SDAG Nottingham
On Saturday I had the pleasure to be back in Nottingham with the Spotted Dog Art Group.
They rose magnificently to the challenge of abstracting landscapes through colour and brushwork.
As you can see here from the landscape inspiration, use of colour and being able to see things differently were the keys to success.
And it didn't matter what kind of landscape scene it was (above is industrial, below coastal) the artists successfully abstracted through colour changes and seeing in shapes.
Everyone kept their own artistic signature whilst all having the same input and ideas on how to start and develop their work into the non-representative and this is what I find endlessly fascinating and exciting about teaching and working alongside other artists.
I count myself lucky when work is such a pleasure - if I lived near Nottingham, I'd join in a heartbeat.
Until next year...
Gelatin plate printing
One of my favourite ways to work is with a gelatin plate for mono-printing.
The process itself is messy-fun and the result, although not always what you expected to get, is always something interesting and useable.
When we'd been to Amsterdam a few years back, I did a lots of gelatin plate printing of the cute houses found there.
You can make effective stencils by cutting photographs directly - the gloss coated paper is great for this kind of printing.
I like to sew and applique into these prints to add details, further colour and visual texture and interest. But you can print effectively onto paper or fabric and they are a great source for any printmaker, scrapbooker or artist who might like to print and use texture, pattern or imagery to paint with, collage with or work further into with textile treatments.
If that's got your interest and you're within reach of MAC Birmingham then I am running a gelatin plate printing class on Thursday June 21st - tickets here.
If not then have a 'google' and give it a go - it's a lot of fun :)
Spring flowers
This year has been a brilliant one for my Hellebores which have quadrupled in size.
I've been wanting to paint them for some time but couldn't bring myself to cut any when there were only one or two flowers - but this year is quite different.
I've been playing around painting onto darker grounds than usual and I quite like it. It really helps those whites to stand out and it adds a little drama. These were both acrylics on tissue paper; the latter bringing a lovely dappled background which shone through the paint still.
I love a new discovery!
The Rhythm of Light
There is a very small but sweet exhibition of some of the Scottish Colourists work from The Fleming Collection on show at the Barber Institute atm.
[caption id="attachment_11248" align="aligncenter" width="490"]
Peploe Green Sea, Iona[/caption]
Peploe, Cadell, Fergusson and Hunter were four friends who shared the same ideas about colour and style and were inspired by French painters experimenting with capturing light through colour.
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Cadell Carnations[/caption]
They were inspired by The Fauves (which is of course why I like their work) and they also favoured bright colours, unmixed pigments and strong solid colours.
They termed their use of colour and obvious brushstrokes as 'Rhythm' to explain the patterning and texture on the canvas.
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Hunter Peonies in a Chinese Vase[/caption]
You can forget about places when you live near them and this trip reminded me that the Barber Institutes permanent collection is also worth a visit.
The Rhythm of Light exhibition is on till 13th May 2018.
Muscari
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Muscari © Claire Leggett[/caption]
The last few weeks have been very busy with HB's 50th birthday celebrations and I had lots of kiddie classes to teach over the Easter break. However Spring flowers wait for no-one so as soon as these bloomed I made sure to grab some time to paint them. I'm glad I did - it turned out alright and was good for sanity and soul!
Lisbon
Just back from a few days away in Portugal - Lisbon and Sintra.
Here's Lisbon looking moody (read that as bad weather) My umbrella, gloves and hat were the best things I packed.
When in Portugal you must partake of the Pastel de nata - a Portuguese egg tart pastry that it's famous for.
And of course there are old and new tiled buildings everywhere.
Heaven for the pattern lover here!
This was my favourite tile and that's no men feat because I probably photographed 50 plus!
And of course one must ride on and also photograph the ubiquitous old yellow tram.
We also went out to Sintra (an hour away from Lisbon) a lovely rich, old town bursting with old palaces and old mansions with beautiful gardens to explore. The stand-out place being this: The Pena Palace.
There are more (and different) photos over on my Instagram account here if you enjoyed.
