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”The big secret in life is that there is no secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you’re willing to work.”
– Oprah Winfrey
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 enjoying this unusually warm October weather. Obviously not too warm though as I sit here with a large mug of coffee keeping me company lol. It’s another busy week again here, with a couple more offers from companies to review their products (one being not art related at all, but I’m saying yes as it’s something I’ll definitely use on a regular basis and what it produces will definitely be welcomed in my studio) I hope this has you guessing lol, more on this soon 😉
Well I’m pleased to say that my polar bear pastel painting is now complete, the video footage has been edited and the voiceover successfully recorded. The resulting video is now live on my YouTube channel should you wish to take a peek:
Tomorrow I’ll be spending the day in my studio, finishing off a couple of paintings, cutting mounts and framing projects ready for next weekend’s exhibition at WWT Martin Mere:
North West Birdwatching Festival 14th – 15th October 2023
Just a few days to go until the North West Birdwatching Festival 😀 If any of the previous ones are anything to go by then this should be a definite date for your diary. It’s all happening at WWT Martin Mere and it would be a shame if you miss out on all the fun 😉 ‘From guest speakers and exhibitors (me included) to photography workshops and guided reserve walks. A whole range of activities to enjoy for a full day out from dawn till dusk.’
A wide range of exhibitors will be attending Martin Mere for the weekend, on show and for sale, the exhibitors will be showcasing their wares, including books, artwork, wildlife holidays, optics etc With many wildlife societies being on hand to answer any questions you may have about the flora and fauna we live alongside.
Guest speakers this year include the Urban Birder David Lindo, the world renown author David Goulson and the wonderful Lucy Lapwing, plus a host of others. Lectures cover a wide range of topics across the two days including wildlife photography, nature writing, how to attract wildlife to your garden, birding in Ecuador, Peter Scott and the birth of modern conservation and much more.
Additional activities across the weekend also include guided walks around the reserve (the depth of knowledge of the guides always astounds me), canoe safaris and guided boat tours, Fujifilm seminar, photography workshops and bird ringing demonstrations.
For those of you interested in knowing more about next year’s proposed Arctic Expedition I’m pleased to say that the initial building blocks of my new website page are now in place. Hopefully within the next week or so, after speaking with Wildfoot Travel, I’ll be able to put the finishing touches to the information on there and then will be able to let it go live and share with you all 😊
This new widget is already on the home page of my website, once the page goes live this shortcut will go live too:
Wildfoot Travel are also building a new page for their website too. The idea is for passengers to be able to experience the majestic landscapes and unique flora & fauna of an Arctic expedition, plus if they wish, they can draw, paint or sketch along with me during the more relaxed times of their voyage. As far as I’m aware, at the moment for dates are set as above. I’ll keep you informed of any changes and will obviously let you know when both mine and Wildfoot Travel’s new pages go live. So more on this soon.
🎨 Saturday 21st October – less than two weeks left to book your place on my latest wildlife-inspired watercolour art workshop, limited places, beginners welcomed – line art provided. Note: materials NOT included. (50% of proceeds going straight back into conservation):
🎨 www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/martin-mere/whats-on/art-workshop-with-kerry-newell
With Christmas on the horizon (yes I’m thinking about it already – no surprise for those of you who know me well lol) I thought a Reindeer in Watercolour would be suitable. The workshops are beginner friendly but you do need to bring your own art materials. I just wanted to make this clear as a participant arrived at last month’s pastel workshop without any supplies. I leant him some of mine so that he could still take part but obviously this isn’t ideal as he had nothing but his painting to take home with him so couldn’t practise thereafter. The reason I ask participants to bring their own supplies is for a couple of reasons; obviously the first is to keep this cost down, and the second reason being is so that I can advise each person on how to obtain the best results with what they have and let them know if they are missing anything beneficial that would help them in their artistic journey.
Suggested art supplies for a watercolour workshop:
Wildlife Art Workshops for 2023
£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 21st 2023 | Watercolour | Postponed |
| February 25th 2023 | Pastel | Red Panda |
| March 25th 2023 | Watercolour | Fox in Snow |
| April 22nd 2023 | Pastel | Postponed |
| May 20th 2023 | Watercolour | Toucan |
| June 24th 2023 | Pastel | Kingfisher |
| August 26th 2023 | Watercolour | postponed |
| September 23rd 2023 | Pastel | Polar Bear |
| October 21st 2023 | Watercolour | Reindeer |
| November 25th 2023 | Pastel | TBC |
| December TBC | Watercolour | TBC |
My preferred materials for the the pastel & watercolour workshops:
| Preferred 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 |
| Preferred 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 |
Nine new dates for 2023 have been confirmed by Martin Mere Wetland Centre One running each month, with the exception of January, July and December. Workshops will 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.
Diary Dates
| Global Bird Fair | 14th – 16th July 2023 |
| Exhibition of Wildlife Art | 28th – 30th July 2023 |
| Arctic Expedition | 31st July – 11th August 2023 |
| North West Birdwatching Festival | 14th -15th October 2023 |
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.’
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.’
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. I’m new to pastels and have trouble making the background look far away. Please help. Thank you.
A. Hi there Sophie, thank you for your question. An easy way to make a background recede in a painting is to make it look out of focus, then apply finer detail to anything you want to draw the viewers eye to be drawn to, such as the little hedgehog in the video below. Also you could try adding cooler colours to the background and warmer colours to the foreground/subject, this also creates a sense of distance between the two elements. I hope this helps xXx
I may not always have a video on my YouTube channel to go alongside 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.
Wishing you all the best, until next time, as always, stay safe and stay creative, Kerry xXx
Questions & Suggestions welcomed
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