'Lost in Thought'
Oil Painting
© Susan Harrison-Tustain

Less than a week to go before my Recollection exhibition opening! It is very exciting. My favorite moment is when the exhibition is declared open and each marshal standing next to each painting, removes the cloak and reveals the paintings for the first time. There is always a moment of silence, then "Ahhhhhh!" Four year's work unveiled at one time. It is a magical moment.

The opening function is a beautiful event. Ross Bachelder who titles himself "The Flute Guy" is flying from Maine USA especially to play at my exhibition. You will have heard me say previously that Sir Ray Avery will be officially opening the exhibition and Jon Mayson will be MC. It will be a beautiful evening. So many people travel huge distances to visit my exhibitions so I love create an experience that won't be forgotten.

I love to hear guests say that particular paintings from previous exhibitions still remain in their memories. It is then that I know my paintings have spoken to the viewer. It is an awesome feeling. Humbling.

New Paintings are added to the exhibition gallery.

© Susan Harrison-Tustain

I hope you enjoy the new painting releases and the inspiration that compelled me to paint them.

I am still painting - trying to finish the last piece. It is a watercolor painting of two white doves sitting in a church alcove - with a stained glass window behind. I have titled it Lofty Refuge. When I have finished that piece I will post it here - but in the meantime - surprise!!!!!! here are some more new pieces you won't have seen yet. You can see a close up of these painting on my Exhibition 2011 page in the Fine Art section of this website.

For those coming to the exhibition - travel safely and I look forward to seeing you!

See you soon
Susan

'Bellbird'
Watercolour on Arches Hot Pressed 300 gsm (140 lb) Watercolour Paper
485mm x 190mm
(19 in x 7 1/2 in)
© Susan Harrison-Tustain

A picnic stopover at Mavora Lakes, Southland, on a back road to Lake Wakatipu and Walter Peek. So pure and so clear the Bellbird call drew our attention to this slightly nectar inebriated songster dashing amongst the flax flowers.

See more new original paintings on my exhibition page.

Mixing Greens

You will see I have created a number of different greens in this watercolor painting. Flax bushes are often a blue green on the under side and as the leaves turn away from the light - they tend to be a more yellow green on the front.
How do I create these watercolor greens? We all know that when a surface faces the sky - it is influenced by the blue or grey of the sky color. So you can see that very clearly in this painting. I use much less yellow in my green mix to give this illusion. My green mix is Schmincke Sap Green and a touch of Thalo Blue. If I need to grey the blue/green color a little - I add a tiny touch of Scarlet Red.

You can see the area away from the light is a richer more vibrant green. I use my  underwash of Aureolin Yellow Modern in these areas. I let it dry and then add my Sap Green, a touch of Thalo Blue and Aureolin Yellow. If I need a pale color - I simply use more water. You can see how I push my greens from warm to cool, light to dark, rich to pale. Painting green leaves is a fantastic way to learn how you can create a three dimension by allowing a color to dominate.

For example: more blue will give the impression of the sky affecting the green. More yellow in your green mix will give the impression that part of the leaf is away from the effect of the sky. A warm green gives the effect of the leaf being affected by shadow. Learn how to paint green leaves by creating a similar type of leaf. You will find these lessons invaluable. Not only for mixing greens but it will teach you how to apply this color theory to any of your color mixes - no matter whether they are oil paintings, watercolor paintings, pastel studies or acrylic paintings. It is all about observation. Have a look at the video below to learn more about the perfect green!
Have fun!
Susan

 

In my Art Lessons section you will find more helpful tips and articles.

If you want to learn more about Watercolor Painting and Watercolor Technique check out my Watercolor DVDs.

"Pisa Range"
Oil on board
495mm x 295mm
19½" x 11½"
© Susan Harrison-Tustain

The first light fall of Autumn snow dusts the peaks of the Pisa mountain range. Snow clouds begin to envelope the pinnacles bringing with it, the excitement of the change of season.  We call this place “Central” (Central Otago, New Zealand) - austere, raw, beautiful, haunting, vast skies above rugged ranges. Captivating, compelling and beckoning.

The oil painting technique I used for this painting began with an underglaze of a grey/purple. Once dry, I then used the block-in oil painting method of creating the basic 'local' color of each area. I used these colors as the basic mix to establish the different areas in the painting: variations of greys with tints of purple for the clouds, dark grey/greens for the foreground, pale purple/greys for the light areas of the mountains and of course blue for the sky - all helped me establish the basic painting layers. I left my underpainting to show through in some areas - especially in the mid toned mountain peaks.

The next step is to observe the changing colors within each section, mix those colors and apply the detail - keeping it true to nature. Each area has a myriad of hues that describe this light snow fall, the forms - with sharp as well as rolling edges and shapes.  There are many painting lessons within each of these subjects. Too many to write here of course. For those of you who are artists and would love to learn how to paint skies, clouds, mountains, falling snow  - I hope to release an oil painting DVD in 2012 that will cover all these things and so much more.

I also plan to release a new watercolor DVD. This one will focus on mini studies of many subjects: capturing numerous subjects. If you are not currently on my mailing list - do join up.

My newsletters are infrequent but they are full of valuable information, painting breakthroughs and discoveries, news on exhibitions, new DVDs, workshops, European tours (next one will be in 2013), newspaper, magazine, TV and radio appearances etc etc.

In my Art Lessons section you will find helpful articles.

If you want to learn more about Watercolor Painting and Watercolor Technique check out my Watercolor DVDs.

Happy Painting!
Susan

New painting release

With my 'Recollection' exhibition on the horizon at the end of October, it is time to release a new painting. As you are one of my subscribers to my blog you are the first to see each new piece as it is released into my exhibition sneak preview page!

Rush Cottage
13" x 6"
330mm x 150mm
Watercolor on Arches 300gsm Hot Pressed paper
© Susan-Harrison-Tustain

Here is my watercolor painting of a 1930's cottage wash-house scene. We love to stay in this cottage for a few day's break. It is nestled amongst the vines in a beautiful vineyard in Havelock North, Hastings, New Zealand. Often used for wedding guests, this cottage is full of character and in the Spring, Summer and Autumn you can eat at the outside table in the garden, surrounded by vines and while absorbing the old world atmosphere. Saturday morning Farmers Market is held just two minutes walking distance from the cottage. A secluded hide-away full of inspiration for many paintings!

I love to paint the ordinary everyday life scenes that are often overlooked. These things captivate me, the patina in the old concrete sink, the brass taps and pipes, the aged wood, and window latches, the beckoning scene at the window - all these things could easily go unnoticed. But when I look at this watercolor painting, my thoughts go back to this 1930's cottage wash- house. I imagine all the people who have used this work-space, scrubbed and laundered, while looking out to this restful cameo outside, framed by ivy.

This painting is about those people - a portrait of an earlier time. I hope you enjoy it.

Recollection Exhibition 2011

I love to hear visitors talk of my exhibitions and hear they still live in the memories of those who attended. My previous exhibition was no exception. As usual we saw approx 3000 visitors attend the two day event. Guests came from all over New Zealand, Australia and we also had some from the US.

As you can imagine a major exhibition such as this takes a huge amount of organization and time to prepare for. The oil and watercolor paintings were the result of four years work and the attention to every detail of the exhibition arrangements began over a year prior to the exhibition. Lighting, easels, scaffolding for the lighting, magazine articles and interviews, books, invitations, classical trio playing - dressed in white, staff, advertising, tickets, and of course not least of all - there is the four year's of oil and watercolor paintings that are unveiled at each exhibition. These paintings show-case my inspiration for all of the things that take my breath away. It is a huge show and one I love to create for the visitors.

My goal is to make my exhibitions something much awaited and also remembered. Many of you travel great distances to attend and I feel it is my pleasure to make the exhibition something you will enjoy in anticipation,

Click on the banner below to visit my painting exhibition page where you can find details on the exhibition including a sneak preview of some of my exhibition oil and watercolor paintings.

Feel free to contact me via my contact form if you have any queries.

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Learn  about my Watercolor Painting Technique in my Watercolor DVDs.

Learn about how to paint in my Free Art Lessons.

Learn more about how to create a glow in your watercolor paintings

Create form with monotone using warm and cool colors

Untitled Watercolor painting : Parrot Tulip
© Susan Harrison-Tustain

Richard and I were wandering around Victoria on Vancouver Island  Canada - such a beautiful place. Alongside a grand hotel I spotted a flower bed of stunning Parrot Tulips. I loved their frilled edges and form, especially they way they cupped the stamen as if protecting it from harm. Maybe it was to encapture a bee so it didn't fly away before completing pollination! I am awed by the beauty of such things.

Can you see the way the red glows in this painting? My underlayer of yellow creates this glow and even though there are layers of red over the top of the yellow - can you see how it still permeates through and lifts the red into a warm glow - despite being in shadow? Notice the highlights and the variety of red hues I have mixed to create the form of this glorious Parrot Tulip.

I will write a lesson in my next newsletter where I will discuss how to create convincing and beautiful form using warm and cool colors but limited to an almost monotone hue as in this painting.

Do ensure you are on my mailing list so you will receive my complimentary newsletters which are full of news and also inspiration such as this.

The response to my 15 page feature article "Is it Oil or is it Watercolor?" in the April/May issue of International Artist Magazine has been overwhelming and humbling! Thank you to you all for your comments. This article seems to have really hit a chord with so many of you - I wanted to write and share my thoughts and observations, bringing attention to important issues that haven't been highlighted before.

Passionate about painting and helping artists and lovers of fine art - I love to share all I know about painting through articles such as this - as well as via my art instruction Watercolor DVDs and workshops. I feel my teaching - using insights into my thought processes, reasoning and deliberation - are the best way to pass on the important breakthroughs that I have found to have made the biggest differences to my work. I believe teaching in this way is an enduring way to introduce new thoughts and open new concepts and depths of understanding for artists. I often liken it to opening a window and showing all the possibilities and potential that are there in the methods and techniques I use. It's so exciting to see you all fly.

Mount Maunganui, Pacific Ocean and Tauranga Harbour from our country garden

The excitement is mounting with my major exhibition only five months away:

I have heard from many of you who are planning to travel to New Zealand for my exhibition at the end of October this year. If you are planning to come to NZ for my exhibition, do let me know in advance so I can ensure you have tickets to my Friday evening invitation-only formal opening function. The exhibition is open for everyone to visit and view on Saturday and Sunday 29th and 30th but the Friday night function has a limit of just 320 places. These are taken very quickly  once they are announced in early October - so if you are travelling great distances and would like to attend this special function - please do contact us to avoid disappointment.

New Zealand is hosting the Rugby World Cup and the final is played the weekend before my exhibition. Our Tauranga Festival of Arts will also be running for the two weeks running up to my exhibition - finishing on the Sunday 30th - which is also the final day my painting collection will be on view to the public. It will be a busy time and is a great time to visit New Zealand and expecially our beautiful Bay of Plenty region. We are close enough to Auckland to make it a lovely drive - but far enough away that the busy-ness of the World Cup will not dramatcially affect our lovely peaceful and stunningly beautiful sanctuary.

You can visit the page below to view some of my latest collection of work. These watercolor, oil and mixed media paintings will be hung and can be viewed at my 'Recollection' exhibition in October this year. Below these paintings you will find information on my exhibition:

I will announce more exciting news as the exhibition gets closer, but in the meantime here are some links that may be of interest to those who have asked about our region:

Tauranga and Mount Maunganui

Click on the link below to see some images that will show you what is on our doorstep: (converted to a tiny URL for your convenience):

http://tinyurl.com/3qy5tce

Here are some sites that will give you more information:

http://www.tourism.net.nz/region/region/bay-of-plenty/attractions-and-activities/

http://www.bayofplentynz.com/presentation/tbopPres.aspx?ID=7939

Newsletter

I will be working on my newsletter this week. Feel free to register on my mailing list to receive my-far-too infrequent newsletters. I wish I had time to write more! In these you will read any breaking news on my art, articles and magazine features, books, new DVDs, workshops and I also often include painting breakthroughs that I have just discovered.

Click here to join up for this complimentary newsletter

In the mean time I wish you all the very best. I will get back to my studio and get my brushes flying as the exhibition is very close now! I like to make it a beautiful event that stays in the memories of all those who visit. We usually see approx 3000 visitors in the two days of the exhibition so you can imagine how I love to make it something very special for everyone.

Susan

"Ophir – Past and Present"
24"x20" - 610 mm x 510 mm
Oil on Belgian Linen
© Susan Harrison-Tustain

Time for sneak preview of another exhibition painting.

This time my oil painting is of an old house in Ophir New Zealand. Ophir is a beautiful village in Central Otago, New Zealand. Running alongside this and many other rustic villages in this area is the ‘Rail Trail”. A cycling trail along several kilometres of an old railway rising. Riding this rail trail is an exhilarating experience and if you are coming to NZ – do add it to your bucket list. You will love the experience! It is not to be missed.

I wanted to capture the atmosphere and presence of these old villages before the character and history within those layers of peeling paint and aged timbers are exchanged for a bright, fresh new cloak. These areas are revitalized by the rail trail, bringing new awareness of these magical places that speak so eloquently of times passed.

In my oil painting, you will notice one window shows a reflection of the old Ophir general store - the other window, the glass and surround is missing but it allows us to be drawn inside the building where we see the beginnings of a renovation taking place.

Old kauri timber, peeling wallpaper and boxes and cloth lay amongst the dust and detritus. They can barely be made-out in the darkness of the room. This is deliberate - we are drawn out of that room by the warm glow of orange light. Through an out-of-sight window an early evening twilight glows and dances on the wall of the room behind. I love the contrast between warm and cool, light and dark. Notice how the warmth of this glow pulls your attention through the painting and creates a path for you to follow.

In contrast we see the old drapery shop and the early evening sky reflected in the window pane. This is Ophir – Central Otago, New Zealand. Our history - our heritage.

Are you aware you have become part of this oil painting - Part of this early New Zealand land and village scape?

We stand in front of the painting – enticed to peek inside the dark room. Curiosity draws us in. The reflection is behind us – across the street. The grey/blue twilight behind us allows us to feel as if we are within this scene –  somewhere between these rustic windows and the blue/grey twilight and the old general store behind us. I want viewers of this piece to feel part of this painting – to experience the feeling of ‘being there’.

These places are our heritage, history, our past and our ever-evolving present.

No matter which medium you use, watercolor painting or oil painting, pastel or acrylic painting, these hints and tips and painting lessons on how to use color, color temperature and tone will stand you in good stead.

Please click to visit the Exhibiton page and see more
sneak previews of Susan's latest work

Learn  about my Watercolor Painting Technique in my Watercolor DVDs.

Learn about how to paint in my Free Art Lessons.

"The Flute Guy"
Oil on Belgian Linen
size: 10"x12" - 255 cm x 305 cm
© Susan Harrison-Tustain

'THE FLUTE GUY'
While visiting the Museum of Fine Art in Boston, I found myself drawn by the exquisite strains of a flute being played. They lead me to a high floor above the main gallery foyer where I stood, mesmerized by the scene before me: A gentle man with shoulder-length white hair, light dancing in the lens of his glasses and passion in his eyes: 'The Flute Guy'.

He was so totally immersed in his music that he was unaware of the people around him. He swayed with his music and we watched and felt touched by the great emotion he was able to impart with his flute. I knew I needed to put all of my oil painting skills, old master's methods and techniques into creating a very special painting to celebrate this meeting. My oil painting of 'The Flute Guy' and that magical moment will be in my October 2011 'Recollection' exhibition.

A wonderful thing has come from that meeting.

I can now announce that Ross Bachelder (The Flute Guy) is coming to New Zealand to play at my exhibition! It is a great honour to have him play for us.

So it is fitting that I now release this new painting for a sneak preview. I hope you are able to join us at this exhibition and hear his sublime music. My exhibitions are rare - it has been four years since my previous show. You can see this exhibition is going to be something very special. We usually see between 3000 - 5000 visitors to my exhibition over the two days the works are on show. Many people travel from all over New Zealand, Australia and North America, so I try to make the exhibition something very special that will remain in the memories of those who visit it. With all the usual exhibition build-up, I need to back this wonderful drum roll up with some new paintings - so here is my oil painting of 'The Flute Guy'.

Please click to visit the Exhibiton page and see more
sneak previews of Susan's latest work

I am  thrilled to  share the news that our '2010 New Zealander of the Year', scientist, engineer and artist Ray Avery has agreed to open my October 2011 exhibition!

I am absolutely delighted that Ray has just been awarded a well- deserved knighthood in the 2011 New Year's Honours list, so he is now Sir Ray.

My exhibition will benefit Ray's international agency for change 'Medicine Mondiale'.

I am also very honoured and thrilled that our good friend Dr Jon Mayson CNZM has offered to be the MC at my exhibition! I am humbled to have these two amazing people to officiate at the opening of my October 2011 exhibition. We have a great team. It is going to be an exciting exhibition!

Ray has just released the most inspiring book I have ever read: Rebel with a Cause.

You won't be able to put it down - it is so funny, so poignant, so inspiring and so uplifting - you will want to share it with everyone! Reading this book has been life- changing for me. I have never felt that about a book before. Once read you will see why Ray is now 'Sir Ray Avery'.

You can read more about Sir Ray Avery and his incredible works and inventions for humanity as well as his book here:

http://www.medicinemondiale.org/

There is much about Jon Mayson on the internet. Jon is a highly respected businessman, CEO, Doctor, supporter of the arts and humanitarian. He also loves to paint in watercolor. An amazing and inspiring man too.

What an exciting year 2011 is going to be!

Read more details about my 2011 exhibition and see more paintings on my Exhibition Page.