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How to Find the Colour and Shape Heroes in Your Abstract Painting

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How to Find the Colour and Shape Heroes in Your Abstract Painting

In this week's Vlog I have made a small painting in my sketchbook following my process of building up layers. But what it demonstrates as well as building an interesting surface, and the introduction of the use of stencils is how to give strength to the hero's in the painting. Prioritizing the colour heroes as well as the shapes and elements in the painting that are important to the success of the composition.

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Two Styles Of Painting From Simple Shapes

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Two Styles Of Painting From Simple Shapes

So on the strength of that I thought let's play with those shapes again!! So this week, using the same shapes again - but DIFFERENTLY - I'll show you how I made a painting in a much looser style and then integrated it with the first painting which was made with an arrangement of more clearly defined shapes.

Watch the Vlog to see what I did.

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How I Create Unique Shapes for Abstract Painting

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How I Create Unique Shapes for Abstract Painting

If you think 'All the shapes are gone..." and struggle to come up with something new and interesting - Watch the Vlog to see one of the ways I find new shapes in my work.

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Using Drawing To Solve Design Issues

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Using Drawing To Solve Design Issues

In this Vlog, I talk about the composition process and show examples of Picasso's drawings. He of course didn't have a SMART phone or Photoshop to help him nut out design issues - he used pencil and paper. And his small composition studies are the perfect example of this type of drawing. Watch the Vlog to see.

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Finding Clarity In Collage & Paint

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Finding Clarity In Collage & Paint

This is part of my new exploration - botanicals, media, drawing...  It gets muddled in the middle but I find some clarity in the end - so stick around to the end to see where it ends up.  I like the possibilities it presents for building meaning and relevance into my work - it's a step forward I think. Watch the vlog.

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Reconstructing Your Painting: From Finished to New

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Reconstructing Your Painting: From Finished to New

A recent sketchbook exploration didn't fill me with unbridled joy - so I changed it. Working right over the top with collage and paint I came up with something new and much more exciting.

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Painting and Drawing with Nature

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Painting and Drawing with Nature

Creating the most beautiful surface by layering with marks made using natural tools. I've ditched the brush and pencil and experimented with twigs, leaves, homemade brushes and other living tools. Now I'm in love!

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How to Paint Flowers Without Going MAD on Detail

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How to Paint Flowers Without Going MAD on Detail

What I want to paint is the FEELING of the flower - the delicacy, the nodding of the flower atop it's long stem, the curly leaves.... I want to paint the sense of the flower.

In this weeks Vlog I demonstrate how I went about doing that.

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Finding Your Next Best Painting in 3 Easy Steps

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Finding Your Next Best Painting in 3 Easy Steps

This video shows you an easy way to create new ideas for your next painting without spending hours, days, weeks, and months staring at blank canvases trying to think of what to paint. The answer is right in front of you, in your current work.

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Eclectic Collage & Mixedmedia

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Eclectic Collage & Mixedmedia

In these collages I combine collaging with scraps of detritus, collaging with prepared coloured paper, painting, and drawing. All the 'things' to bring the piece to its final design.

Watch the Vlog and then have a go yourself with the paper you prepared last week.

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Building Surface To Paint On

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Building Surface To Paint On

In this week's Vlog, I'm showing you how I prepared my paper for a couple of collages I did. The collages will come to you later but watch the Vlog to see what I did first.

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Harmonious Color and Design Exercise

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Harmonious Color and Design Exercise

As I said last week these little exercises are great for fine-tuning your DESIGN-EYE - you will become more discerning with the more you do. So watch the Vlog and see if I can't tempt you to come with me on a little DESIGN tangent!!

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Simple Exercise for Abstract Design

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Simple Exercise for Abstract Design

The other day I took a break from my paintings and I did a little design exercise which was fun. It's a bit like practicing your scales when you play the piano - it limbers you up, tunes the eye for when you need to analyse your paintings and make design decisions. Have a look and then have a go. Watch the Vlog.

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Creating Your Best Art

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Creating Your Best Art

In this weeks Vlog I share with you two aspects of my process that I think make the biggest difference to creating my best work. Watch the Vlog.

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How To Paint With Courage

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How To Paint With Courage

In this week's Vlog, I'm sharing a hack with you. How to EASE yourself into being courageous while painting. Soon you'll find yourself making all those bold moves that you think only OTHER crazy kamikaze artists do...

Have a look.

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Paint Play: Adding & Subtracting

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Paint Play: Adding & Subtracting

I've found the 'thing' or group of things then it's time to apply LESS IS MORE. So I'll start to edit and take away what I don't need. This is basically the process I use in all my work: Add, add, add... then subtract. Watch the vlog to see.

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My Top Painting Tools

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My Top Painting Tools

This week I thought I'd lift the lid on my TOOLBOX!! I've rummaged around and taken out my top tools that I use when making my work and I share with you WHY I like to use them.

The interesting thing about 'favourite tools' is that people believe if they "...JUST had better quality brushes, or paint... or whatever SHE/HE uses... then my work would be better.... "

Well, for some things like paint, I think you get what you pay for... but what will REALLY make your work better is not really about tools - it's about the WAY you use them. I talk about this too...

Watch the vlog