New Class Dates

Now that I'm up and about again I feel confident to add to the class timetable. A few more classes have been added, including portraiture and pop art lessons. The portraits are done, pretty much in 3 sessions. Some students have said to me they can make session 1 and 3 (for example) but are unable to make session 2. Well, that is so easily remedied. If you are unable to make any of the portrait dates I can easily fit you in with a date that's convenient to you. As long as I have a 3 hour window in my diary we can do it.

Say hello to Naboo and Rinkle

I'd like to introduce readers and students alike to two new members of my family.

I first met this breed of cat over 20 years ago when Pauline, a friend, led me to her daughter Zoe's bedroom. Zoe was tucked up in bed......but she slowly pulled back her bed covers to reveal a pretty little gremlin fast asleep.

From that day I have always wanted one.

Well, my dream came true last week when I collected a pair.

Welcome to Naboo and Rinkle my new Sphynx cats.

At the moment they are a bit poorly but in the week that I've had them they have improved 100%. They've practically spent their first week sleeping - but as soon as they are more active I'll take some shots so you can see their very striking and angular profiles.

Happy New Year !!!!

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my readers, customers and student friends the warmest well wishes for the New Year.

'We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called "Opportunity" and its first chapter is New Year's Day.' Edith Lovejoy Pierce

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.

Back to work.......

The holiday break has been great - and so has the weather, which was a welcome bonus. It's back to business as usual now though. Student Sue and I have kicked off the week by working on her second portrait lesson. All the colours have been added over the underpainting, many facial details have been completed, we've worked the background and started on the clothing. I'm fully confident this can be totally finished off on one more lesson. The portrait lessons are taught in 3 hour blocks and will continue until the painting is complete. Each block is £45 (weekday rate) and the price includes everything you need to make the portrait. It's a great way of working, with classes running (normally) from 10am till 1pm. Other times can be arranged if needed. Next summer I will be running evening classes from 6pm to 9pm to suit those of you who work full time. For more details on portraiture classes CLICK HERE

Portraiture for beginners and improvers

Here's a little News Flash that may interest fellow painters. As from July I will be teaching portraiture. It's something Valerie and I have been discussing for a while and, after the recent Portrait Seminar, the time is right. I must stress, portraiture cannot be completed in a single class and cannot really be compared to the wet on wet landscapes. To begin with, portraiture classes will be taught as private lessons or small groups of up to 4 people. If you'd like details about this sooner rather than wait until July, do feel free to contact me. Meanwhile, I leave you with Harry, my latest one.......I can share him with you now that he's been delivered and given the thumbs up by the family.

A sea of faces

Last week I enjoyed some time in my new painting area. I've been busy working on portraiture. I have hung various portraits in the studio, some complete and some are W.I.P's. It's been quite nice painting while being overseen by various celebrities and other faces. One little fella, Lucas, really makes me smile. Lucas is a baby and I've been painting him in a pose where he is lying on his belly with his head held up. As I look beyond the right of my easel his face looks full of curiosity and wonder. His turn next, he needs some details to his clothes, background and some final details to the face.

Customers Say......

I would like to share with you some testimonials. I asked students if they would write me a quick note to reflect their thoughts on Valerie's portrait seminar.

Brigid: I got on a plane from Ireland to come to Valerie's classes. What a great instructor. Calm, re-assuring and always praising the efforts you make, giving courage to go on. I will be back next year, if she comes back to the UK

Jim: I have completed two portrait paintings of my grandchildren. It is he closest 'likeness' I have managed in the last two years of trying. I am amazed by the wonderful likeness everyone on the course managed.

Helen: Dear Valerie & Sue. I have enjoyed this course better than any other I have been on. You have both made it so enjoyable and welcoming. I shall be taking not only my pictures with me but wonderful memories and a lot more knowledge. Thankyou again.

Edd: Thanks very much, Val. It was great.

Maxine: Valerie, I have been touched by your magic fingers. That has inspired me to look forward and take my own journey that will last a life time. Thankyou so much. Your new best friend.

Mo: WOW. What an experience. I am so glad my husband brought me this course for my birthday. I was so unsure when I started but the end results speak for themselves. WOW. Thanks again.

Pauline: Val & Sue. What a nervous novice I was on day 1. I booked the course and then fretted for days wondering if I'd done the right thing. Now on day 4 I cannot wait to go home and sing your praises to everyone I meet. Thankyou for your hospitality Sue and thankyou Valerie, you are a great tutor. See y'all next year, LUV U xx

Martin: To Val & Sue. What a great 4 Days I had. The company was brilliant. Your teaching is second to none. Hope to see you again very soon.Grace: Really enjoyed myself and I have learned loads.

Marion: Dear Valerie & Sue, Oh WOW. I have really enjoyed myself so much and truely cannot thank you enough. I am thrilled with my self-portrait and my hubbie's portrait and am amazed at Valerie's skill. A brush stroke here and there transforms the look. I take with me the desire to paint even more portraits and to have the confidence to put on colour (especially dark colours). I hope you come next year as I have already cleared the time off from my family if you do. Lots of love to you both.

Bigger.............and better!!

The organiser of the Village Fayre wasn't quite sure what an art demo entailed. But now that she does she's selected an ideal (and bigger) spot in the hall for us to have next year. We'll be able to set up a make and take area too so members of the public can have a little go at some artwork. We'll also be doing a one day Christmas Bazaar there too in November, so I need to get my thinking cap on and make some pretty Christmas designs. I've managed to take some snaps of some of my demo paintings, many of which will make ideal new class painting subjects. All but one demo painting sold in it's wet state which was great as I didn't have to worry about transporting them home. Here's a snap of the last painting I made, sold from the easel as the last brush stroke went on. It was propped up on the floor and took on several different moods as it was hit by bright sunshine and later as the clouds drew in. I had a really interesting chat with the village Vicar. He was asking me about my classes, my students and the subject rapidly turned to faith - faith in your teacher. As he made his way to the next stall you could see the cogs ticking over as he said, 'I feel a sermon coming on'. As I wind down with a glass of wine and think about the lovely people I've met, the neighbours and school friends of over 35 years ago I really have to give a huge, huge thanks to my very dear friend Pauline, who encouraged me to give this fayre a go, who put in loads of effort, remembered to bring sweeteners, and done her best to keep me away from the cake stall. xx

Another portrait project

I'd been itching to get cracking on another celebrity portrait. I took this snap as I broke for a coffee break at the half way stage of the underpainting to get away from the project for 10 minutes. I'd be very surprised indeed if anyone gets it at this stage. Hopefully by the time I've fully finished this stage I'll have a reasonable resemblance. I better not let myself get too distracted as I want to finish the underpainting totally so it's dry to work on tomorrow.

Seascape Painting Workshop

I have a seascape painting class coming up (see HERE for class details) and I've been asked if it's possible to paint this in black and white instead of blue and white. The answer is 'YES'. And as soon as my daughter returns my camera I'll take a snap so you can see what the greyer tones look like.

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?

Better late than never

At the weekend, my lady braved the elements to come along to make a Pop Art Portrait. Ronni was previously booked in before Christmas as she wanted to make a unique gift for her partner. However, flu kicked in and she couldn't go ahead with the lesson. Luckily though, her partner's birthday is next week. Ronni was a little nervous at first, with no artistic skills she was certain she wouldn't be able to make this. But, after I assured her she would be leaving with a painting to be proud of, she relaxed and quickly began to enjoy the lesson. She even commented a couple of times 'This is such good therapy'. If you'd like to try this really popular and trendy style of painting you will find all the details HERE

Another Bamburgh Castle......

I have just received this photo from a customer of mine. He had been eager to paint the Bamburgh Castle project and the only thing stopping him was waiting for the panoramic / letterbox canvases to arrive.

Jim used water mixable oils instead of the traditional oils that I use.

By following my step by step tuition on the DVD, this is what he produced. I think it's wonderful. As this is only my second DVD, feedback and results like this really do give us great encouragement to carry on.

Thanks Jim xx

If you'd like a copy of this DVD you can find it by clicking on the words 'Another Bamburgh Castle' at the top of this entry and you'll be taken straight to the shopping cart. It's just £11.75 delivered to your door. If you wanted to paint this in one of my classes it would cost £45 for a standard class and £65 for a private class.

My Art Forum - Sue's Arty Party

Some clever bod has found out how to put avatars on their forum posts. It certainly makes the forum look a little more colourful. If you're familiar with my forum you'll know it has a wall image and that's my 'tribute' to one of Roger Water's (Pink Floyd) most splendid pieces of work 'The Wall'. So thanks Steve, you've brightened it up and I hope others follow suit. To jump over to my forum 'Sue's Arty Party' CLICK HERE It's not the busiest in the world, but it's friendly and a fun place to find out things.

Another one - I'm enjoying this

Celebrity portrait number 2 - stage 1 - was a little more taxing. I took advantage of the sunny weather and set up outside on the patio. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but now I'm not so sure. My fast drying medium became quite thick and sticky in the heat. The sunlight reflected off the pale canvas, which meant I had 2 pairs of glasses on, one's for seeing and sunglasses over the tops of those (!). On top of that, little bugs were sticking to the wet painting too. But I cracked on for a while before giving up. In the evening, I was thrilled when a friend of Steffi's turned up and immediately said 'Hey - that's.....'xxxxx'...' and named the celebrity straight away. Motivated by her comment I carried on working at it until nearly 10pm. A visitor the following day also recognised who it was straight away too.....so that's a good sign. I took a moment today to relax away from the paints and watch Valerie demonstrate the next stages. Her speed is amazing and the effects are achieved so accurately, so quickly. She's been teaching portraiture since 1981 - and if I can have half her speed in the next 20 years I will be well pleased.

Self Contained accommodation for long distance students

The Apollo Studio Accommodation is having a new heating unit fitted today, ready for our first guests of the year. The preliminary work was completed several months ago when the outdoor unit was fitted to a wall. While the studio is empty it's an ideal time to get cracking with the job. The new heating is a remote controlled air conditioning unit and it's very energy efficient. We had similar units fitted into our kitchen, dining room and lounge back in August, well before the cold weather hit us and they've been a godsend. We've noticed the difference on our heating bills too. For each kilowatt of electricity used you get back 3 kilowatts of heat, so that can't be bad. This means I can remove the floor standing electric woodburner-type heater, giving a little more floor space. Once installed we gave it a little test run; it turned from chilly ice-box to cosy toastie in under 5 minutes. Of course, the other bonus is the units double up as coolers. If ever it gets too hot for you (I wish!!!), a flick of the switch will have it blowing cool air into the room. I have used the cooler in the kitchen - you can imagine when I'm having a baking session how hot it can get - ideal for keeping chef (and pastry) at a moderate temperature.