"Somebody Cares"

NEW WORK

"Somebody Cares.........#Watercolour on Arches papers

This recently completed  painting was from a photo I took earlier this year in The Gambia.  We were on a day out with Sandy, who founded and runs Goal For The Gambia, visiting the school in Somita. Sandy took along some blankets that Maggie and the scouts had made for the sick and elderly in the village. She handed one of the blankets to the headteachers mother and I was lucky to capture the moment. Such simple, but much needed things give so much joy to the people of The Gambia.

.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  

 Goal for The Gambia needs your help

June 27th

Disaster in Somita today. Huge winds and rain today has taken the roof off at both Bantangba nursery and the new school we built earlier this year. I am told at least 10 families have lost their roof too. We need to raise funds urgently to fix the two schools. I am waiting for estimates but on past experience it will be no less than £2000 each. Maybe more. Please, if you were thinking about donating anything to the charity can you do it now. Quickest way is through virgin money giving , donate now button at the top of the page. If you prefer to donate through out bank account please let me know and I will send you the details. Let’s get these schools fixed before more heavy rain comes and does even more damage. The students will also not be able to attend classes or do their end of year exams. Every pound donated will help. Thank you
In the photos below you can see Bantangba nursery on the left and Somita Arabic school on the left

July 1st

Update on the roof situation. The carpenter/roofer who we have used with great success in Kitty has been to Somita to assess the damage. Both roofs have to be completely replaced including the wood structure. Bantangba quote us D150000 ( £2500 roughly). And Somita Arabic school is d170000 ( £2750 ish) so we are looking for £5250. Thanks to Alison who did the Thames Walk and raised £500 for us and has agreed it can be used towards the repairs. We have also had some generous donations from supporters who saw the original post. We now have around £1000 in total, so still a way to go. Please share, donate if you and if anyone has any ideas for fundraising please let me know. We have to do these repairs urgently, both schools are our responsibility and if they are not done it will be the students who suffer. Many of them are due to sit national exams very soon. Thank you to everyone who has already donated. We will get this done but only with your help! Thanks xx

July 10th

Work has started on the two roofs despite heavy rain at times. We are still a long way short of the money we need to complete this work , we have raised £1125.74 so far, thank you to everyone who has donated so far. We still need another £4K and at the moment I am using money for other projects which of course means we need to replace that to continue with promised work. I just can’t leave the schools with no roofs! If you can spare a pound or two it will help! Never think your donation is too small to make a difference. Virgin money giving link to donate at the top of the page or if you prefer bank transfer send me a message and I will give you the details. Thank you very much x

July 24th 

Work has gone ahead , despite not having the money we need to do the work yet! We are borrowing money from our other projects while we continue to seek donations. We really had no choice but to go ahead. Thank you to everyone who has donated so far! 

.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  

If you would like to either, donate to the urgent work needed, sponsor a child/student or find out more about what the charity does. 

Please visit their website

GOAL for The Gambia

You can also help by shopping online through easyfundraising and Amazon Smile

and it won't cost you a penny. 

Find out more

HOW YOU CAN HELP

We are now registered for Amazon Smile. If you are purchasing anything through Amazon please click on our link. You then click on us by searching for Giving Opportunities to Achieve and Learn ( our registered name) and remember to shop on smile amazon each time. Your choice of charity only needs to be done once. It costs you nothing but could be amazing for us! Thank you x

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/ch/1125489-0

2 Day workshop in Holland - last few spaces

I am pleased to announce I will be back in Holland this year giving another 2 day workshop.

The workshop will be held at the Hotel de Valk, in Franeker.http://www.hoteldevalkfraneker.nl

If you would like to attend the workshop, please contact me through the contact page on my website. 

Watercolour Portrait of Zahrah . . .

"Zahrah"
Watercolour on Arches
© Stephie Butler

It's been a slow start to 2015 for me painting wise, but I managed to get back to it and put the finish touches on this one today. I'm so fortunate to have a beautiful granddaughter as a subject. I've painting her a few times now and feel with each one I get nearer to capturing her personality, I have to say I think this is my best and my favourite.

This started out as a demo for a student towards the end of last year and this shows it after the initial wash and an added touch to the eyes.

Next stage was adding more layers and building it up gently. On such a young child with a sweet expression you need to keep it soft.











If you would like to learn how to paint like this, come join me on a paintiing holiday in France. All abilities welcome and don't worry if you are a beginner as everyones receives lots of one to one help and advice during the workshops.

For details contact Drew & Bix at  www.francepaintingholiday.com 

Watercolour Portrait Workshop in Holland

Thrilled to announce that I will be giving a 2 day Portrait workshop in the Netherlands April 2015. If you are interested in joining me, please contact me for further details 

Painting Holiday at Bandouille . . . 2015

Come paint with me in France 28th Jun - 4th July 2015

www.francepaintingholiday.com

Last year I spent a glorious week as the guest teacher  of a portrait watercolour group at the beautiful Bandouille in France and am thrilled to say I will be back there again in 2015 teaching watercolour Portraits and Wildlife.

Bandouille A heavenly place to relax and paint .

Bandouille is a beautiful stone building, part of 12th century monastery and part 18th centuary farmhouse. 24 acres of the most beautiful surroundings, consisting of a 12 acre lake with outbuildings and barns, along with the remains of the original church, the magnificent monastery dome, two smaller lakes, fields and orchards.  I can't put into words how lovely it was to stay and teach at Bandouille. Bix and Drew go over and beyond making you welcome and comfortable in their  home.

www.francepaintingholiday.com

Eyes of Bue" voted runner up . . .

Thrilled to find out my painting "Eyes of Blue" was runner up in the Redbridge Arts Association Summer Exhibition 2014. This was done by public voting so thank you to all those who took the time to vote not only on mine but everyone's work. Thank you

"Eyes of Blue" is currently on Exhibition for sale at the Picturecraft Gallery in Holt. 

Ken Bromley Cover Competition . . . Time to vote

TIME TO VOTE . . . You said it was your favourite painting so I entered it into the Ken Bromley cover competition. Well I'm thrilled to say I made the shortlist..
You can vote here for your three favourite paintings. 
http://www.artsupplies.co.uk/covercomp/

Please vote and share

This was painted from a photograph I took of my beautiful granddaughter Zahrah. She has gorgeous bundles of curls so I could play with all the twists and turns I saw in it. You don't always need to paint every strand but just enough to show the viewer what you are seeing. 

Some photos I took along the way....



The drawing ready and masking put into the eye. I don't always do this but as I wanted to spend time experimenting on other things I didn't want to loose concentration there resulting on no highlight. You can of course go back it with Acrylic, Goauche and many other products, but then we couldn't call it watercolour, could we? ..... it is also never the same effect as leaving the white of the paper. 

This is generally how I start most paintings and a style I have developed over the years, where by I paint with water. I don't was large areas as some artists do but instead draw with my brush as if it were a pencil, with clean water only.

 Time to add some paint with light washes at first.

Have added some colour to the eyes. I generally have to get most of the eyes done first, If they don't work then the portrait has no soul.

A close up of the eyes at this stage, still more to do but gives me enough to know that it's worth carrying on with.

Now time to add some more colour to the hair, but painting this section slowly and building it in different tone and colour. 

Here I called it done. I loved trying out different colours in the hair, using colour as tone in the depths of the curls. 




Please take time to vote in the competition, there are many amazing artists there to choose from, each with their own style.

The joy of teaching . . .

There seems to have been so much going on lately to keep me from remembering to update my blog, so it may take me a while to catch up with it all.

My demo painting "Eyes of Blue"

Among other thing I have been teaching, which is something i'm trying to do more of . One of the many friends I've met online over the years is very talented lady, Pat Elliott. Not only is Pat an Author, an Artist, but an amazing healer as well. I had known Pat for quite some time and recently started having Reflexology treatment from her, this I can highly recommend, hands that heal don't come close to describing what Pat has done for me. If you live in the south of the UK, look her up, you won't be disappointed.

Back to the teaching day. Pat wanted a days tuition on how to paint portraits in Watercolour, so off I went and spent the most wonderful day with her. The sun was shining and as it turned out to be one of the hottest days of the year, we painted all day in her summerhouse.

I started the demo using a ref photo from the Wetcanvas photo library. Painting a little at a time showing Pat various techniques that I use, along with encouraging her to include part of herself in her painting. This is a little difficult to do at first when learning to paint in a different style, but does come when you learn to relax, play and take chances.

I was amazed how quickly Pat picked things up and her eagerness to learn was inspiring to me . What she achieved at the end of the day was outstanding, especially when taking into account, the ref she used was a very small snap shot.

This is Pat's painting as it stood at the end of the day. Isn't it amazing. So much more than a portrait painting, the emotions captured here are uplifting.

Pat's painting from the tuition day. @Pat Elliot  

 It was wonderful to read that Pat had kept up the hard work soon after I left and carried on playing and practicing the techniques, combining her already vast knowledge. This was a painting she produced on her own, developing the composition herself as she was already a much practiced artist. It was great to see her post a comparison to a much earlier painting, something we should all do with our own work every so often.

It gives me such a thrill to know i've helped in any way. When seeing a student paint with eagerness and enjoyment, it gives me added inspiration in my own work.

Archie ©Pat Elliot - 

Pat's previous painting @Pat Elliot 

The most important thing I can advise anyone learning is to play. Not everything will turn out as wanted, just take the bits you liked and carry them on to the next painting. It is the only way to move forward.

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. 

Little Africa...

                This is one I started towards the end of 2012 only just getting the first wash down, then not picking it up again until 2013. The object of painting then was not only of course portrait practice, but more so to get the brushes wet again after the Christmas holidays. 

I'm not sure if it always works, leaving it so long. Sometimes the moment has gone from the painting, the inspiring thoughts you first had when wanting to get it onto the paper. I find I'm usually better to start it again with renewed freshness.

Pure Watercolour
140lb Arches NOT Paper
Mostly W/N paints
Ref photo courtesy of WetCanvas

Catching up....

        I'm so far behind posting on my blog I'm not sure where to start in catching up with it all. I need to close 2012 before I can open 2013 and share what i've been working on so far this year. I know it's a bit late but it also helps me to keep a record of what i've done and where I am today....

       It was a busy end to last year in many ways as you might have gathered from my lack of postings, although I did keep mostly up to date on my Facebook Art Page. Some moments were to celebrate and some not, as like many families this year, illness seem to have dampened Xmas a little. So to close 2012 I will make it a quick round up.

Xmas collection in memory of Oliver

Firstly I want to say a very big   

Thank you... 

At the end of last year I was busy getting cards printed of my painting "Ho ho ho." as these went on sale through my website with all profits going to "Oliver's 4th Christmas collection for GOSH and Little Havens Children's Hospice 2012" . I want to say a very big Thank You too all those who bought cards and/or donated money to this fundraising. I handed over just over £50 to the family, which when you think how last minute it was, was a tremendous amount. I know how much it was appreciated and hope you take pride in knowing how you have helped the children and their families. I'll have them started earlier next year so hopefully we can raise lots more. Thank you again for you kind support.

 "Ho ho ho" also went along with me to the Essex Art Club Christmas meeting, where it was voted as best Painting chosen by the members. We do this yearly at both clubs I belong too. I was overwhelmed to have got 1st place at the Ilford Art Society, but to have got it here too... So I want to say a very big thank you to all the members that came along to both events, thank you so much for this, it made ending the year amazing and so very special to me. 

Take "Time to Reflect"

As artists we need to take time every once in a while to look back on how far we've come on our journey. I especially like to do this at the end of the year,  As artists we too often get despondent, wondering if perhaps we are not moving forward. Well, I bet if you took a look back to where you were this time last year you will get quite a shock, I know I always do and can say even more so in this past year. I really enjoy browsing through older work, remembering some that were real achievements and still being proud of them. A good tip is to also make sure you date the back of your paintings and sketches.  Taking a little time to look at what you've achieved over the past year no matter how small at times it may seem, gives you so much of a lift and inspires you onto the next step of the journey and it never hurts to pat yourself on the back once in a while and be proud, you've earned it. 

I hope you all had a great 2012 and are already having a creative 2013

Santa Ho, ho ho... Voted Best painting

Voted Best painting by members.....

I've just got back from the AGM and Christmas bash of one of the Art Societies I belong too, and am so thrilled that Ho, ho, ho... was voted Best Painting by the members.

I hadn't got quite caught up to sharing this painting on my blog yet, I was saving it until I had got the cards and everything ready so I didn't bore you with too many posts about it. Anyway, I painted this Santa with special thanks and much gratitude to the photographer Julia Freeman-Woolpertfor allowing the use of her photo. I did plump the face up a bit and round the nose off as I wanted it to look like a real old fashioned Santa.

I have just had this printed onto cards and will hopefully have them up on here and my website tomorrow for sale. All profits will be going to a special children's fund, but that deserves a post of it's own so i'll tell you more about that in the next post when the cards are packaged and ready to go... 


Thank you so much to all my friends at the Ilford Art Society and all my friends that continually support me, it's been a great year :) ........

SAVE...SAVE...SAVE...

£7 OFF 1st BOOK...50% OFF 2nd BOOK

 

 

Not sure how long these offers will last, so don't leave it too long before you order. 

 

Save £7 off the price of a printed book of my paintings

follow the link and enter SAVE7 at checkout on the "payment options" page!..

 

Buy another book the same 

and get

50% off the 2nd one.
Look for this image at the bottom of the

"place the order page",

before you enter your card details.

Watercolour Dreams by Stephie Butler |

 

 

Make Your Own Book

Make sure any offer are showing in balance before you confirm payment, they will not adjust it after the order has been placed.