WATERCOLOUR CHALLENGE

WATERCOLOUR CHALLENGE CHANNEL 4 TV PROGRAMME

Perhaps you remember the above programme, which finished about 10 years ago. Well I was on it!
Each day 3 contestants painted the same scene, which was chosen for them.  I loved the first series and the idea of three different style of painters painting the same view with completely different results.  I applied to Channel 4 and after an interview in a hotel room in Bakewell, was lucky enough to be chosen for the Peak District.   On the morning of the filming I felt ill, literally sick,  apparently I was white. I was shocked at the subject (Trams at Chrich Tram Museum) being a landscape painter.  I was talking to someone before it all started, he was really friendly and put me at ease (more on him later)

When I got painting I was ok, but dreaded each interview, I didnt want to come over as a complete idiot becuase I am not particularly eloquent.  Well, despite the rain, the camerman with the camera 6" away from my hand, interviews, tram noises, school parties, plus photographer and author, who were writing a book of the series, in the end I really enjoyed it. 

When they came to do my main interview I must have been rubbish, because the same man I had been talking to earlier, asked if he could do the interview.  He only just happened to be the director!  He just asked the same questions he had asked in the morning and I was fine talking to him. Needless to say, I didnt win, but Sheila Gill did I would have picked her myself. ( She is a brilliant artist have a look at her site).  It was a wonderful day.

From the Book

By transmission time I was a nervous wreck and worried how I would appear.  It was very emotional, sitting with my Hubby, watching ME on tv!  I even influenced the programme!  When the director asked me what music I would pick for the day (as I had admitted to painting to music) and I said brass bands, I noticed that they started the second half with brass band music.

It was strange being stopped by people who had seen the programme.  I felt like a star.  I was featured in the local newspapers and did a talk for a local U3A.

There was a book about the second series (so I am immortal and in print), and the work was exhibited in the Mall Gallery in London just off Trafalgar Square.  What a buzz that was.  Mine was not for sale.  A very special memory.

My finished painting, colours are a bit washed out as I photographed the painting in the book,  the middle tram was cream.

 

 

Painted at home 

 

 

I hope you enjoyed sharing my experience, albeit briefly.

Do you remember the programme and do you think it should come back?

P.S. You can watch the first series on Youtube.

AUTUMN

I have just been out, and on seeing the beautiful autumn colours thought I would share with you some of my autum paintings.

One day that we were in the Lake District (UK) I starting collecting these lovely leaves to paint when I got home.  I wrapped them up in wet kitchen roll.  I painted quite slowly for me!  A study really.  My art teacher suggested I put some trees in, so I did.  I got the idea of them from Viktoria Prischedko in a book called Realistic Abstracts.  Look at her site she is wonderful.

The photo for this was taken on the same holiday as above, its called Penny Rock Wood on the shore of the Lake at Grasmere.  I decided to paint the leaves using a natural sponge, and candle wax for texture on the near tree trunk.

We have friends who live in Carlisle who we were visiting when I took this photograph.  The little family group were what took my fancy. It is a place called Talking Tarn! They don't know how it got it's name.

Enjoy the beautiful autumn colours before they are blown away.

Hazel Soan Workshop

HAZEL SOAN WORKSHOP SEPT 2012

Well I'm getting too clever by far.  I already have one blog on the go called pollyluvspaintingetc.blogspot.com which is really about my painting in general and a bit of this and that Polly luvs painting and other nonsense.  This will be my serious blog about my main love of  art which is watercolour, with its unpredicability, which to me is fun, you never know what it is going to do. this first post I will just give you some examples of my work, then later will go into more detail about various paintings, holidays, courses and tips etc.  I am, though, only a keen amateur artist who still goes to class in Formby and is a member of a local art club Churchtown Art Club

Here goes.....................here's some of my recent work. I hope some of you like what I have
done.

The above were done whilst on a workshop with the wonderful Hazel Soan in London last month (Sept 2012) It was a people workshop. I found it the hardest one of hers that I have been to, and it shows me where my weaknesses are, I couldnt have tackled the above subjects without her guidance.

Do check out her website.  The last two summers she has spent travelling across the USA and has painted some excellent work. See below.

 

Hazel Soan's painting of Tombstone, Arizona



Hazel Soan's painting