Drawing and painting are therapeutic, creative and above all, hugely enjoyable occupations. From October, my Studio (just 35 mins. from Rennes) will be open to visitors and I will be starting my 2 hour (1-2-1) highly acclaimed art sessions. For further information, please fill in the form below and e-mail it to me.
There are lots of Artists,who like me, enjoy painting action pictures. However, in many instances, these artworks, excellent as they are, lack impact. The viewer is erroniously given the impression that the subject is static, when in fact, this is the reverse situation.
Whether you chose to illustrate a horse(s) running, a person jumping over a water splash, a motor-bike rider cornering hard, or as below, a rally car throwing up a lot of dust and gravel, whilst driving at speed, then you need to show the viewer that this is an action packed artwork. This painting of the legendary French Rally Driver, Michele Mouton, driving the mighty Audi Quattro Group B rally car, is phase two of this particular motoring artwork, painted on box canvas in artists’ oils and size 50cm x 70cm.
Reminder:- new series of one-to-one art classes (2 hours’ duration) starting in Oct. next; all welcome.
Do you want to master the skill of making quick and accurate drawings and paintings? Or do you long to create a truly superb work of art?
Then come an join me in my fully equipped Art Studio in gorgeous Brittany – and make your dream come true…
As a working Artist-Painter, I have many years’ experience ( In Ireland and in France) of teaching people how to produce lst class illustrations and paintings – in all fields and in all aspects of drawing and painting mediums and materials.
Although I specialise in one-to-one Professional, Art Personal Tuition, I also hold a number of challenging Open Days (limited to just 4 persons) which comprise a Professional Art Class in the morning and in the afternoon, the students are given the time to unleash their creativity and to create a wonderful work of art of their own.
For full details and tariffs on these excellent programmes, etc., please contact me at:-
art2cherish@orange.fr.
Whenever I have an exhibition (as at present) or hold an Open Day in my Studio, one question that is invariably asked is ” are the prices negociable”? And my answer always, is, YES. The Artists amongst you, know, of course, that Artists put a huge amount of time and effort into their artwork but that it is very difficult to quantify in monetary terms, this creative effort.
However, being a pragmatist (and ever optimist…) I realize, that although a work of art may well be worth the figure asked, the buyer, although he or she really wants that artwork, may genuinely not have that asking price available to them, so compromise, within reason, is a sensible attitude to have towards the sale price.
I feel you will agree that it is better to make a sale and have a happy Client than to make no sale at all.
Some Artists will not agree with me, of that I am certain, but from experience, I have often sent a Client home, delighted with their purchase (and sale
Bugatti in full flight
price ) 0f MY artwork, and in fact, such sales have resulted in further sales, simply because I am always open to discuss the price of my work. Here in France the term “a debattre” is used to cover this transaction and indeed, debating a price (haggling if you like) is extremely popular and leaves both parties satisfied with the result.
So in future when you see a work you really like, but are a little “shy” of the money asked, please contact the Artist, etc., concerned: the outcome could well enhance your, and that Artists’ life!.
You may wonder why I am so enthralled by things mechanical? Well, at the age of six, my father decided I was ready to help him start his elderly car – he yanked on the starting handle and my job was to push down on the accelerator when the engine caught………
Apart from this was the fact that from the age of three, my father brought me to every conceivable motor sport event – bikes, cars, sidecars – that was available in the Dublin area. His friends were all petrol heads too, so without even realizing it, my course and involvement with noisy, smelly and wonderful machinery was set in stone.
I had started drawing (at my mother’s behest) at the age of three, so as a teenager, I was involved in illustrating cars and…..purchasing, renovating and re-selling 2-wheeled machines. By l7 I was driving my father’s Ford Anglia and riding my first motorbike – the inimitable and unique”nifty fifty” – the Honda 50cc. My parents were puzzled, but my boss at the time, thought I wasn’t quite ladylike – arriving into the office in black leathers…….
At this point in my life, I can indulge my love for interesting cars by drawing and painting and occasionally driving them! What a life!!!
The illustration below is a watercolour on paper, currently on exhibition here in Brittany, of the brain-child of the late Carrol Shelby – the fabulous A.C.Cobra. 
A “triptyche” of the same dog – watercolour on paper.
In this electronic age, the use of computors is endemic. Computors though, are not a substitution for physical creativity.
For artists, this usually means carrying around a small sketch pad and a pencil or drawing pen and making quick and sometimes random illustrations of subjects that take one’s fancy, which could become in time, useful…indeed, very useful.
It is a practice that I indulge in and encourage as I have found it to be quite valuable, particularly when I wish to compile a work for which I have just one really good reference point but which needs the addition of background or even foreground items to make the work come alive.
A five minute sketch can be invaluable! Even if only roughly made, the artist can re-format it into something of impact and beauty. However, you might need to encourage yourself to take on this daily effort…..though for just 5 mins. a day, it is a practice that is guaranteed to improve your artwork.
Give it a try and I think you will agree that this is a worthwhile discipline.
Remember to check the dates of my Open Days and free Art Demonstrations (indoors and outdoors) during this coming 2016.
One-to one art classes and group art classes are also available – more information on these coming up shortly.
Capturing an image is often a matter of success….and….speed.
Tediously endeavoured artworks, tend to appear to be tedious, laborious and possibly even dull….
Your portfolio can be full of the most wonderful artworks, but close examination could reveal a very staid and even stale presentation and for that reason, I would suggest that occasionally you take a subject as in this artwork, one that is “light” in subject matter, but also a delightful insight into another world.
Working quickly helps too when presenting a “lightweight” subject as over- detailed work can make the artwork rather too studied – with the possibility of being dull…..
This work is a compilation of several photographs that I took and has been executed (quickly to catch the mood) in watercolour on paper. I hope you enjoy this particular illustration.
Autumn time
The time of year encourages ages artists to take to their pencils, pens, brushes and etc., so that they can create a permanent record of what they have seen, for others to enjoy.
This painting, painted in oils on primed (gessoed) stretched and framed canvas, is size 50cm x 50cm. It is a signed and certified original motoring artwork. Limited edition prints are available, limited to just 25 prints.
I
In this painting, the car featured is the iconic Lancia Stratos Alitalia (a Ferrari engined Lancia) seen here on a rally stage in Italy, during a very early snow-fall – hence the autumn leaves still on the trees. This work has been painted using Artists’ quality Oils on stretched and framed canvas and the size of the work is 55cm x 46cm. It is a signed,certified and original work of motoring art. Twenty only, signed, Limited Edition copies are available, as well as the original. Please enquire for details.
