April News

For Updates, Special Offers, Announcements.....and an insight into what's going on in my world.

Week 17: 28th April to 30th April

It's great to see a German fellow, Harald Tröstl has been awarded his ACI Alexander certification. Congratulations and well done. Speaking of certifications; 2 AyoubArt Intermediate Certificates were awarded over the weekend and 3 more were awarded at today's class. To reach intermediate level, you will need to have taken 4 classes with me. At this stage you will have handled a wide variety of brushes in several different ways, you will have experience with your colour mixing, you will be familiar with both painting and palette knife control, you will have fine tuned your blending techniques and many other things besides. I hadn't originally planned on giving certificates to mark this level, a suggestion from a student gave me the idea and I have to say, these certificates are really well received. (Plus they're quite pretty and would look really nice in a frame!) (NB: Post edited 1.5.08)
I've just added a brand new painting to the Class Subject's page entitled 'Coming into land' with a couple of ducks about to land on the pond. It's not compulsory to add the ducks, it's a nice painting with or without them. I have to say it's been a frustrating painting day and I haven't managed to achieve what I set out to do. Hopefully later this week I'll have another go. One thing for sure, it's really nice to be back in my studio with all my materials around me. It's even better when the sun is shining through the window - I've missed painting in there.

Week 16: 21st April to 27th April

We hadn't planned on giving the motorhome another run this weekend as I had a class on Saturday and we didn't think it was worth going away for just the one night. But, it's a woman's perogative to change her mind...... and it was such a lovely warm day too.   In under 2 hours of the class ending we were booked in, parked up, kettle on and I was reclined on the sofa with magazine in hand! We didn't venture no more than 20 miles and found ourselves a lovely spot on the Woodbridge/Hollesley border. The campsite was small, friendly and immaculately well kept. We noticed, on our evening walk, our hosts had a trailer full of wonderful garden plants on display. We treated ourselves to a rather large Aloe Vera. The owner of the site was telling us that her plants are so popular, she's had people travel as far away as Derbyshire to stock up on their garden foliage. I can understand why too - our Aloe Vera is over 2 foot wide and only cost £2.50.
Back in March on Sue's News I showed a section of a figurative study I had been working on. It's been sat on my easel ever since, unfinished. For the last 3 days, straight after painting the Smokey stages, I have used the same technique to finish this nude - By Lamplight . As you all know, Valerie is a renowned Portrait Artist and the same basic technique can be used for either figurative work or animal studies. I have another nude that is prepared and ready to paint and I shall be sure to work Valerie's method into the project. I'm beginning to make a dent into my unfinished work..........there's 4 more landscape studies which have to take priority first though.
After a really busy morning tearing about I returned to the house just after lunch. After sorting a few bits out I finally sat down with a cuppa. In front of me, leaning on the mantelpiece was Smokey - just waiting for her last step to be completed. To be honest I had other tasks calling me, but I knew if I didn't finish her today then it would be late next week before I got another chance. Out came the palette, paints, brushes, medium - on went the DVD. Again, I was painting on my lap but this time I managed to knock over my little pot of thinners and also dropped a brush.   You can see the much larger finished result in my gallery and I have to say I enjoyed painting the eyes and the whiskers the most. I wouldn't recommend lap painting for step 2 and 3, but for the under painting (step 1) it should be fine. One thing - it was very interesting for me to be a 'student' again and I've thoroughly enjoyed painting along with Valerie. Not only does she give brilliant commentry, she also tells little student stories as she goes along.   Several of them made me smile - especially the one about the student (also an art teacher) who fiddled. I have to say, I did a little bit of fiddling myself but I think I managed to recognise the 'over-kill' stage. One thing I have learnt, if you only have an hour to paint, 3 times a week, then this is an ideal project to do. By the end of the week you could have your own Smokey.....or a labrador.......or a pony !
The cat portrait I am currently making, by following the Valerie Stewart 'Smokey' DVD, is a 3 step project. The paint needs to dry between each step. This morning the underpainting was dry enough for me to continue and hopefully I can add the final details tomorrow and finish it completely. Again, I have painted on my lap. All the equipment needed is a few small squirts of paint, a couple of soft brushes (floral brushes will work perfectly) and a little pot of medium. I got a little messy this time and put paint on my trousers when getting up to answer the phone plus I knocked over my pot of medium when reaching for the remote control (caught by a swift hand action, saving the coffee table!). Here's Smokey after step 2 has been completed. I really enjoyed painting those big green eyes and the exercise will come in handy as I have a huge cat eye project that I've started.
This morning, when checking in with the various art groups, I was immediately motivated into action. One lady in the USA has just ordered her Pet Portrait DVD's. Already she has finished her first painting and posted it to the group for all to see. Carol, from Lancaster in New York, has very kindly allowed me to share her painting with you all.  I think you'll agree she's done a lovely job of this very realistic tabby. (DVD Project 'TIGER' )  From the look in those eyes, I can imagine this cat has just this second heard his food being prepared. Step 1

Well done Carol, I look forward to seeing your next Pet Portrait. But thanks especially for making me start my own Pet Portrait. As soon as I saw the images of the projects I was immediately taken with 'SMOKEY' who resembles our own grey tabby. I started work, following Valerie's in depth and illustrative step by step instructions. In well under an hour I'd completed stage 1, seen here on the left. I can barely wait for it to dry to start on step 2 tomorrow..... One thing I have learnt, I can take a couple of canvases, one brush, one tube of paint and a small pot of medium away with me on our next camping trip as that's all you need for the underpainting stage - plus you can work on your lap! Just a reminder - the 10 Pet Portrait DVD set is still on promotional offer at only £67.50. The offer ends on May 10th and the DVD's will then be priced at £83. Single projects are available at just £13.50
You can imagine the amount of furry friends we saw over the weekend, being located in woodlands at both sites. We're no strangers to the squirrels as we have a regular visitor to our bird table each morning for his breakfast. This morning, however, I enjoyed watching our regular squirrel and his mate enjoy their nuts. I have a lovely view of the garden from my office window and sometimes it's a job to pay attention to the computer when there's so much activity going on outside. I even had time to put on my shoes, find my camera and walk outside to take this snap. You can see one squirrel at the extreme right of the shot and the other is the extreme left. Speaking of furry friends, it's about time I got started on a Pet Portrait.

Week 15: 14th April to 20th April

This weekend we've been perfecting our waves. No, I'm not talking seascapes here. I'm talking on-road communication with other motor-home drivers. We took our home from home out on it's first run this weekend and were waved at by other motor-home owners all along the route, isn't that a nice friendly gesture? We decided to visit Thetford Forest and found an absolutely spotless campsite right on the border of the Forest. After a long walk in the woods, on our first evening, we sat down to a hearty home-cooked dinner. In our little kitchenette I managed to serve up lamb cutlets, mash, 2 veg and gravy followed by a bowl of profiteroles. Washed down with wine we were in our own little paradise. Complete with central heating we couldn't be cosier and we both slept like logs. In the morning the kitchen facilities had to be tested again, just to make sure. After a full English breakfast we set off to stay with the Queen. Well, I say the Queen, we actually stayed on her Estate at Sandringham........but our special waves were well rehearsed, just incase we bumped into her. We've both agreed that we haven't been so relaxed for ages and all in all our little motor home has proved to be an absolute gem. I'm counting the days until we use it again. I'll be back to business first thing on Monday, so I'll get around to your e-mails and bookings pretty soon.

A little while ago a chap, in the UK, requested the sample Water DVD. He subsequently purchased the whole landscape set of DVD's. Mike was so impressed with the quality of tuition on the DVD's that he wrote an e-mail to Darrell Crow, telling him just how happy he was. Darrell in turn forwarded me a copy of the e-mail, as we always share feedback on our products/classes. Mike subsequently booked a class and I made a point to take his photo, with finished painting and e-mail it on to Darrell. Click, Load, Enter & Send and the world has suddenly become a much smaller place thanks once again to the internet. Here's a very happy Mike with his first oil painting.

While I had the camera to hand I managed to take a very discreet photo of Jim. Jim has painted with me a couple of times and this week he too made his first ever mountains and fir trees. Both subjects are not the easiest in the world for a beginner. The mountains need really good knife control and ultra light pressure - the fir trees need great attention to angle and brush position. In all my years of teaching I don't think I have ever seen a beginner place his firs trees on the canvas so gently and precisely - these were simply stunning once the grass bank and the highlights were added. Jim's version of 'High Hopes' has already been taken from him and hangs in a family member's home, even though it is still wet. In fact, all of Jim's paintings have been taken................. I think Jim expressed the most concern when I scraped my painting off the canvas at the end of the class. As I always tell my students, I have a studio full of High Hopes, I don't really need another and I can re-use the canvas once it dries and I prime it. To re-use a canvas, scrape off as much paint as you can with the palette knife. Dampen some kitchen towel or a rag with low odour thinners and wipe over the entire canvas. You'll be left with a muddy sludge colour all over the canvas BUT you will also have a nice flat surface again, this is what's important. Once the surface has dried (allow at least a week) you can prime it with an oil paint primer, which is oil based. This will take at least 24 hours to dry and will take your canvas back to a clean white. You can also use gesso/acrylic. Black gesso/acrylic will cover your stained canvas in one coat, white gesso/acrylic will take at least 2 coats. Gesso/acrylic is water based in will be dry pretty quickly. You will find, the more layers of gesso/acrylic you apply, the more absorbant your canvas will become. This simply means you'll need a little more liquid white/white medium or liquid clear/clear medium than you would normally use. There, hope I've saved you a couple of quid on canvases.

Chatting to Darrell this afternoon, the subject soon came around to theme music - prompted by my earlier news entry regarding the Rustlers! It doesn't look likely that any Floyd music will have a place on these DVD's but we had hysterics talking about some other alternatives. Things got a little silly (as they often do) when we were wondering about a Bond-like intro - complete with silhouette of Darrell holding fan brushes instead of a gun. I can just imagine it now.......... 'The name's Crow, Darrell Crow' Ah well, it's nice to get shaken and stirred once in a while. Is it any coincidence, in my office days, I used to be called 'Mish Munnay Pennay' (you have to imagine this said in a Shcotish acshent/Sean Connery style)

Week 15:  7th April to 13th April
How easily we are influenced by personnal recommendation. I mentioned a little while ago how recent students, Chris & Pete from York, were singing the praises of their breadmaker. So much so, I went out and brought one. But, to the other extreme.......In an e-mail sent to me yesterday, Chris tells me they were so impressed with our campervan - they went out and brought one! Joan, who called by for a coffee and some frames recently, caught whiff of some finished bread and she's now bitten by the bug. Yesterday's student was allured by the smell of my spiced fruit loaf and she is off buying yeast and flour today after dusting off her unused breadmaker. I've got speciality bread requests from Steffi's work-mates and the house has a warm baking aroma pretty much every day. I have to say, it's one of those machines, if you don't have one you don't know what you're missing - but if you do have one, you wonder how you managed without it. I'm half wondering if I can obtain a bulk order of these machines at a wholesale price - I bet I'd be able to sell quite a few.
It's like buses......you don't see anything for ages then they all come together. With 3 consecutive deliveries this morning I have boxes everywhere! The main thing, the Alexander brushes have now arrived. I'm just finished working on the shopping baskets for those with a special price if you buy the 2 together. You'll find these HERE As always, the price includes postage and packing and the availability on these fantastic brushes is immediate. It's quite exciting as I do believe AyoubArt is currently the only company distributing these items in Europe.
I've got a little production line on the go at the moment, the duplicator is churning away, the DVD printer has been going for the last 2 hours and the TV in the lounge is on so I can manually test the DVD's. I've been catching glimpses of this new series and I will say there's a very distinct difference in this latest production - and one you'll all notice straight away.  The Australian Country Band, 'The Rustlers', has been replaced with some gentle pipe music. Now don't all go charging over to the shopping basket at once.   And no, this isn't a Dingo, it's Dudley, the English Cocker Spaniel from DVD number 9. I wonder if Darrell will ever take our advice and one day add some Floyd music to the opening credits.
The Valerie Stewart Pet Portrait DVD masters have just this second arrived. I'm working on the shopping basket for these DVD's right away. The 10 DVD set is on Special Offer for just £67.50 or they can be purchased individually as single DVD projects for just £13.50 each. The price includes postage and packing. Availability for all 10 DVD's is IMMEDIATE. Click here to be taken to the shopping basket.
Over the weekend we managed to catch up with our happy wanderer, Alan's daughter. She has just returned home after travelling the world for a whole year. Readers of Sue's News have seen a few of the photos that I have shown now and again from Carla's travels. We enjoyed looking at quite a few more snaps taken from the far east.  Apparently the snaps we have seen so far are just the tip of the iceburg as a total of over 11,000 photos were taken over the course of the last 12 months. That's an average of 30 plus a day.  I'm sure these will be a huge source of inspiration for paintings and look forward to seeing loads more. Apparently, the lovely yellow-ish scene of Luang Prabang which features in week 10 on Sue's March News was taken using a pair of sunglasses as a filter. How inventive. Here's a scene from their Great Barrier Reef adventure.

Week 14:  1st April to 6th April
After such a beautiful few days, I thought to myself that NO WAY will the forecast snow arrive. Was I wrong! Within minutes of getting up, sure enough, it started to fall.  And it continued to do so throughout the day. I'm glad I tackled the outside jobs while I could. The weather didn't delay any of today's students and they all arrived in good time. Interestingly enough, today I had the highest number of youngsters in a class to date.  Our 4 young ladies all made beautiful paintings and it was a pleasure to see their parent's suprised faces when they arrived to collect them.
Today I really should have been painting and completing some of my unfinished projects......again! But instead, seeing as the camper van passed it's MOT, I decided to give the paints a miss and give the camper a spring clean. Last week Alan said the camper is ready for use right away, which actually means the engine is sound. I'm a little more fussy and I need every thing to be washed and scrubbed. The curtains and cushion covers were washed as soon as we got the motor, so that saved some time. On went the marigolds and out came the hoover, flash, fairy liquid, polish and windolene. It's taken me the best part of the day but there's not an inch of the interior that hasn't had a spruce up. I'm absolutely so thrilled with this little home from home and the storage space seems to go on and on with cupboards in every little nook and cranny imaginable.  So pleased with myself, I then started to kit the camper out. The shower room now has everything we could possible need, the kitchenette is almost done and all the fresh linen and bedding is stored away. Some new books are in a cupboard along with my travel easel and paints, sketchbook, a travel set of games and a pack of cards. I've even put a bottle of wine in the fridge! Fingers crossed this lovely weather will hold as we plan to give this a run-in pretty soon.
Yesterday I really should have been painting and completing some of my unfinished projects. But instead, seeing as it was such a fabulous day, I decided to give the paints a miss and get out in the garden. Considering this time last week we had the remains of a snowman in the back garden, it was good to be working in t-shirt and sunglasses. Having a wonderful garden centre in the village is so handy and I brought a few little bits to give my pots some colour. One thing I did notice......the birds' dawn chorus didn't let up all day long. Here's where we sometimes sit in the evenings with a cuppa or glass of wine. It won't be long before the colour really explodes.
Coming soon........the Bill Alexander landscape brushes will be available to buy direct from the UK. They'll be available from my oil painting classes and I'll create a shopping basket for them on my supplies pages for online orders. You'll soon be able to paint your 'almighty' paintings using these high quality unique boar bristle, tapered edge tools. My own Alexander brushes have been well and truly put through their paces. They're slightly softer than the Bob Ross brushes, they have a bit more spring in the bristles which makes them a bit more flexible. I think you'll enjoy them.
Bill Alexander should probably have been given an award for his use of the word 'mighty'. He had mighty mountains, mighty trees and mighty brushes. Yesterday we had a mighty canvas. One student had been commissioned to paint a large brown and ochre woodland scene. Golden Brown was an ideal subject and fitted the requirements exactly. All students had their normal equipment - except one. Marion was painting on a 3 foot by 4 foot canvas, using 2 easels and several different giant brushes. She managed to keep up with the rest of the class and it was great for students to see how this painting subject can be adapted to different sizes. The only thing with a canvas this size is when you stand back to assess your progress......you really need to stand well back to take in a canvas this size.
Text message-ing can be a godsend sometimes, especially if you just want to send a quick reminder to someone. When I watch my kids sending their text messages their fingers are all over their minute little phones like lightening, it amazes me the speed they put their cryptic monologues together. I seem to take ages, even with the predictive text. The popularity of texting over actually speaking on the phone has grown and grown. Earlier this year, Ipswich County Council invested funds in improvements to the pedestrianized shopping centre. In the main walkway, from Debenhams to Croydon's they have been adding padded sleeves to the street lamps........ It just goes to show the sign of the times - apparently habitual texters were getting concussed!