'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.

Part II of my Colour Lesson about creating a glowing red  is posted here.

I had so much fun creating this Red Parrot Tulip and while developing these glowing red washes, it occurred to me that I should share this information with you all. Red is a notoriously difficult color to portray – unless you know what I am about to tell you.

This is not a step by step guide of how to paint this subject. What I want to highlight are a number of points relating to painting a glorious glowing red using this study as an example.

For those who missed it - here is the link to Part I or go directly to this link for Part II

In these lessons you will find info about warm and cool colours, shadow color, color temperature, creating glowing reds, yellow underwash ...

This Parrot Tulip study will be an ongoing tutorial where I will teach you many of the invaluable lessons that will help you create form with red – no matter which medium you choose.

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

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

Happy Painting

Susan

Untitled
10  1/4" x 5  3/4"
260 mm x 145 mm
Watercolor on Arches 300gsm Hot Pressed paper
© Susan-Harrison-Tustain

New Watercolor Painting release

The aged door of a dry stone cottage built in 1904. Set high on a hill overlooking Fruitlands Central Otago, New Zealand - Mitchells Cottage stands as a poignant reminder of New Zealands early settlers.  Within these walls we feel their struggles and their challenges - but this home is also a testament to the resilience and incredible natural beauty of this area of New Zealand.

This is not just a watercolor painting of the time-worn door lock and latch -  and a tongue and groove wood door. This piece has a timeless character that epitomizes an era that was austere and very real. I wanted to capture the wholesome rawness of this place, but also a feeling of 'home fires burning'. My attention was drawn to this handle and the people who have used it, worn the patina on the old brass and lived their wholesome, hard lives with focus and enduring fortitude.

I was compelled to capture the emotion I felt when I stepped into this cottage. When I look at this watercolor painting I can feel there has been a presence of these stoical people and that, to me, is what my painting is all about. That is why I paint. My paintings are a tribute to the people or places that reach out and make their mark on my emotion and enduring thoughts and memories.

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.

© Susan Harrison-Tustain - Watercolor Painting on 140 Lb hot pressed Arches Watercolor Paper

I have just been asked a question regarding the surface of Hot Pressed papers. I will post the answer here as I am sure this explanation may also be of interest to you all:

I find the best surface for my purposes is Arches 140lbs Hot Pressed paper.

Hot pressed paper does require stretching if you are using water on your painting. However a study painted in dry brush probably would not require stretching.

There is also 300lb hot pressed available. This may not need stretching as long as you are not using a great deal of water.

When painting in my usual style of watercolor realism, no matter which weight of paper I was using, I would still need to stretch it as I use a great deal of water when painting in my style.

I generally use 140lbs Arches Hot Pressed for a number of reasons:

It has the hardest gum size on the surface which means you have more time to manoeuvre your paint before it is absorbed into the paper.

I also means it can take a lot of battering without showing distress to the surface or fibres.

Arches Hot Pressed paper is generally quite smooth so it is also ideal for reproduction purposes.

It is interesting to note that Arches 90lb and Arches 300lbs Hot Pressed has much less size on the surface so the paint and water is absorbed much more quickly than it is when using 180lbs Hot Pressed.
90lbs Hot Pressed also buckles readily even if stretched.

I immerse my paper for 3 minutes. Then stretch it using water activated watercolor stretching tape.
I dry it flat.

The heavier the paper does not mean it is a better paper to paint on. It simply means different weight papers have different gum sized surfaces as explained above. But each paper manufacturer will use a different set of criteria.

Fabriano Artistico is a good paper but the size is very soft. It is easier to damage the surface and the paper absorbs water very quickly.

It is a good paper but for different painting methods than mine.

I do hope that helps.

You can also find information stretching paper here:
Susan's Free Art Lessons

Learn  about my Watercolor Painting Technique in my Watercolor DVDs.

Here is my newest video clip created for you. It shows you how to mix the perfect green for your watercolor paintings.
The video clip is posted here on my blog but please wait until it is fully loaded. It may need a moment.
Enjoy!

My Youtube videos will hopefully inspire as well as give visual information and insight into my inspiration, my methods and my materials. If you enjoy the videos - do subscribe (it's free) and I think that will mean you will get to know when more new videos will be released.

If you find them helpful and enjoyable - do click the 'like' button because this will lift them in the ratings which then means other artists will find them more easily and will be able to enjoy them too.

Here is the Youtube link that will take you to all the video clips. The new clips are the ones where I am wearing a red top. You can see that easily in the thumbnail images. But do enjoy the other videos too. Full of information!

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=susan+harrison-tustain&aq=3&oq=susan+harr

Have fun everyone - these are created for you!

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.

~~~~~

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