Jane's Art News

My letter to Sara featured on Painters Keys!

As much as I love painting expressive landscapes full of colour, I have also yearned to put "calm" into my work and so have asked Sara Genn, a minimalist painter for advice. She answered my letter on her popular blog: The Painter's Keys.  Enjoy the read HERE.

"Island Forms - First Attempt"

I took Sara's advice and started working on calm. This was done through thoughtful forms, gentle movements, simple unified colour and larger space. I used watercolour on smooth paper with two flat brushes and a large filbert, and insisted that my exuberant brush go on holiday. 

"Island Forms - Blue Rock"

Using the simplification techniques and premixed simple colours, depth was added to this painting with a horizon line and value changes. The joined shapes unify the whole, making it feel more calm, and my Exuberant Brush is being restrained.

"Island Forms - Warm tones"

"Island Forms - Warm Tones" is another watercolour from memory of the forms I recall seeing by the sea on Galiano Island. The deliberate white space adds calm to the work, and my Exuberant Brush enjoys it's repose.

"Island Forms - Red, Blue, Yellow"

In this piece, simple primary colours are layered over the smooth paper and overlapped with some flattening. The transparent yellow implies the calm of a setting sun, and my Exuberant Brush goes to sleep.

Oil Brushes at rest.

Island Forms are a series of watercolours exploring the "calm" of the landscape on 14" x 17" 110 lb Acid Free smooth Paper. Please let me know what you think.