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.

"New Zealand Takahe"
Size: 12"x14" - 305 mm x 355 mm
Watercolor on Arches hot pressed 140 lbs (300 gsm) watercolor paper
© Susan Harrison-Tustain

Our son Glen is a scientist with Dept of Conservation in Te Anau. He is in charge of the Burwood Bush breeding unit which is used to hatch and rear this very endangered native New Zealand species of  bird - the Takahe.

This bird was once thought to be extinct but in 1948 there was a small number discovered in the Murcheson Mountains near Te Anau, South Island New Zealand. Since then DOC have managed to increase the population to around 280 birds. This is the entire population of these birds so Glen and his team are dedicated to increasing the number of this bird which has the most incredibly beautiful blue and green plumage. It was a privilege to be able to sit and paint, study and sketch these amazing creatures that were on the brink of extinction.

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

Article in "The Weekend Sun"

There is a new article displayed on my Publications/Press page. Please click on the image to go the Publications Page.

Learn more about my Watercolor Painting Technique.

After three fun workshops (3 days x 3) I am now relaxing for a day or two before painting withdrawal symptoms set in again!

Over half of the total number of students were from Australia and we also loved having Kathy from Canada aboard too! Our New Zealanders travelled from all over the country so I felt very humbled again by the demand and the response. I find artists are very like-minded and fun, kind, thoughtful people so it is always a joy to meet so many new workshop students and also welcome the return of so many friends from previous workshops.

It is rather surreal to see people using my signature brush and paint sets. They all have my signature on them so you can imagine it looked as if they all belonged to me! Just as well I had dipped the wooden end-tip of mine in nail polish before I left - or I may have picked up a few spares!!!

I saw amazing art. The students learned a huge amount about painting in watercolour as well as a great deal of information that is very generic and relates to all mediums. Color theory is and invaluable tool just as the degree of water used, tone, how to control watercolour, when to let it flow, we used all of my methods, extended them, saw how each can be applied to so many different subjects, mixing colors, lifting color, intelligent composition, observation, observation, observation and so very much more. No workshop is ever long enough is it. The subject of art is huge and I try to impart everything I know to help artists realize the huge potential of the information they receive at my workshops. I know they will now fly and I look forward to watching their journeys.

Marylka's color previewer was a great hit. Marylka took part on the first workshop so it was lovely to see her on my workshops again.

Here is Marylka's website address if you are interested in this incredibly useful tool that helps us determine what color or color mix is needed before we have to commit to a wash:

http://www.marylkaart.kwikdrawsigns.com/services.htm

I also gave a lecture to the Tauranga Art Gallery last Wednesday evening. It has been a huge week.

Thank you to all those who attended my workshops and my lecture. I do hope I was able to inspire you all reach for the stars!

Once the dust has settled and I have my home and studio back in some semblance of order - I will get back on track for my 2011 Exhibition painting. I will release a new image to the website in the next week. So do watch this space!

Susan

Newsbreak Announcement!

Additional workshop may be possible in 2010!

As you know my workshops are far too rare these days!  But I may have some good news:

Many of you have been told my Oct/Nov 2010 New Zealand workshops are fully subscribed. They always fill very quickly. I wish I had a clone as there are always many who unfortunately miss out on securing a place. But... the great news is that I am contemplating running a third workshop if we can get the message out to those who were so disappointed to miss out previously. This is an opportunity to gather a small group of friends or come along yourself – my workshops are always so much fun. But do be in touch asap. If we have enough to make this third workshop viable – I will happily make it happen for you. Sadly a fourth workshop is not possible.

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