July 23, 2021 | Uncategorized
I’m often asked whether I prefer acrylics to watercolour and I honestly have to say I love them both!
ACRYLICS are great to get stuck into a painting on canvas and hang it straight on the wall. I usually work from darks to lights and can easily alter the painting as I go – just as long as the layer is dry! Acrylic is my first choice for original works to sell.
WATERCOLOURS are SO PORTABLE! I love taking them with me to add colour in my sketchbooks. I love how quickly I can use a brush to capture shapes in watercolour to then draw over in pencil to record a memory. I love that I don’t have to wear ‘painting clothes’ for watercolour! It took me years to embrace using plenty of water though… but now that I’m less worried about the end result, I’m more often delighted with the organic things that watercolour can do.
And you know what? Doing a study in watercolour for an acrylic painting is a quick way to test an idea before committing to a canvas.
Yesterday I painted this month’s acrylic Paint Along, ‘Caravan Dreaming‘ in watercolour for my Shiny Happy Art Club members. ***Often it’s the inspiration that’s the block when you want to learn to paint***, so we use one image to inspire another. It’s no longer acrylic OR watercolour, it is, in the MOST FRIENDLY way, AND.
So don’t limit yourself. If you want to paint, try both. Stay open to the seasons of your art life that you may prefer one or the other, but never close the door completely. There’s too much art joy to be had!
Hope you can paint a little (or a lot) this weekend. And if you need inspo, head over to my website, www.shinyhappyart.com. That’s what I’m here for!
See you in my virtual studio.
February 18, 2021 | How To, Shiny Happy Ideas
I’ve had five Zoom calls with lovely Shiny Happy Art Club Members this week, and I found myself recommending SAMPLERS a few times.
These two are on Scrap Book Covers (I use them for planning) from 2017 and 2018.
The thing with Samplers is:
– you get to practice colour mixing
– you learn about your own art supplies (whether you have a little or a lot)
– you have a ‘go to resource’ when you’re wondering how to start mixing a colour
– if you fill a page with marks like this it looks impressive! You’ll feel like an artist!
I have only become a convert to Samplers in the past 5 years but now – I just love them. I do them for every art supply I have. It’s time well spent.
So I encourage you to make time for a Sampler this weekend. Do at least a page (or a book cover!).
If you’re a neat person, rule some lines. If you’re not (like me) just go for it. Mark your colours across the top of the page, and down the left hand side (label them) and then get mixing your grid of colour.
Anna
February 18, 2016 | Books, How To, Paint Alongs
About 3 years ago I went to a business presentation and it was recommended that people who seriously wanted to become an influencer in their area of expertise (and I am very keen to get people connected to their creativity through success with art) should write a book.
A real, touch it, feel it, thump it on the table… book.
At that stage I had been running Paint Alongs in my studio for about 18 months and I had a repertoire of painting subjects I could call on.
So I put together a list of publishers who might be suitable for my market (beginner/social painters) and went about preparing submissions. The first publisher I contacted was North Light Books and to my absolute delight they got back in touch with me on 30 June 2014 to tell me they’d like to publish my book, “Painting Party”.
Since then there has been a series of deadlines to provide content and photos, while they went to work asking me questions, editing and designing. And lo and behold… it’s now available for pre-order on Amazon (cue stunned happiness).
I’ll have signed copies available closer to the publication date… very excited!
September 5, 2015 | Paint Alongs
Today’s Paint Along was my first group to paint my new composition ‘Lilies’ and it was SO.MUCH.FUN! Great conversation, champers, chocolates and oh, some painting too.
Check it out!
September 2, 2015 | How To, Paintings
I’ve filmed/timelapsed a few of the Spring Floral paintings that I’m doing this month.
They’re being released onto Instagram each day – $55 each. Today’s sold in 6 minutes flat – bought by someone to give to a friend that needed something to brighten their day – how nice is that?!!
Enjoy!
