Innholdsfortegnelse for No 172 i Artist's Palette

Melbourne in Victoria was my birthplace. I have spent 34 years in Tasmania, however – where I did most of my painting. I moved to Ultima in Victoria (in the Mallee) one year ago, after my husband died. The town is located 30 kilometres from Swan Hill with a population of 61. I work every day painting, studying or reading about art in my studio at my home. Before I became ill, I lived in Tasmania at Murdunna and I worked at the Port Arthur Historic Site for many years. After the massacre of 28 April 1996, I became very ill with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder which is a debilitating mental illness. I had a mental breakdown. I was very sick for years. Because this illness is incurable, I have…

While driving down a bush lane one afternoon, I noticed an abandoned property. It seemed so sad to see the old telegraph pole still standing – even though it had not been in use for many, many years. The post and letterbox were from another time, and the fences and wire were all put there by folk hoping for a future in farming. I felt I needed to tell this story. Before I begin a painting, I ask myself: ‘What attracted me to this subject and what story is it telling me’? I need to determine what to leave in and what to take out. Once I have decided how I will paint the subject, I start making many sketches and doing lots of pondering. I finally come to a…

I live with my partner Mark and children Jessie and Joe in Moss Vale, in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales. As far back as I can remember, I’ve always loved animals, flowers, butterflies and birds – and I have very clear memories of sunny summer days in England (yes, there were some) exploring various gardens and studying ladybirds in the grass when I was supposed to be fielding in cricket at school. I am constantly blown away by Mother Nature’s creations which surround us everywhere but are so easily overlooked as we race around in our busy lives. How often have you picked a tiny flower and really studied it? It’s absolutely incredible. Or wondered at the intricate patterns in the fur of your family cat? I…

• Take it slowly! This is all about a gradual build-up of light and shade. With this drawing technique, mistakes are almost impossible to correct and can really only be blended in and ‘hidden’. When I have a problem area, I concentrate on the surrounding areas to detract from it (a black dot on a grey background stands out less than on a white background). The biggest danger is overworking as the drawing simply gets darker and darker. • Practice different drawing techniques to produce different surface textures. Play around, ‘doodle’, see what effects you can create. I find the only way to portray a smooth surface is using pointillism – its very time-consuming and hand-cramping but can produce incredible results, especially for the ‘glassy’ look of eyes. I rarely…

• Pastel dust always seems to be mentioned when I give demonstrations. My solution is to always start with a dust-free area and table; and clean up after every painting. ‘Wet Ones’ or baby wipes are just the thing for this (and also for cleaning your hands). They don’t wet your fingers, so you don’t have to wait before using or blending your pastels; and they don’t dry out your hands. Some things you may notice are that your fingertips will become sore, and because you have to wash your hands so often they can become very dry … both problems can put a stop to your masterpieces. • Clean your hands between each colour. It is demoralising to have a wonderful sky and, after using red pastel in the…

SELECT FROM A MAGNIFICENT CHOICE OF EASELS AT S&S WHOLESALE S&S Wholesale stocks a wide variety of easels for everyone from the beginner, student and hobbyist right through to the professional artist. There are many types of easels for different applications – painting or pastel work – indoor or outdoor use. Easels are designed in a variety of styles to accommodate the many different ways artists work. There are five styles of easels: The Table Easel, the Tripod Easel, the Box or French Style Easel, the Lyre (A-Frame) Easel, and the Studio (H-frame) Easel. There are a number of variations to each of these which offer different tilt settings, storage options and size capabilities. Every artist should know the joy of using exquisite equipment. BEST easels are known as some…

• 60 x 50 cm Blue Water fabric for background.• 30 x 50 cm Pink Lily fabric.• 20 x 20 cm Green Leaf fabric.• 20 x 15 cm White cotton fabric.• 120 x 120 cm iron-on interfacing.• 150cm x 1m water-soluble fabric.• Various scraps of Green, Blue, Pink and Purple fabrics.• Various threads, yarns, felts and sequins.• Sewing machine with drop the feed dog facility and a darning foot.• Sharp scissors and other normal sewing requirements.• A sketch of the lily flowers and dragonfly.…

• I work from digital photographs and work out the scaling of the photograph to fit the paper. • I never do an initial drawing; but use a calculator and ruler, measuring each area as I go. • I usually paint from top to bottom and left to right to avoid smudging, depending on the layout of the painting. • I work from dark to light using harder pastels first, so as not to fill up the tooth of the paper; finishing with softer pastels. • I use sanded paper which avoids the need to use fixative. • I break the pastel and use the sharp edge or point for painting detail or thin lines. My pastel table is covered in small pieces of pastel that are still in use.…

I was commissioned to do this drawing by a couple who had the pleasure of meeting ‘Jama’ the King Cheetah at Canberra Zoo early last year. King Cheetah are a very rare genetic variation of Cheetah where the spots join to form ‘stripes’. There are under 100 King Cheetah in the world, most of which are in zoos and wildlife parks. Sadly, Jama passed away in August 2008 – and I feel honoured to have done this drawing in his memory. STEP ONE The initial pencil sketch is purely to place important features. I really draw with the pen. If I have trouble getting it right, I will trace onto a clean piece of paper. I like to get the pencil rubbed out as soon as possible because it annoys…

STEP ONE The scene depicted is a typical narrow street in Italy – in this case it it The Corso, Bosa. It required an upright format. The time of day is noon, as can been seen by balcony shadows on the right-hand side buildings. I spent time to make sure the drawing was accurate and provided an adequate (but simple) map for the watercolour. The drawing was done with a 3B pencil. STEP TWO For this picture, I chose Irodori Opaque watercolours and applied the first wash as I would using any watercolour brand … fairly thin and transparent. Colours on the left-hand building (starting from the extreme left-hand side) were Antique Ochre dirtied up a little with a touch of Antique Magenta. As the wash moved to the right,…

• The fastest way to achieve watercolour mastery is to have lessons. • Most of your favourite watercolour painters run classes or workshops (or both). When you hear about these coming up, book in! • You can’t learn anything if you don’t practise. Regrettable, but a fact of life. • It is important to learn to draw. Buy a small sketchbook and carry it with you everywhere. Start a collection of these books. It doesn’t take long. • Talk to other artists who work with watercolours. Join an art society or group – there’s bound to be one near you.…