Claire Carter
@carter61
Former teacher& school leader. Wife, mum, cat feeder. Now enjoying life in a beautiful part of the world. Love learning watercolour painting, walking, crime fiction & exploring
It turned out like this. I tried a few times and in the end decided the best one was sketchy and took the least time and was more fun. Just like @chrisstephenart.bsky.social says in his videos.
Took a photo on a walk along the River Wey and then tried not to look at it and just paint the feel of the day
Had a go at @chrisstephenart.bsky.social brilliant demo on Smoke and Sails by Edward Wesson. Learnt so much looking at Wesson’s painting in my book and from the unpacking of how he achieved these effects in the lesson. I loved the light and atmosphere in this 😊. Can’t wait for next one!
In June there were clouds. Reference photo and my interpretation. Needed to up the contrast but husband liked the fact there was a pint by the tree 🤦🏻♀️. Love Wesson’s Albury Heath he doesn’t fuss about like me! Looking forward to learning from @chrisstephenart.bsky.social series on Wesson 😊
Very excited that my second hand book from Norwich city library arrived today! I love Wesson and thanks to @chrisstephenart.bsky.social for the recommendation and his series on Patreon where he unpacks how Wesson might have gone about some of these wonderful paintings 😀
Had a busy week so followed @chrisstephenart.bsky.social advice to paint for relaxation. I had a wintry photo of the little pond on the common and somehow it turned into a big pond with some shapes in the background but I had a nice couple of hours 😊
Have been listening to this on audible. The insights into how the Maga movement came about are eye opening. Brilliant and absolutely terrifying
Stormy sky over field on the edge of the common.Inspired by @chrisstephenart.bsky.social demo called Al Prima where the sky technique was something I tried and @edowatercolourart.bsky.social demo on Wesson trees. Both great and so helpful for beginners like me. 😊 I do love a telegraph pole 🤣
Watched demo by @chrisstephenart.bsky.social on loosening up and splashing water on stuff and having a bit of experimental fun. Field on the edge of common. Went a bit 🤪 😊
I’ve been going round taking pictures of skies and trees today- you never know something might emerge as a painting 😊
Busy week so remembered advice from @chrisstephenart.bsky.social in his video on skies. Just start with a sky and fill in the bottom. So I had a go. Turned into a rough sketch of the Billy Trail on Hayling with the spikey Hawthorne and bushes. Something to develop with more contrast light & dark
Watched a demo by @chrisstephenart.bsky.social on how you can make less interesting scenes come alive. I love the sandy track on the heathland but lots of green bushes so tried to focus on sense of space and distance in this sketch. Now I think I need more interest mid distance and a few bushes 😂
So I watched a great lesson by @chrisstephenart.bsky.social on how to just capture a scene really quickly in a sketchy style. I used a photo of my local heathland but tried to just to paint the feel. It’s really rough and ready 🤣 but I loved the freedom of doing this.
Very much enjoyed this lesson by @chrisstephenart.bsky.social on how to mix watercolour on the page creating a more vibrant feel. Went a bit heavy in places so shall be trying this again using one of my heathland pics. See if I can transfer skills I have learnt 😬!!
A great lesson by @chrisstephenart.bsky.social in the style of Wesson who paintings I love. Try to simplify and just suggest was the message. As a beginner I tend to over paint and over complicate so this was a very good lesson for me 😊
I loved this lesson by @chrisstephenart.bsky.social Morston church seems like a magical place. When I had a go before I needed to be bolder with the darks. I think I may have gone to the opposite extreme 🤣. Lots of lovely videos to keep learning from though 😅
Our last art lesson for the year was after Paul Talbot-Greaves. I loved the sense of space and dramatic contrast of light and dark. Human presence seems very small in this landscape 😊
So art this week was building on the sunset theme. Love putting paint onto wet paper and seeing how it spreads out. Puts paid to any ideas of control freakery with watercolour 🤣. I think Portsmouth is sinking into the sea- oops!
Fresh light and bright greens today. For some reason I’m always fascinated by telegraph poles stretching off into the distance
Northern cottage in art this week, looking at how to create glare by using the white of the paper. Quite tricky to do without looking like a massive explosion has taken place but great for light and atmosphere. Could probably build up contrast but wary of going too Wuthering Heights 🤣
Some moody skies on the heathland today- a bit of a battle between light and dark going on
Harbour scene in art this week. Peaceful and jolly! Flat wash. Working on transparency with layering. All this learning is giving my mind a workout 😊
Latest art lesson was looking at painting Turner style. I loved the softness and lifting out. Negative painting is so hard. It messes with my head 😊