Didn't she do well ?

Today we painted a seascape, Joyce Ortner style. Using a small selection of soft brushes, we mixed our paint, loosened them with linseed oil and worked really hard at all the blending and softening to get realistic effects. It's much more fiddly than your average landscape, but worth learning Joyce's style as the results really are super.

My student, Sue, brought along to class a painting she made at home. Not only that, she is allowing me to show you all. Sue took 2 portrait seminars with me.......but this one she painted all by herself at home. I think it's absolutely brilliant. As I said to Sue........if this is painting number 3, think what painting number 10 will be like! She's already planning portrait number 4. I knew she would be hooked.

If you'd like to try portraiture do give me a call on 01473 311938 or drop me a line. At only £45 per lesson (all inclusive of equipment and materials) it's a special skill to learn that's worth every penny. Plus, my classes are aimed at beginners. Thanks to Valerie Stewart and her marvellous portrait technique, there's a growing demand for this.

More space

Over the next few weeks there will be some design changes to the studio / classroom. The downstairs office is being emptied which will give a lot more room for a gallery, a few more desks and storage for art supplies. Already the door has been removed and the difference in the light is great. I think that dark door had quite an overpowering effect. It'll take a little while to get completely straight but I do love a re-vamp.

New Class Dates

Today is a catch-up day and I don't mind the rain when I'm stuck in the office all day long. With several supply orders being delivered today I know I'm not going to miss the delivery man too. Catch-up means website work and consequently I've just updated my class timetable page and added a few more dates and a few more painting's. Accounts are the next thing to be brought up to date, then the phone calls for other sundry bits and bobs. I quite like days like this - although I wouldn't want them too often......it reminds me of my full time office days too much.

Inspiration from a student..........mmmmm

Today's student, Lynne, has given me an amazing idea for a new painting subject and I just hope I get the time to work something out to see if it's viable. Even better if I can get it organsied this side of Christmas (there's that word again!). Today I taught Lynne a seascape using many of Joyces techniques. A more traditional style of painting, but a style where you can really tickle out some lovely details and effects. You do need a light hand for this and Lynn, managed just that with some amazing results, as you can see here. Lynne, always at the end of a painting session will critique her own painting very harshly indeed - always striving to do better and better. After today's lesson all she could fault was that she wished she had put 2 rocks in her painting instead of 3 - so that speaks volumes to me. Well done Lynn and thanks for the marvellous inspiration.

Learn to paint portraits

People have been asking about Portrait oil painting lessons for some time now. Portrait painting in oils is something I took up back in June 2009. I sat down one day with a photo of Capt. Jack Sparrow, played Valerie Stewart's demo DVD and had a go. I liked her style and technique A LOT. I've painted many portraits since then. Some have featured on my website, some (more private ones) haven't. I've taken on several commissions and I have to say, I totally enjoy every aspect of portraiture. What I want readers to know, basically, is the experience that lays behind the teaching. I have involved Valerie in many of my portrait works over the past 15 months. She's been just an email away every step of the way. Just before she came to the UK, 3 months ago, she announced that I was ready to teach portraits. During her 4 day seminar in June, I gave teaching a go and assisted some of the students. I paid very close attention to Valerie's teaching style, the way she corrected mistakes, picking up as much information as I could. Valerie has given me the benefit of her years of expertise freely. Although I may have been ready to teach a few months ago, I actually haven't had the opportunity to do so, (due to prior committments), until today. I have opened up a new web page showing some photos from today's class and giving you all the details of how portraiture classes work. If you CLICK HERE you'll see how we got on in this exciting new class.

Another scorcher !

This morning I woke up to another beautiful morning. The house was all still and quiet and I could see the brilliant sunshine through the window, beckoning. So, without thinking, I threw on some clothes, grabbed my sunglasses and set off on my bike. I'd intended a 7 mile route. A 'Road Closed' sign put paid to that......in a good way. I took a diversion, probably adding another 3 or 4 miles to my route. Through the country lanes with rape fields in bloom I pretty much had the roads to myself, apart from a few pheasants, a squirrel and some rabbits. I met a couple of cyclists en route, all geared up in their cycling shorts and streamlined helmets. Me....well I just ambled along with my bottle of water and camera in the shopping basket of my 3 geared bike. Here's a beautiful scene I stumbled upon. I was home by 7.30am and guess what......... The house was all still and quiet - few snores coming from the bedrooms.

Art Class

How lovely. Last week I opened my emails and received the most touching message from student and friend, Sue Grant. I'm going to have to get this printed out on parchment paper and get it framed. It'll look just right next to my ACI Certificate. Thank you Sue, that's so lovely and I will treasure this. xx

ART CLASS - By Sue Grant

Hurray, Hurray, art class today.
Off I set in my Honda Jazz,
Full of joy, and full of p'zazz,
What will be the subject today?
Will it be blossom in the month of May?
Or perhaps a sunflower and a busy bee,
Or sunbeams glancing off a leafy tree.

Hurray, Hurray, art class today.
I pick up the canvas and paint it white,
Put in a sky, but that's too light,
Add some more blue, says teacher Sue,
And a cheeky cloud, that's what I'd do.
Tap in some bushes and distant trees ,
A few flowers here and some busy bees.

Hurray, Hurray, art class today.
At last the painting's looking good,
But whoops, I wonder how I could
Paint my jumper white and green,
And both my hands a delicate sheen,
Of blue and red and yellow too,
But never mind, along comes Sue.

Hurray, Hurray, art class today.
Sue has grandma's paint remover,
It moves the stains off like a hoover,
So soon my painting's back on track,
The only thing I think it lack's,
Is a touch of white to highlight here,
And a bit of shadow to bring the trees near.

Hurray, Hurray, art class today,
We walk around with Oohs and Aahs,
I love your distant trees afar!
That cloud is great, I love your sky!
And what effect has that water nearby!
We praise each others' works of art,
And leave the class, so sad of heart,

But never mind, it won't be long,
I'll soon be back to sing my song,
'Hurray, Hurray, art class today'
To paint a picture in wonderful hues
And hear my family's aahs and oohs
The thing that I would like to say
Is just how much I enjoy the day.

What a star.....

Thank heavens for the half-term holidays. Edward is 16 years old, as tall as a house and is more than keen to earn himself a wage. Which is very fortunate for me. I recently hosted a class for a group of Women's Institute ladies. By having Edward along with me he really did save my back and my legs by unloading the car, helping to set up, cleaning brushes, clearing away and re-loading the car. He even managed to snap away and take photos for the website for me. Edward has painted a couple of oils himself so he was also great at giving encouragement and feedback to the ladies. He washed up the tea things, helped adjust some easels to a more workable angle and had his eye scanning the classroom at all times so he was more than aware if anyone was getting low on paint or unsure what brush to use. If I had a pound for every time a student asked to take him home..................... So, a big thanks to my new ladies who all made fabulous paintings - and - a double big thanks to Edward for helping my day along and saving me loads of time before, during and after the workshop. XXX You can just see Edward here, in the blue top, helping a lady turn her painting around on her easel.

Painting Class for Art Group

I had a lovely drive to the village of Fressingfield on Monday. For about the last 20 minutes of the journey I was surrounded by pretty, rural countryside with chocolate box cottages - and to top it all, the sun was shining brilliantly. The ladies of the art group there enjoyed an oil painting lesson. Learning the many special effects we can make with various brushes, they all returned home with lovely paintings (and all so different too). The venue was right next door to the pretty Fox and Goose Pub. It's rumoured that Johnny Depp was in the area a few years ago, house hunting. It seems that while he was scouting for a home in the area, Johnny went into to popular Fox & Goose Inn. But he didn't have a reservation and all the tables in the 18th century inn were already taken. If it were me, I'd make room - wouldn't you?

New Class Subject - with a difference

My oil painting, made on last week, has received quite a bit of feedback from visitors, website fans and art forums. And so, for this reason I've decided to make it a new Class Subject. Not only that, I am keeping it exactly as it is - which is small.........measuring 9 x 12 inches. Plus......it's on canvas paper, so I am sticking to that also. This means, when the painting is dry it can be mounted and framed very easily and economically. Because of the differences in size, materials, brushes used and time, compared to a normal class, I am able to offer the lesson at a cheaper rate. So, we'll be painting this on Sunday February 21st in Capel St Mary Village Hall (and also in Heartlands in February - date to be confirmed). The cost of the class will be just £38 per person. You can find class details HERE. A larger image of the painting subject can be found HERE. It's been named 'Contemplation' thanks to the input from one of my dear students.

By hook or by crook......

.................... I was determined to get some painting done this week. And I made sure that things were in my favour by setting everything up last night. It's been a relaxing day, but the picture has been put together in fits and starts. I've taken time out to make phone calls, do a bit of admin work, got distracted on the net and even had a neighbour over for coffee. But I did keep coming back to it and adding bits. This is what we have so far and I might carry on with it - I might not. It might end up being a new painting subject or I might fiddle it to death and it might not. I already know I shall be framing it and I will enter it into my first exhibition of the year. What shall I call it? any ideas?

One for the kids (and the grown ups) this summer holiday

Swimming Free - that lovely whale scene which was designed by Jack Kolber, a fellow ACI in the States, is a painting that is absolutely ideal for children. Its always nice to have children along in a class and us adults learn a lot from their sheer bravado. I think it's time to make this a painting subject for the school summer holidays so any children who are budding artists can come along. For those of you with children, it's the ideal painting subject for mum/dad and son/daughter to paint along together (plus you'll receive a £5 discount each on your class fee too.) I'll be having 2 'Swimming Free' workshops in August. One in Capel (in Suffolk near Ipswich) at a weekend and another one in East Bergholt (in Essex near Colchester) on a week day. This link will take you to the CLASS TIMETABLE so you can check on the dates and other painting subjects currently available. If you're interested in these classes, just give me a call on 01473 311938 or drop me a line on info@ayoubart.co.uk to book your seat. Everything is supplied for you - all you need to do is turn up with a smile and a desire to learn something new.