Blog #2 November 2024

With Christmas fast approaching it is time to get the last of the years commissions packed up for delivery and concentrate on getting ready for the last of the winters craft markets .

When I take my art to a market one comment I often get is , did I paint all the pieces on display ? As  there is often a big difference in style depending on the medium I’ve worked in . From the bold brush strokes of acrylic to the fuzzy dreamlike softness of a pastel my style can be different to categorise, even for me!

I was taught watercolour painting by artist John Cartmel Crowley who had a gallery in Rock , Northumberland. In fact I’m still using his Daler rowney full pan pallete of colours he gave me nearly over 30 years ago! John painted landscapes and worked wet in wet* , and once I had observed his process a number of times I found it easy to emulate his style .

But the secret to standing out as an artist and capturing people’s attention is to offer something unique rather than imitation.

Recently, I have been working a lot with pen and ink sketches and a wet in wet wash , I’m finding this spidery line work, penned with a traditional dip pen and a bottle of permanent ink, and a muted palette of colours allowed to bleed over edges and do their thing has become my signature style.

Maybe after a life time of painting and drawing I have finally found my niche!

*https://www.emilywassell.co.uk/watercolour-for-beginners/list-of-techniques/wet-on-wet-watercolour/#:~:text=What%20is%20wet%20on%20wet,paint%20to%20spread%20and%20blend