Lion Demonstration in watercolour

Was lovely to be invited to the Ilford Art Society to give a demonstration. A local society that I joined and gave my first UK demo too, some years back. Very friendly society, always on the lookout for new members to join them. 

They requested a wildlife demo so I decided on one of my favourite animals, a lion in watercolours. 

Photo ref with thanks to  Pete Lambert on Unsplash

llford Art Society is highly respected in the local art community, with a history going back to 1925. Members range from beginners to experienced artists. The atmosphere at classes is informal, and there is a substantial social element to the Society's activities and committee life. We hold weekly classes on Wednesday evenings run by an experienced Tutor and exhibit regularly at a range of venues.

Once a month they host a painting demonstration, showing artists' materials and techniques. These are well supported and are always introducing new and exciting ideas. During the year a series of life classes are also arranged. Their online gallery showcases Members' work. Paintings are available for sale, and commissions can be undertaken by individual artists upon request. They have regular life and costume models. 

Members are free to either work from the model if they wish or to work on landscapes, still life or simply their own imagination - in a variety of materials of their choice.

HOW TO JOIN 

#lion #bigcats #lioness #africa #african #wildlife #art #watercolour #wildlifeartists #lionpainting #wildlifeart #instagood #instagram

New Tiger Painting - SEAW Exhibition

Just put the finishing touches on this New Tiger painting, ready for the Society of East Anglian Watercolourists members Spring Exhibition. Be sure to come along and take a look, full of very talented watercolour artist.

It will be held at The Pond Gallery, Snape Maltings, Suffolk from Friday 25th May to Wednesday 30th May. @eastanglianwatercolourists

Free Demonstration at Hobbycraft Store . . .

I will also be having a clearance sale of Prints and Originals as well as Greetings Cards.

Ideal for Christmas presents if you are looking for something different and special.

Watercolour & Ink Tiger . . . " Panthera "

I've often used ink on watercolour paintings in the past , although I also love it just as it is, especially when used for architecture. Not having used it for some time I got started on it again recently after seeing a wonderful pen and wash "Helping Hands" by a member of Painting Friends forum, Sharon Williams. which you can see by following the links in the text.

What grabbed me most about Sharon's painting was how it wasn't the typical "Ink & Wash" that is too often a watercolour painting outlined neatly with an Ink pen. While there is nothing wrong with that, I just loved the way the wash overran the lines into other areas and how that gave Sharon's work that painterly look that really appeals to me.

 This is my attempt at a different take on "pen & wash"
 "Panthera"

So out came the ink ... and a straw....
                                      The initial attempts resulted in the painting "I belong to Africa" which you can see in an older post by clicking on the linked title. Although I loved that painitng and thoroughly enjoyed painting it, I still wanted a more randomness to the ink work. This is where those odd workshops and lessons come into use, the ones you don't always immediately use afterwards, but the parts that appealed and inspired seem to sit in the back of your mind just waiting.

 I had taken a short watercolour and Ink course at the local adult education center a few years back, a very enjoyable course run by a talented teacher, but never really used much of what I had learnt. The one thing I enjoyed the most was the use of other implements for the ink work, giving up a bit of control may be scary sometimes but it can have some wonderful effects and becomes part of what goes towards making a painting "yours".
 

  *** The Original painting will be on Exhibition and for sale at the  ***

  * Redbridge Arts Association Summer Exhibition  *

  *  at the Dovecote Gallery  *

* Valentines Mansion, Emerson Road, Ilford, Essex.  IG1 4XA  *

* from 2nd Jul-30th Jul  *

  ***   

Pride of Samburu....

Pride of Samburu.....Watercolour & Ink

Still working in watercolour & Ink and getting a real liking for it, thoroughly enjoying it so I carried on with the sketches I had done previous. These lions were a combination of a couple of photos and used with the kind permission of the photographer. I had painted these as separate photos on a previous occasion and some of the reason behind painting them again was, to not only see how much I had improved as an artist, but the fact that I could see how I wanted to capture them differently in my mind. I went about this in much the same way as "Lost" was painted, only when dropping in other colours it probably wasn't so wet in wet.

 

It really is quite difficult to photograph a painting with a white background so this doesn't quite show as it should and even more so as it is a full sheet in width. 

Below is a closer view of the lions and shows the colours a lot more accurately.....This one really was so enjoyable to paint, and I will definitely doing some more ink work.

With much thank to Paul Ijsendoorn for allowing me to use his wonderful photos. 

NEW.....Wild at Heart Calendar 2011........Now available

I have finally got round to  making a Calendar of my Wildlife Photos. It can be purchased via Redbubble. .

Wild at Heart

2011 Calendar

Featuring a collection of

Wildlife photographs

by Stephie Butler

A wonderful collection of Fine Art Photographs that can be mounted and framed when you've finished with the calendar. And at a fraction of the price of a normal prints.

RedBubble calendars 

are printed using marvellous futuristic technologies, printed on a luscious 200gsm satin art paper. 

At the striking size of A3 

(297x420mm, or 11.69x16.54").

They also have very handy wire binding so you can hang them.

You can select your own start month, and order right into the future. Everything about them is brilliant, except you'll have no excuse for missing your sister's birthday anymore.

***Customised Calendars***

Would you like a Calendar made of your favourites of any of my Paintings or Photographs, then just drop me a line, tell me which ones you would like included, and i'll put it together for you.....and all at no extra cost too.

I can also offer a personally designed front page just for you. There will be a small charge for this depending how much work involved, and would be payable to me separately through Paypal.