-Marie. Elle 'etait belle vous entendre parler Francais et de passer la peintre de temps avec vous.

Wendy Pretorius spent one day with us and produced this glorious painting.

In honour of my darling Mom - Gwyn Horn ​Let's paint poppies Gwyn Horn - Poppies in a blue vase Glorious art piece by friend - Dee Schley

Poppies by Gwynneth Horn More poppies in progress Precious Friend - Fay Keevy with her poppy masterpiece My beautiful mother - Gwyn Horn Painting poppies is great fun. Inspiring colours that leap into our heart with fabulous contrasts to make them pop and zing. Module 4 is starting in June 2016 Monday 6th June  Monday 13th Monday 20th Monday 27th all sessions from 9:00 ​to 12:30 Just 6 spaces for those who want to play more with water colour.   Call Joy 079 180 7639 Four sessions R600 Payment reserves your space  What to bring: Besides the general list of art supplies ... Basic supplies Cadmium yellow, cadmium orange and cadmium red, cobalt blue, indigo, prussian blue and hookers green. 300 gram A3 size best quality paper you can manage - at least two sheets 300 gram cartridge paper drawing pad also A3 size or a bit smaller is also fine ​

Day One - Painting Poppies

We began the first day of the adventure into painting poppies with simple washes and mixes of colours to get fun and loosely painted poppy buds.

Lovely to find ways to create the small hairs on the stems

My beautiful niece - Shelby joined us for this module Marie and Kathy enjoying some winter sun while watching how the techniques create ripples and texture on the poppies

Marie playing with effects and techniques June watching the effects drying in the lovely winter sun

Just working on sketch paper playing with colour and techniques

Day Two - Painting Poppies

Megan and Marie monitoring the flow with expert control and freedom. Ahhh! the contrasts that make us happy.

It is such a pleasure watching Megan work. Delicate and thoughtful interpretation comes through each time. So much like the way my darling Mom used to paint. It is wonderful how we all have our own style right from the beginning. Glorious Unique Beings are we!

Marie has such a gently approach and manages to make each piece look exciting right from the beginning.

Just a hop skip and jump and we are nearly done with our beautiful poppies for this module.  Look how far we have gone.

June working delicately

June's finished painting

Kathy got some splashing done on this painting and it is already wonderful - just a few tweaks and it will be amazing. Kathy is brand new to water colour - so proud of you for persevering!

This was Kathy's practice page and it also looks wonderful.

Megan works so delicately - it reminds me how my Mom used to work. All I can say about her work is "OH my Word!"

Just brilliant Megan!

Marie missed the last session so we will get the painting finished soon.  I love the way Marie has created the spiky bits on the stems of the poppies.

Shelby's poppy painting - too lovely for words!

Shelby, my darling niece just has the magic. Beautiful work from a beautiful Soul.

Thank you Carol Levin for this bunch of poppies 

Unfinished... or maybe finished painting from Joy Truscott, we will just have to wait and see ...

Let's see the end products first and then scroll down and see how each artist developed their painting.  

June Rissik - beginning painting

June Rissik completed her painting with some pastels - a fun way to mix media.

From the early beginning to ....

Terry du Plessis brought wonderful colour to her end result

Dawn's two completed paintings - well done!

Dawn Pearce enchanting result

Marie started here and took a wonderful journey into more vibrant and exciting washes

Marie Schwellnus has such a delicate style and it came through in this result

Tony Millerd had a vision from the beginning and executed this painting like the professional he is.

June, Joy, Tony, Terry, Dawn and Marie (clockwise from the top). We missed Megan and Trish on the last day.

Step One for Megan

Step One for Trish

Megan

Terry and Marie

Step One for Terry

Step One for Marie

Step One for June

Step One for Tony.

Step One of Joy's dem painting. Watch this Space

Session 2 - More of Market Scenes

Marie and Tony getting ready for a day of painting happiness.

Dawn with her painting taking shape beautifully

Starting to do some painting behind shapes - watch how this painting begins to emerge ...

Session 2 was about adding transparent washes and beginning to add details by either painting behind or direct.  This is a good time to pay attention to colour and shape.  These paintings are coming along so well.

Session 3: Market Scenes continues ...

Session three was all about learning to paint the people in market scenes.  Our tendency to over paint and over state is so tempting so we had to find some clever ways to bypass the references that make us see in tired and old ways.

​Breaking down the body parts into simple shapes is a great way to create simple people forms to emerge with a lot less fuss.