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Hi Everyone

I want to share with you what goes through my mind and how I feel when I am creating artwork and how listening to certain types of music affects the outcome.

When I am inspired to create a piece of work, I can see the finished product in my mind's eye, and then I think about the emotion I want to include in that scene, and it always comes back to wanting to create a sense of beauty and tranquility.

As I mentioned earlier music plays a big part in the creative process, before I begin working I choose the music best suited, to aid me in getting into the zone and flow, and stir up emotions of beauty and tranquility. Yes I do get a feeling when I look at someone or something beautiful. The songs don't have to be ballads, sometimes it is pop rock to rap but all of the songs I choose evoke the same emotions of tranquility, which in turn creates a sense of beauty, and that is why they are suitable for listening to during painting.

I draw out the scene in a light pencil and then mix colours for the sky, trees and any buildings that may be in the scene. I always paint the sky in first, and then move onto the trees, buildings, and grass. As I continue painting I strive for the image and emotion of the finished painting I feel and see in my mind's eye. A third way through I step back and observe the scene and note what needs to be worked on next or adjusted, these are the thoughts that go through my mind from this point until the finished painting.

"oh yeah good it is feeling beautiful and tranquil", "damn I messed the trees up, they need a different shade of burnt umber and green" "oh god it's crap! I've ruined it, all those hours of painting, and paint i have used, what a waste!" "whoever told me I could paint is mad!" "sshh don't tell anyone I'm crap" "I am never painting live because they will find out i am a fraud" "whose idea was this to paint miniature buildings and windows aahhhgg!" "oh wait, it was mine!" "All is ok with the world again I turned it around" "yes that is beautiful, I am the business, woop woop!"

It is thoroughly exhausting being an artist sometimes experiencing every emotion in the same day. I am intrigued to know what you go through when creating artwork or making hand made items, and what are your favourite genre of music to listen to and what emotions do they stir up in you? You don't need to be an artist to answer this question. Leave a comment below.

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Climate change makes the restoration and reconnection of Living Landscapes to preserve biodiversity even more crucial. Our wildlife communities will need to be genetically vigorous to adapt to whatever unpredictable conditions arise in the future. Tiny populations in stagnant gene pools clinging to isolated patches of ground will not make it. Wildlife will need larger core areas to ensure maximum variability, and these will have to be linked. As the temperature, acidity, water or salt content in the soil changes, whole groups of plants and animal will need gradually to shift along passable corridors – wildlife highways – to new elevations or aspects.
The Wildlife Trusts are uniquely placed to spearhead the delivery of Living Landscapes. Countrywide, there are 47 trusts, owning or managing hundreds of nature reserves – among the first seeds for our core areas. Each trust also has experts with the local knowledge and enthusiasm to provide the hard graft and guidance needed. Between them, the Wildlife Trusts have more than three quarters of a million active and concerned members. But this is not a job for conservationists alone. It will benefit, and must involve, people everywhere.

It’s a statutory duty Already all government departments have a statutory duty to have consideration for biodiversity in all activities. So, apart from the wider conservation movement, early partners will include public bodies such as Natural England, the Environment Agency, the Forestry Commission, the Ministry of Defence, British Waterways and local authorities. The huge amount of land in public ownership can all be managed to contribute to some extent to a Living Landscape. Equally important is to involve the private sector. Housing developers and water companies, for instance, will appreciate the advantage of effective flood controls, and sympathetic farmers can be helped through funding instruments.
Putting nature at the heart of our lives A Living Landscape means the revival of the land we love. Nature has so many uses – it can temper the climate, clean the air, regulate the flow of water, give us space in which to play and heal our souls. It is time to channel it back into the heart of all our lives. A Living Landscape is the embodiment of ‘joined-up’ conservation.

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restore natural areas by reassembling damaged and fragmented blocks of woodand, meadows and marshes. It will reconnect the living tissues – the streams and hedges and waysides – that link them to the pockets of wildness in our towns and villages. It will rebuild nature in our midst and put it to work for us. A reinvigorated natural world will become our ally in coping with environmental threats.
Other generations have faced and conquered acute challenges. Polluted water, smog, acid rain: all have had a detrimental effect on wildlife and people, and all, through good science, strategic co-operation and sensible legislation have been tackled. Climate change (linked to intensive development) is our generation’s principle crisis. The impacts are uncertain, but the least we can expect are unpredictable weather with unseasonable winds, flooding and unfamiliar conditions for wildlife. Fortunately, our landscape, if properly refurbished and managed, can help us deal with this.

Capturing the carbon Global warming is the result of a recent build-up of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, forming a blanket that allows the sun’s rays to enter but not to escape back into space. But the CO2 from the fossil fuels we burn can be reabsorbed and stored by the plants in our landscape and the phytoplankton in our oceans. Every woodland and hedgerow we restore, every tree we plant in gardens, streets and parks makes a contribution. Peatlands have an even greater capacity for locking up CO2, and so the value of protecting and restoring these features is evident.

Soaking up the floodwater Flooding is the most conspicuous domestic catastrophe we have attributed to climate change so far. Floods arise less from an increase in water than from how that water is channelled off the land. Huge, compacted or drained fields, dredged, high-speed riverbeds and concrete roads and carparks all accelerate water off the land and through people’s front doors. What is needed are obstacles to slow it down and sumps to soak it up. Nature provides these in the form of flood-meadows, wetlands and marshes. But 90 per cent of lowland wetlands have been drained in the past 60 years. It is now in everyone’s interest – farmers, developers, householders, government alike – that we put some of them back.

Next week I will share how climate change makes the restoration and reconnection of living landscapes.

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Hello Everyone

Welcome to the first blog of 2016. I am going to share with you what you can expect from me when commissioning a painting.

Once we have established your budget we then discuss your preferred surface such as canvas, paper, board etc and I guide you on the size of the painting to ensure we remain within budget. What I need from you is clear concise instructions on the type of background you prefer if your subject is not a landscape. If you are unsure, don't worry I will be able to make suggestions of backgrounds that will suit your painting, and if I am to paint a people portrait then I will need instructions on the type of pose you are looking for.

I then take a photograph and you choose the final picture. Please allow 4-6 weeks for the painting to be completed. I keep you informed of it's progress by emailing you a picture, and if there are any changes to be made, then that is the time to make them. Paintings on canvas arrive to ready to hang at no extra cost and if your painting requires mounting and framing then I can get that done for you.

Thank you for reading until next time...........

Merry Christmas Everyone

I mentioned in a previous blog that I was participating in an open air art fair, well I am going to share with you how it went. On Monday of that week the weather was bitterly cold with torrential rain and gale force winds. I was in two minds whether to cancel the venue and wait until spring, by a stroke of luck I was contacted by a local artist who wanted to meet up for a drink and told me about an indoor christmas fair taking place on the same day, at Queen Annes School. Luckily I got a table and spent the week repacking my bag in preparation for it.

The fair took place in their sports hall and it exuded festive warmth and cheerfulness. There were plenty of refreshments, music a santa grotto and bouncy castle. I sold hand painted christmas cards you won't find on my website, and they went down a storm.

The school raised £1000 for the Kasiisi Porridge Project and National Animal Welfare Trust. They are holding a spring fair which I am keen to participate in to raise money for their next two chosen charities.

As it is nearing the end of 2015 I would like to say a big thank you for all of your support in following me as my business grows. I hope 2016 is kind to you take care and see you next year.

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Love Joanne

Have you ever looked at an artist’s work and wondered how they arrived at the finished product? Did they photograph their subject first then paint? Or did they take pictures of beautiful work?
I am going to share with you the process that I followed in creating the 16 paintings on my website.

1) Over a period of two months, I scoured the countryside for large enough scenes, which were either bland, (so I could them pretty up), or already pleasing to the eye, that could be painted from different perspectives.

2) To get that shot, I risked getting scratched by brambles, blown away by the wind, rained on, or run over by passing cars. All in the name of Art. I used the camera on my phone to take the photographs.

3) When I got home five of the most inspiring pictures to work with were selected . I tend to work on several paintings at the same time, as do numerous artists, because it keeps the interest and motivation fresh.

4) The next step was choosing a surface to work on. How to make that decision comes down to the medium being used. My medium is Acrylics therefore I used un primed canvas textured Acrylic paper, which holds the paint in place.

5) After roughly mapping out the perspective on all five surfaces, I started to paint in the details to a certain stage every day so they would all be completed at the same time, using paint brushes of various shapes and sizes.

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Painting is a wonderful hobby and pastime. It can also be a great career for those lucky enough to make it as a professional painter. Whether you paint for work or just for fun, there are lots of benefits of painting, and here are 5 of them:

1. Appreciating works of art

Paintings can be intricate works of art that have many layers to them in terms of their message. Artists complete their works in a particular way and have a particular subject matter for a reason. If you paint, you’ll get a better understanding of why other artists have completed their works in the way they have. The best way to understanding the make-up of a painting is not to look at it from afar, but to do your own paintings and get to grips with how they’re completed. The more you experiment in your own work with different styles and techniques, the more you’ll understand and appreciate other works of art.

2. Stress relief

Painting is a great way to relieve stress. Many people turn to painting because it allows them to get away from it all and focus on creating something positive. Many channel their stress into their works and create works that have been inspired by their heavy feelings. Painting becomes more fun and exciting because you’re leaving the negativity behind and doing something where you can just focus on the good.

3. Self-expression

Lots of people enjoy painting because it’s a great way for them to express themselves. There’s nothing to get your creativity going like a blank canvas. With painting you can create whatever you want and you can say whatever you want. All paintings have meaning and messages, whether they’re simple or complex. All paintings are done to convey meaning and messages to others; they’re a way for the artist to show their creativity and express themselves to the world in a highly creative way.

4. Optimism

Most painters are optimists because painting has helped them develop a positive outlook on life. Part of this outlook comes from a sense of achievement artists feel as they develop their painting skills and complete more paintings. Many artists who have been painting for a while feel great that they’ve built up a skill set and have a collection of paintings to show. Building up skills and paintings is something that can help you feel a lot more positive because you’re achieving things and doing something good.

5. Fun

To put it simply, one of the best benefits of painting is that it’s fun. You get to unleash your creative spirit and can create whatever you want without any restrictions. You’re in charge and you get to approach painting exactly how you want to. You feel motivated to get your work done then you feel a sense of accomplishment once it’s done. There is so much to explore, with loads of different styles and techniques to discover – there’s always going to be a painting ready to be created. Painting can be many things but there’s no denying that above all, it’s a lot of fun, and that’s one of its best benefits.

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What is plein air painting?

Plein air painting simply means painting outdoors. It's derived from the French term en plein air, meaning 'in the open air'. Plein air paintings are usually landscapes or snapshots of real life. The practice of painting outdoors has been popular for several centuries. Many artists regularly paint outdoors and find it a very enjoyable way of painting.

When did it start?

Painting outdoors became especially popular in the mid-19th century with the Impressionists and the Barbizon school. Artists would head outdoors and paint scenes from real life, whether it was a scenic landscape or a painting of people going about their everyday routine. The practice grew in popularity thanks to the development of paints in tubes and portable field easels, which made it much easier for artists to have all their equipment on-site. Plein air painting has been very popular with French Impressionists, American Impressionists and a host of Russian painters, as well as many others.

What about all my supplies?

If you can, have two different sets of art supplies, one for in the studio and one for plein air painting that you take with you on the go. Try to use an oil that dries quickly - transporting wet canvases can be quite a problem so make sure you know how you're going to get your canvas home. It's great if you have enough room in your car to put your canvas down flat. A French easel is ideal for plein air painting because it's portable and you can store your painting in it.

What about the weather?

One thing you have to bear in mind is the sun. As the day progresses, shadows will change throughout the course of the day. If you want to you can work on one canvas in the morning then a different one in the afternoon, each one showing the same place at different times of the day. Either way you should focus on the main shapes of the painting first, then add details like shadows in later. Impressionists would study how light and the weather both affect scenes at different times of the day. Plein air paintings are known for their brilliant, glistening lights.

What if people ask me what I'm doing?

If you're painting outdoors, you should be prepared to have people ask you what you're doing. Even if you're in a very remote place, there's always the chance that a passer-by could see you working and have some questions. If you're up to speaking to people, by all means engage in conversation and answer their questions - you never know, you could get a few sales this way! If you just want to get on with your work, politely let them know you want to crack on. Most people will just want to have a look at what you're doing and should understand that you want to concentrate on your work.

Why should I do it?

Plein air painting can be very enjoyable and rewarding. Finding a place to paint, whether it's close to where you live or further away, can be fun and adventurous. A great part of the experience is scouting about to find a great place to paint. Another great part is surrounding yourself with the sights, sounds and smells of nature and capturing all of them in your painting. There are loads of scenic landscapes all over the place just waiting to be painted.

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Hello everybody!

Over the past few weeks I’ve been asking you for your input to help me create my next painting. I’ve had quite a few suggestions – thank you to everyone who’s made one. It was hard deciding a winner as there were some really great suggestions, but I’ve decided on a winner.

I’m pleased to announce that John is the winner. John suggested painting a meadow with a bridge and a village in the distance. So congratulations John! I’m really excited to get started on this and will be posting another work in progress video either next week or the week after, so watch out for that.

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The Art on the Street open art fair is taking place on Saturday 5th December in Maidenhead town centre and I’m delighted to be taking part. The fair will be taking place from 10am to 4pm and my stand will be opposite Scrivens Opticians.

Art on the Street has been running for seven years. Every year there are two fairs: as well as this one in November, there’s also one in June. The June festival earlier this year attracted some 40,000 people from all over, so I’m hoping this time it’ll be even busier!

To entertain you while you look round the various stalls, there will be live music. Food will also be served and as the fair has obtained a license to serve alcohol, there’ll be mulled wine available as well for you to enjoy.

I do hope to see lots of you there and I hope it will be a good day out for everybody. Entry and parking are both free.

Art on the Street

When: Saturday 5th December, 10am to 4pm

Where: Opposite Scrivens Opticians, Maidenhead town centre

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