my life as an artist

• Perceptions From janetweightreed in my life as an artist (10 hours old)

  Our perceptions translate sensory images into a coherent view of the world around us. How we perceive the world comes about through an interplay of our past experiences and our culture. Our percep… more

• Lateral Thinking From janetweightreed in my life as an artist (1 day old)

  The term 'lateral thinking' first appeared in the title of Edward de Bono's book 'New Think: The Use of Lateral Thinking' published in 1967. Lateral thinking is all about reasoning that is not i… more

• Thinking Outside of the Box From janetweightreed in my life as an artist (2 days old)

  'Thinking outside of the box' is another 'buzz' expression that we began to hear about twenty years ago. The question is, what does this mean and how can we utilise this way of thinking in our daily… more

• The Ongoing Creative Process From janetweightreed in my life as an artist (3 days old)

  I can't emphasise enough how important the 'process' of creating art is for me. In other words, my real joy comes from the 'doing', the 'exploration', rather than a perceived outcome. Every no… more

• Recyling Art From janetweightreed in my life as an artist (4 days old)

  For anyone who has enjoyed making art, they will know that for every twenty or more pieces of work produced, maybe one image satisfies the eye and soul....and so what to do with the work that we don't… more

• The Many Ways to See From janetweightreed in my life as an artist (5 days old)

  During the workshop yesterday I was reminded that it's easy to become 'static' in the way we view our model. We tend to 'see' the subject we have chosen to paint, in one way, in the way that it is p… more

• More Pears From janetweightreed in my life as an artist (6 days old)

  I am off this morning for the second part of my workshop titled 'White on White' For today I will leave you with more pears to contemplate. A watercolour exercise and a collage. First for Mi… more

• Seeing the World as a Jigsaw Puzzle From janetweightreed in my life as an artist (7 days old)

  In order to 'see like an artist' we need to move beyond the concept of drawing or recording objects as we perceive them in life. An artist is almost oblivous of what it is that they are actually pa… more

• Colour & Negative Space From janetweightreed in my life as an artist (8 days old)

  On what looks like the beginning of another stormy day in London, I thought I would post a colourful apple exercise. This exercise shows the impact of adding colour into the 'negative space' - the … more

• Stormy Skies From janetweightreed in my life as an artist (9 days old)

  Yesterday stormy weather enveloped a great deal of the United Kingdom. The sort of weather that we used to see only once in a great while, but which has now become more of a regular pattern! Of co… more

• A Couple of Pears From janetweightreed in my life as an artist (10 days old)

  For the next two weeks I am working on artwork which needs my full attention, and so I will be posting my 'warm up' exercises each day. In an ideal world I would have a life model come to my studio… more

• Kitchen Models! From janetweightreed in my life as an artist (11 days old)

  Amazingly, I often hear people say that they don't know what to paint, when usually we can find all sorts of beautiful models in our kitchens. My watercolour exercise today is of a bowl of apples.… more

• Observation, Observtion, Observation! From janetweightreed in my life as an artist (12 days old)

  Over the next two weeks I will be working on artwork that needs my full attention. In the meantime, I will show some of my watercolour painting exercises, to remind people of the importance of 'playi… more

• Continuing with the White Theme From janetweightreed in my life as an artist (14 days old)

  I am off early this morning for workshop, and so today will leave you with the following images. These are two very large oil paintings, where a lot of white is indicated. In this first image I … more

• More about White on White From janetweightreed in my life as an artist (14 days old)

  With watercolour painting leaving white paper to indicate the lightest areas gives a real sparkle to the image. In these calla lilly images all the white in the image is dry white paper. … more

• White on White From janetweightreed in my life as an artist (15 days old)

  For the next two Wednesdays, I will be giving workshops in London titled 'White on White' Given that I am known as a 'colourist' - this theme came as quite a surprise to the organisers! Today I… more

• Remembrance Sunday From janetweightreed in my life as an artist (16 days old)

  Remembrance Sunday is the second Sunday in November, the Sunday nearest to 11th November which is the anniversary of the end of WW1 at 11a.m. 1918. I don't think any sane minded person wants or c… more

• Mentor & Friend Jean Frohling & Miss Julie From janetweightreed in my life as an artist (17 days old)

  I painted this portrait of Jean Frohling about twenty years ago during an important turning point in my life. An 'ala prima' painting, (painted in one sitting) it is oil on canvas. I do … more

• Sid the Boxer & Tony's Hat From janetweightreed in my life as an artist (18 days old)

  Going through portfolios yesterday I found this sketch of 'Sid the Boxer'. When I first moved to London from Wales in the autumn of 2005 I stayed in Barnes, in south west London. I found … more

• Howard Thorne & Adze Mixxie From janetweightreed in my life as an artist (19 days old)

  Two names were mentioned in yesterday's post on the subject of feng shui - Adze Mixxie and Howard Thorne. Both men, now dead, played a very important part in my life. I met them in West Chester, … more

• Do the Principles of Feng Shui Work? From janetweightreed in my life as an artist (20 days old)

  Within the context of the group 'Hopechild1' fellow blogger 'Stmms', posed the questions - 'Do you have a favourite Building and is there something in feng shui'? My first experience of working ar… more

• The Different Phases of Life From janetweightreed in my life as an artist (21 days old)

  I have just read a post from 'Mala', one of my fellow bloggers, who talked about how when her family was young she had enjoyed with great gusto all the different events that parents celebrate alongsid… more

• Caravaggio's Hidden Self Portrait From janetweightreed in my life as an artist (22 days old)

  Among all the mundane and often depressing news, this weekend I came across a lovely article in my newspaper. A tiny self portrait of the great renaissance master Caravaggio, can be seen clearl… more

• Alison's House by Susan Glaspell From janetweightreed in my life as an artist (23 days old)

  Yesterday I went to a matinee performance of the play 'Alison's House' by American born playwright Susan Glaspell. It was shown at the Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond. It was one of more beautifu… more

• Where the Black Mountains & Brecon Beacons Meet From janetweightreed in my life as an artist (24 days old)

  I lived in the market town of Crickhowell which sits in the Usk Valley from 1993 til 2005. This is where the Black Mountains and Brecon Beacons meet. Designated an 'Area of Outstanding Natural Beau… more

• The Tree on Cleopatra's Island From janetweightreed in my life as an artist (25 days old)

  I have been going through my sketch books looking at images which I might want to develop further. It's all part of moving towards a series of new paintings. I came across the following image f… more

• Three Cats,One Pot Belly Pig & One Lop Eared Bunny! From janetweightreed in my life as an artist (27 days old)

  When I had my studio in West Chester, Pennsylvania - two cats came to live with me. A boy named Tushy and a girl named Mushy. They were brother and sister. Here they are happily curled up toge… more

• An Invitaton & Autumn Impressions From janetweightreed in my life as an artist (27 days old)

  First the invitation. For those of you following this blog you will know that I lived and worked in West Chester, Pennsylvania (28 miles SW of Philadlephia) for 23 years. For a long time know… more

• For the Love of Animals From janetweightreed in my life as an artist (28 days old)

  The following passage from Walt Whitman's 'Song of Myself' was recently read on BBC radio four's 'Poetry Please'. It reminds me of my deep love and respect for animals. 'I think I could turn a… more

• Trees From janetweightreed in my life as an artist (29 days old)

  From the book 'Buddhist Offerings 365 Days' 'In the past all of life was based on trees. Their flowers gave us nourishment, their leaves and fibres clothed us and provided us with shelter. We … more

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