Patchings and a workshop and... a prize!

Some of today's lovely workshop attendees and their very fine work!

Today was the first open day of the brilliant four day event that is Patchings festival, and what a very busy and fun day it was with glorious weather! 

This afternoon I was teaching a workshop painting still life with cupcakes - my favourite kind of still life! As you can see I had a very talented bunch working with me today and all go home with a lovely goody bag which includes paper, paints, brushes, palette and a few little gifts from me including a delicious cupcake :-)

The Patchings/The Artist exhibition that I've been talking to you about also opened this morning and I'm delighted to tell you that 'Chicken huts in the snow' won a £250 Royal Talens prize and also I hear that the painting has already sold! So all in all a very happy day :-)

You can see the whole of The Artist and Leisure Painter exhibitions online now on the Patchings website, well worth a look if you can't visit in person. I wish you could all visit in person, but it's the next best thing. Click here!

And I also should say a big welcome to all my new blog subscribers who are meeting me at the festival and meeting my blog for the first time, we're glad to have you here!

Cupcake and roses

Cupcake and roses
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Oils on stretched canvas, 10" x 12"
I wanted to work again with the same subject that I was using for the thirty minute exercise, and this time get the teacup in! It's a teacup filled with candle, it's very pretty. I also wanted to use the same colour palette and even more importantly, I wanted the same boldness about the brushstrokes. And economy! I wanted to use the minimum of brushstrokes as necessary, place a mark and leave it alone.
I didn't have a time limit this time! I think I've achieved everything I set out to do, I like it very much! Would quite happily keep it but I'll put it up for auction in case one of you wants a chance!

Here's a detail, lovely smooth lusciousness...

Yum, I could eat those colours... or I could actually go and eat the cake I suppose...

Painting faster!

Cupcake, rose and hyacinth
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I've been preparing for my next workshop which is all about painting faster! It throws up some very interesting questions about what exactly you would call fast, and what the benefits are of painting faster. What would you consider fast in the completion of a painting? For me it's anything up to an hour and a half. Back in the day, at university, we painted in full colour from the life model with only five minutes each pose. That's what I call a good education!

So today I set my timer for this painting and gave myself thirty minutes. Not a second more! I started getting anxious when I had ten minutes left mind you!
Although reluctant to stop when the timer finished I did and am actually really thrilled with it! I think I captured the essential info with an expressive, direct feeling to the marks and bold colour. If I had unlimited time I'm sure I would have lost that with 'fiddling' and 'neatening up'! Sound familiar?
I used a fairly small board (10" x 8") and fairly large brush and laid out my paint on the palette before I started the clock.
I thought you might be interested to see the objects I was working from...

There are still places available on the workshop on Monday... you know you love a challenge! Find out all about it on my website www.haideejo.com

Cupcake with parasol

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Cupcake with parasol

Here's a Waitrose cupcake painting with a cute paper parasol added for that real party feel! This painting is oil on linen canvas, sized 12" x 12", and at the top and bottom and in gaps you can see the natural colour of the linen left showing. I always think it's too nice to cover completely!
I started this painting with an underpainting of the major complimentary colours, for example the lemon coloured cupcake was first painted in violet and the rose coloured parasol is green underneath. You can see the colours peeking through, giving a special vibrancy.
It would make a lovely birthday gift I think!
Today I've been very busy working on printing the pages of my little journal, drawings from Brehat! Apologies if you are still waiting for one, it's all starting to come together now! ;)