Here to Ignite, Encourage and Inspire your Creative Flame
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”
– Anne Frank
Please note: some items are repeated for the benefit of new subscribers. Thank you 😊
Hey there my friends I hope you’re all keeping well and dry lol. Yep it’s rain rain and little more rain here in the UK. But the weather shouldn’t stop us from enjoying our great outdoors, so I’ve been outside and done a little gardening before lunch. So glad I did as I happened upon a little bee. He was wet through and unable to fly, after a little sugar water and a place to dry out, he’s looking much better now 😊 This little occurrence made me think how easy it is to make a difference in this world, it may be small for me but not for the bee. Hence today’s quote by Anne Frank 🔼
I’m so very pleased to announce that there is going to be a live online watercolour workshop Wednesday 5th June 6 – 7pm BST and it’s completely FREE for anyone who wishes to sign up 😃
Derwent and Cult Pens are the organisers and will be hosting the event and have invited me to be the tutor 😊
The workshop should run for around an hour, and once you’ve signed up you’ll be emailed the reference image, line art and suggested kit list, so you can be ready to paint along with me. I’m really looking forward to it, and I know that they have 94 participants signed up already.
The subject for the free online watercolour workshop is this stylised Painted Lady Butterfly.
I’ll be working live so that you can paint along or just watch and paint later as you’ll be able to download the video if you’ve signed up to the live event.
The subject and techniques are suitable for beginners, even if you haven’t painted before.
You don’t even have to worry about the initial drawing as the line art will be emailed to you, along with the reference images.
Here’s a link if you want to get more information on this free online workshop or just wish to register:
This week’s new video – Join me as I test this watercolour travel brush set by Golden Maple. Using spontaneous watercolour painting I find out just how good these brushes are.
This set of synthetic sable brushes are vegan friendly and were sent to me to review by @goldenmapleart8448 all of the views and thoughts are my own.
Plus I’ve included a link to this brush set should you wish to purchase a set for yourself, Golden Maple have kindly included a 10% discount on anyone using the code ‘Kerry’ when they purchase:
www.artgoldenmaple.com
All techniques in this video are suitable for beginners.
This Epic Arctic Art Adventure is soon to have a date available in 2025!!! More news on this soon.
I’m so pleased to say that Wildfoot Travel have launched their page announcing an Arctic adventure that will include everything Wildfoot Travel normally offer, plus as an ‘added attraction’ I’ll be there too, offering art advice, tuition and encouragement along the way. I’ll be painting and sketching during the voyage and will be auctioning one of the paintings whilst on board, with all proceeds going to the WWF.
The following is a tiny portion from Wildfoot Travel’s dedicated page for this adventure: (for much more information on their site)
Wildfoot Travel are also offering a 5% discount to anyone booking prior to 10th February 2024
ABOARD: M/V HONDIUS I’ll be there encouraging and hopefully inspiring anyone who wishes to either start their art journey or take their skills to the next level.
‘Join renowned wildlife artist Kerry Newell on this very special voyage to discover the enchanting coastlines and fascinating, seldom visited regions of eastern and southern Spitsbergen. This unique itinerary offers you the once-in-a-lifetime chance to uncover Spitsbergen’s outstanding natural beauty in the company of one of the UK’s most revered wildlife artists, who will not only offer you tuition time, but will also be creating a new masterpiece right in front of your eyes as you journey through these wildlife-rich lands.
Sailing during the high Arctic summer solstice, on this authentic Spitsbergen cruise experience you can enjoy exciting Zodiac excursions, twice daily landings accompanied by Arctic experts, extended hikes through the region’s magnificent landscapes, an informative lecture and presentation programme, and thrilling wildlife observation opportunities. Discover a world of spectacular scenery, search for sightings of polar bears and indulge in the adventure of a lifetime!‘
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Discover Spitsbergen in the company of revered wildlife artist Kerry Newell who will be offering tuition and creating a special piece that will be auctioned onboard, with the proceeds going to WWF
- Enjoy spectacular scenery throughout from amazing glaciers to icy fjord systems and mystical tundra
- Experience the high Arctic summer solstice and sail under the Midnight Sun
- Visit fascinating historical sites and bountiful seabird colonies
- Good chances of spotting whales, seals, and possibly even polar bears
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
- Full board accommodation on board with all meals, snacks and hot drinks
- All zodiac excursions and landings with expert guides
- Programme of expert lectures
- Loan of rubber boots
PRICES FROM £3,364pp 17 JUN, 2024 | Up to 7 nights
Plus any bookings that mention ‘KerryArctic2024’, Wildfoot Travel have kindly offered to adopt a polar bear with WWF on behalf of the booker, on a per booking basis.
If you’d like to know more then please click on the button below, this will take you to Wildfoot Travel’s website where you’ll be able to further explore all that the polar regions have to offer:
I now have a shop for merchandise on FINE ART AMERICA :
Fine Art America is the world’s largest art marketplace and print-on-demand technology company. They’ve been helping artists sell wall art, home décor, apparel, and other products since 2006, working with hundreds of thousands of artists, photographers, graphic designers, illustrators, and iconic brands.
21 of my original paintings are now available as prints, canvas prints, acrylic prints, greeting cards, phone cases, throw pillows, tote bags, stationary and mugs etc. So they’ll hopefully be something for everyone.
An screenshot example from my page:
Wildlife Art Workshops for 2024
£60 per person (materials not included)
All workshops are held at Martin Mere Wetland Centre and 50% of all proceeds go straight back into conservation.
| Date | Medium | Subject |
|---|---|---|
| January 27th 2024 | Watercolour | Reindeer |
| March 23rd 2024 | Pastel | Barn Owl |
| May 18th 2024 | Watercolour | Painted Lady Butterfly on Flower |
| September 21st 2024 | Pastel | Fallow Deer |
| November 23rd 2024 | Watercolour | TBC |
My suggested materials for the the pastel & watercolour workshops:
| Suggested Pastel materials: | * Clairefontaine Pastelmat Paper (I rarely use anything else now) * larger sheets are available and can be easily cut to size (this is what I do) * Carbothello Pastel Pencils are a must have in my studio, available individually or in different set sizes * Derwent Pastel Pencils are soft with a wide range of colours, available individually or in different set sizes, ideal for covering larger areas with their thicker pigment core * Mungyo Soft Pastels – an affordable way to cover larger areas of a painting, and for adding base coats for your pencils to go on top of * Pan Pastels – my ‘go to’ soft pastel choice, available individually or in sets, 92 colours in total |
| Suggested Watercolour materials: | * 140lb (or heavier) Hotpress or Coldpress watercolour paper * 9″ x 12″ minimum size (buying larger sheets is preferable as they can then be cut down to size) * Winsor & Newton Cotman watercolours are a great paint to get started with (I still use them for sketches etc) * A variety of brushes, sizes & shapes, made from golden taklon which is a synthetic material. Here’s a link to the affordable W&N Cotman set. * A white mixing palette or a white plate will do * Bring along some white gouache too if you have some – great for adding highlights etc. * Two water containers |
Workshops alternate between Watercolour and Pastel, but feel free to bring along any art medium you wish if the subject is something you would like to create from. All workshops are suitable for beginners. More information can be found over on our exclusive Art Workshop page on the Martin Mere website as well as on the Workshop page of my website. If participants would like further mediums or subjects added then extra dates can be slotted in to suit. So if your passion is coloured pencil or you love acrylic or oil painting then just let me know.
This Kingfisher project was the subject for June 2023 art workshop over at WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre.
New Diary Dates for 2024!
| Arctic Expedition | 17th – 24th June 2024 |
| Global Bird Fair | 12th – 14th July 2024 |
| Exhibition of Wildlife Art | 26th – 28th July 2024 |
| North West Birdwatching Festival | 19th – 20th October 2024 |
Arctic Expedition – Take a cruise around Spitsbergen and explore the icy waters of the North Atlantic. This special expedition offers you the chance to catch site of whales, reindeer, Arctic foxes, walruses, seals, and the star attraction, the polar bear. Now with an addition of having me on board to help, encourage and hopefully inspire you should you wish to sketch and paint during the trip.
Global Birdfair – an international three day event – Join a community of nature lovers and birdwatchers from around the world as we gather to make a difference to Conserving Nature Worldwide. Lectures, demonstrations, art exhibitions, holiday destinations, authors, photographers, Global Birdfair auction, optics companies including Nikon, Viking Optical, Zeiss & Swarovski Optik – there really is something for everyone at this annual event that attracts thousands of people from across the globe. Global Birdfair will take place at Rutland Showground, Oakham, Rutland UK. LE15 7TW
Exhibition of Wildlife Art – ‘an exciting three day show featuring the work of some of the world’s most talented wildlife artists. The biggest and most successful, open selling, exhibition of Wildlife Art outside of London. All exhibited work is for sale and many artist demonstrate whilst there.’
North West Birdwatching Festival – Open at 8am, start your day by watching the spectacle of thousands of wild geese leave the roost before heading for breakfast in the Martin Mere restaurant. Over the two day there will be an array of guest speakers and exhibitors, artists and photographers including photography workshops, guided reserve walks, and more. I’ll be exhibiting and demonstrating throughout the weekend and would love you to drop by and say hello.
Subscriber Question
Q. Hello Kerry, I’m new to your website and was wondering if it’s possible to create a full pastel drawing just using pastel pencils? Sorry if you have already covered this subject in your past subscriber questions. Thank you, Tina.
A. Hi there Tina, thank you for your question. You can indeed complete a project using just pastel pencils. One of the reasons I use soft pastels and pastel pencils is just to speed up the process. I’ve included the following video as this shows an owl created with just pastel pencils (the background was created using soft pastels, but the tree trunk was created using pastel pencils). What I would suggest is working on a couple of smaller projects first if you only have pencils, there’s nothing worse than getting half way through a large project and running out of steam lol.
I may not always have a video on my YouTube channel to help when answering a subscriber’s question, but when I do I’ll be sure to add it.
Okay folks that’s it for me for today. Thank you once again, as always my friends, for spending some time with me today, and please feel free to leave a question or suggestion in the contact form below.
Until next time, as always, stay safe and stay creative, Kerry xXx
Questions & Suggestions welcomed
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