Uncategorized Archives - Page 4 of 9

Posted on 27/03/2022 by Kerry Newell

Here to Ignite, Encourage and Inspire your Creative Flame

‘Every artist was first an amateur.’ – Ralph Waldo Emerson

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 a relaxing weekend and to those of you who are celebrating this Sunday – Happy Mother’s Day! 💐

Now you may be thinking that I’m getting a little confused, but bare with me and I’ll explain, yes I sent a newsletter out on Thursday (24th) but that was to ‘catch up’ as I’d missed a few. Hence this one today is to get me back on track 😉 There, you see, there is a method in my madness lol.

Okay with that explanation out of the way shall we move on? And so without further ado or a moment of hesitation (or procrastination) – I’d like to say a huge thank you to the lovely ladies who came to yesterday’s pastel workshop at Martin Mere Wetland Centre 😊 You all did wonderfully well and I can’t wait to see your future projects as you explore the wonderful world of pastel 🎨

Wildlife Art Workshops New for 2022

Date	Medium	Subject
January 22nd	Watercolour	European Robin
February 26th	Acrylic	postponed due to Covid
March 26th	Pastel	Red Squirrel
April 30th	Watercolour	T.B.C
May 28th	Acrylic	Puffin
June 25th	Pastel	T.B.C

Six dates have now been confirmed over at Martin Mere Wetland Centre. One running each month until, and including, June. The mediums alternate between Watercolour, Acrylic and Pastel, and 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 added then extra dates can be slotted in to suit. So if your passion is coloured pencil or you love oil painting then just let me know.

Workshop Information

Latest News

Now believe it or not, I’m not and never have been, obsessed with tables as this newsletter seems to show, the truth is it’s the easiest way of showing ‘possible dates for your diary’ without inserting them into a long paragraph that would make the most boring reading ever lol.

For as well as demonstrating at Patching’s Art Festival and exhibiting & demonstrating at the Exhibition of Wildlife Art in July, I have now also been invited to exhibit and demonstrate at the North West Birdwatching Festival (North West Birdfair) in October, not to mention the amazing opportunity of being invited to lead an Art Safari in Uganda due to run in September 😊 🦍 🎨

Patching’s Art Festival	14th – 17th July 2022
Exhibition of Wildlife Art	29th – 31st July 2022
Art Safari in Uganda	15th – 30th September 2022
North West Birdwatching Festival	15th & 16th October 2022

Patching’s Art Festival – an international four day art event celebrating the best in art & craft. Open to all there’s something for everyone, the chance to meet over 250 artists, a lot of which will be demonstrating (including me demonstrating for Caran d’Ache). Plus ‘hands-on’ workshops and art material offers all set in 60 acres of beautiful Nottinghamshire countryside.

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.’ I’ll be demonstrating whilst exhibiting there this year and would love for you to drop by and say hello.

Art Safari in Uganda – a two week tour taking in some of Uganda’s best national parks, optional gorilla and chimpanzee tracking, visiting a rhino sanctuary and so much more. With a maximum of 6 participants this art based safari ensures you’ll have all the natural world of Uganda has to offer, plus plenty of 1 to 1 guidance from me when you need it to enable you to capture all that you want on paper or canvas. More information below.

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.

For the love of Uganda

Calling all artists, would you like to take your love for art and wildlife one step further? Then why not join me on safari in Uganda this coming September? There’s so much to see and do on this adventure of a lifetime; safari drives, boat cruises, gorilla tracking, chimpanzee tracking so much more… Any questions? Then contact Lesley who’s looking forward to hearing from you.

‘Capture some of Africa’s finest wildlife in art that will help your memories last forever. We are very excited about our new partnership with wildlife artist Kerry Newell and hope this art safari – based on one of our classic wildlife safaris – will become an annual feature in our tour calendar.’

Ugandan Art-based Safari

15th – 30th September 2022

Limited Places

Amazing price of £5,230

For more information please contact Lesley Harris Lesley@ventureuganda.org

WhatsApp: +256 782 735 309

Lesley Harris, owner of Venture Uganda, is more than happy to answer any questions you may have regarding this adventure. Please take a few minutes to read the amazing itinerary Lesley and her team, over in Uganda, have put together (you wont be disappointed). Lesley is currently building a new and exclusive page to add to her, already wonderful, website. I’ll be sure to let you all know when that goes live, but for now sit back and enjoy all the amazing details of this new and exciting diary of events planned for 15th – 30th September 2022!

Ugandan Art Safari Information

Venture Uganda Travel

Subscriber Question

Q. Do fixatives really work with pastel and charcoal?

A. I can thoroughly recommend the spray fixative by Loxley. It does exactly what it says on the can. Always remember to try these types of spray on a spare piece of paper before applying to your completed project.

Loxley Fixative on Pastels is a little 30 minute video showing and explaining my process in which I spray between layers and to protect the finished project, I have since applied it to graphite and charcoal drawings and it works perfectly. I hope this helps.

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.

It’s a wonderful feeling to have caught up again on my newsletters 😊

I’ll be sure to include ‘work on my easel’ updates next week too.

Thank you once again 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

Posted on 24/03/2022 by Kerry Newell

Here to Ignite, Encourage and Inspire your Creative Flame

“A true artist is not one who is inspired, but one who inspires others.” Salvador Dali

Hey there my friends I hope you’re all keeping well, sorry for the absence of newsletters recently, life got in the way and so did the dreaded Covid virus. Thankful to say our home is now virus free.

This coming Saturday (26th March) I’ll be teaching a wildlife-inspired workshop over at Martin Mere Wetland Centre. The subject and medium being a Red Squirrel in Pastel. It’s not too late to book as there’s a few places left if you’d like to join me, see below for more information 😉

Please note: some items in my newsletter are repeated for the benefit of new subscribers. So either re-read or simply scroll through to ‘Latest News’. Thank you 😊

Wildlife Art Workshops New for 2022

Six dates have now been confirmed over at Martin Mere Wetland Centre. One running each month until, and including, June.

The mediums alternate between Watercolour, Acrylic and Pastel, and 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 added then extra dates can be slotted in to suit. So if your passion is coloured pencil or you love oil painting then just let me know.

Workshop Information

Latest News

I’m so pleased to announce that as well as running a new series of art workshops at Martin Mere Wetland Centre this year, I’ve also been asked to demonstrate for the world renowned art materials manufacturers Caran d’Ache at this years Patching’s Art Festival in July. This will be my 12th year demonstrating their wonderful products, thrilled as always 😊 This festival is open to the public with many demonstrators working across all four days and many ‘hands on’ exhibits for visitors to try. Well worth a visit if you love art and haven’t been before, and if you have been before I’ll see you there 😉

Another venue for me in July will be the Exhibition of Wildlife Art on the Wirral, Liverpool. I’m blessed to have been invited to exhibit for the 4th or 5th year running (sorry I’ve lost count lol) I’d been invited for several years running prior to attending, but the dates always clashed with other bookings. Anyway more news on this in my next newsletter.

For the love of Uganda

Ugandan Art-based Safari

15th – 30th September 2022

Limited Places

Amazing price of £5,230

For more information please contact Lesley Harris Lesley@ventureuganda.org

WhatsApp: +256 782 735 309

Ugandan Art Safari Information

Venture Uganda Travel

Subscriber Question – how can I create fine detail lines with acrylic paint?

A. There are many ways of utilizing acrylic paint and a lot can depend on not only the paint you are using but the brushes too. If you are already using ‘liquid acrylics’ then it may be that you’re using the wrong style of brush. A long pointed brush such as a liner brush or rigger brush is perfect. The length of the bristles allows the brush to hold more pigment and can therefore achieve a longer detailed line or lines. If you are using normal acrylics then add a little more water until you have the consistency of milk, then roll your brush into the paint and practise your brush strokes on a scrap piece of paper. Play with the paint to water ratio and brush techniques to find what best suits you and your requirements, as these will differ between individuals.

This Chromacolour Liquid Acrylics video may be a useful watch whatever acrylics you are using at the moment, I hope this helps.

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 I’ll leave it at that for today as my breakfast is calling me 😉

Thank you once again 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

Posted on 13/02/2022 by Kerry Newell

Here to Ignite, Encourage and Inspire your Creative Flame

“Believe you can and you’re half way there.” Theodore Roosevelt

Hey there my friends I hope you’re all keeping well and that 2022 is turning into a year of creative possibilities for you.

A friend of mine recently asked me why she isn’t seeing much, if any, improvement in her paintings (something we can all experience from time to time), however when I looked at her paintings I could definitely see her progress, and once pointed out to her she could see it too. It’s much like putting a droplet of water into a bowl each day, we wouldn’t notice the change, just believe that the level is rising and before you know it your bowl will overflow. If you can relate to this, be easy on yourself and remember my mantra – practise makes progress, not perfection 😉

Please note: some items in my newsletter are repeated for the benefit of new subscribers. So either re-read or simply scroll through to ‘Latest News’. Thank you 😊

**Example of an acrylic paint workshop**

Wildlife Art Workshops New for 2022

Six dates have now been confirmed over at Martin Mere Wetland Centre. One running each month until, and including, June.

The mediums alternate between Watercolour, Acrylic and Pastel, and 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 added then extra dates can be slotted in to suit. So if your passion is coloured pencil or you love oil painting then just let me know.

Workshop Information

Ugandan Art-based Safari

15th – 30th September 2022

Limited Places

Amazing price of £5,230

For more information please contact Lesley Harris Lesley@ventureuganda.org

WhatsApp: +256 782 735 309

Ugandan Art Safari Information

Venture Uganda Travel

‘LATEST NEWS’

I was hoping to have an update of my latest commission for you this weekend, unfortunately that wont be happening due to user error (yep me) – major error forced me to bin the first one. Hey these things happen, so I’ve sketched it out again and I’m ready to begin. If anyone says ‘things never go wrong in my studio’ take that with a pinch of salt. I guess that’s one of the downsides of social media – we only ever see the the good stuff, never see the messes, mishaps and mistakes.

Hoping to have a commission update within the next couple of weeks. Having family to stay this coming week so not likely to get very much studio time but we’ll see.

Subscriber Question – how do I transfer my sketch onto velour pastel paper as it is too thick to use with my lightbox, thank you.

A. Thank you Emilly for your question. This is a simple one to answer, all you need is your sketch and an empty biro or embossing tool, watch the beginning of this video Feathers – Pastel on Velour, it’s easy to follow and only takes a few minutes.

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 that’s it for this weekend, I’ve family coming to stay for a week so better get busy finishing off my emails etc before they arrive – and obviously that will no doubt include copious amounts of coffee lol.

Thank you once again 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

Posted on 05/02/2022 by Kerry Newell

Here to Ignite, Encourage and Inspire your Creative Flame

“Art is too important not to share” Romero Britto

Hey there my friends I hope you’re all keeping well and creative, for those of you that do… and for those of you that don’t – why not give it a try 😉

I’m pleased to say that this little Puffin in acrylics is now complete. This will be the subject for my Wildlife Art Workshop later this month (Sat 26th February to be exact) at the Martin Mere Wetland Centre.

Obviously some things in my newsletter are repeated. These items, usually workshop & Uganda related, are for the benefit of new subscribers. However, do keep reading them as I will be adding things to these slots as they arise. As in new dates, mediums and tours etc.

Wildlife Art Workshops New for 2022

Six dates have now been confirmed over at Martin Mere Wetland Centre. One running each month until, and including, June.

The mediums alternate between watercolour, acrylic and pastel, and 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 added then extra dates can be slotted in to suit. So if your passion is coloured pencil or you love oil painting then just let me know.

Workshop Information

Now with my Snow Leopard painting finished and the Puffin painting complete, I can turn my attention back to my commissions, for a while at least; and that’s what I’ll be working on tomorrow. I’ll post an image of my latest commission in next week’s newsletter.

I also have another large acrylic painting in mind, one that is definitely ‘Uganda inspired’ 😉 I’ll begin sharing it with you all once it reaches my easel.

Speaking of Uganda, would you like to take your love for art and wildlife one step further? Then why not join me on safari in Uganda this coming September? There’s so much to see and do on this adventure of a lifetime; safari drives, boat cruises, gorilla tracking, chimpanzee tracking so much more…

Any questions? Then contact Lesley who’s looking forward to hearing from you.

Update on Ugandan Art-based Safari

I’m so excited that I can finally reveal to you all the full itinerary, including dates and ‘all inclusive’ price for this amazing adventure in Uganda!

15th – 30th September 2022

Limited Places

Amazing price of £5,230

For more information please contact Lesley Harris Lesley@ventureuganda.org

WhatsApp: +256 782 735 309

Ugandan Art Safari Information

Venture Uganda Travel

Subscriber Question – Please help, I had an airbrush for Christmas and now it doesn’t work. What should I do?

A. Okay this was a question emailed to me last week. After a little correspondence, back and forth, it turned out that the lady in question had been using her airbrush since receiving it as a gift for Christmas, but hadn’t been cleaning it. I was surprised it had lasted this long. I talked her through the process of stripping and cleaning it and thankfully it’s back to full working order. So I decided to make a little ten minute video on the subject.

See the video How to dismantle & clean your airbrush, easy to follow and only takes a few minutes to keep your airbrush in tip top condition.

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.

Well it’s that time of the day again when my stomach starts to tell me that I need to stop work and head for the kitchen, at least for a coffee or three lol.

Thank you once again my friends, old and new, 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

Posted on 01/02/2022 by Kerry Newell

Here to Ignite, Encourage and Inspire your Creative Flame

“Art is an adventure into an unknown world, which can be explored only by those willing to take risks” – Mark Rothko

Hey there my friends I hope you’re all keeping well and warm during this spell of windy weather, here in the UK. Sorry that this newsletter is a couple of days late – I do have a reason, honestly, I’ve been waiting for my new workshop dates to be confirmed over at Martin Mere Wetland Centre, and I wanted to share them with you first 😉 I now have them so hopefully it’ll have been worth your wait lol, I’ll share them with you in moment or two.

I’m also pleased to let you all know that my snow leopard painting (yet to be titled) is finally finished, worked from my own reference images. It’s an acrylic painting measuring 24″ x 18″. I’m hoping to get it properly lit and photographed tomorrow and then next weekend will proceed in getting it varnished. After which it will be heading off to my framers. I hope you like him, one of my favourite big cats to paint 😊

New for 2022

Okay as promised here are the six initial dates to get us off to a great start over at Martin Mere Wetland Centre.

I’ve included January’s workshop date to show how the mediums will be rotated throughout the year; watercolour then acrylic, followed by pastel, and then back to watercolour and so on.

If participants would like further mediums added then extra dates can be slotted in to suit. So if your passion is coloured pencil or you love oil painting then just let me know.

Workshop Information

Date in 2022	Medium to be covered
January 22nd	Watercolour workshop	✔
February 26th	Acrylic workshop
March 26th	Pastel workshop
April 30th	Watercolour workshop
May 28th	Acrylic workshop
June 25th	Pastel workshop

And the supplies that I’m recommending for each workshop:

Supplies	Watercolour	Acrylic	Pastel
Pencil, sharpener & eraser	✔	✔	✔
Board & masking tape	✔	✔	✔
Mixing palette	✔	✔
Two water containers	✔	✔
Watercolour / acrylic brushes	✔	✔
Fine mist spray bottle	✔	✔
Watercolour tubes or pan paints	✔
Acrylic paints		✔
Soft pastels and pastel pencils			✔
Watercolour / mixed media paper 9″ x 12″ 140lb or more	✔
Canvas, canvas boards or canvas pad 10″ x 12″		✔
Pastel paper 9″ x 12″ or bigger (e.g. Clairefontaine Pastelmat)			✔

Well that’s more than enough to get your teeth into lol. All of this information can also be found over on our exclusive Art Workshop page on the Martin Mere website as well as on the Workshop page of my website too. So always available to see should you need to take a glance. Also if you’re unsure about any of the materials feel free to drop me a line at kerrynewell1@gmail.com

Would you like to take your love for art and wildlife one step further? Then why not join me on safari in Uganda this coming September? There’s so much to see and do in this inspirational adventure of a lifetime; safari drives, boat cruises, gorilla tracking, chimpanzee tracking so much more…

If you have any questions then please feel free to contact Lesley who’s looking forward to hearing from you.

Update on Ugandan Art-based Safari

I’m so excited that I can finally reveal to you all the full itinerary, including dates and ‘all inclusive’ price for this amazing adventure in Uganda!

15th – 30th September 2022

Limited Places

Amazing price of £5,230

For more information please contact Lesley Harris Lesley@ventureuganda.org

WhatsApp: +256 782 735 309

Ugandan Art Safari Information

Venture Uganda Travel

Subscriber Question – Is there an inexpensive way of trying pastels but still getting plenty of colours?

A. Well I’m sure this question, regardless of medium, resonates with many of us. You’d like to try a new medium but don’t want to be restricted to just a couple of colours because of the cost. My answer for this one is simple – I’d recommend you getting a small box (24 colours) of Koh-I-Noor soft pastels and give them a try. I reviewed them and can thoroughly recommend them.

See the video Koh-I-Noor Soft Pastels, you can even use a little water with them.

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. Here’s a link for the Koh-I-Noor Soft Pastels if you’d like to take a look.

Okay it’s nearly lunch time and my tummy is rumbling, not that you needed to know that lol. So I’ll sign off for now as I’ve a busy afternoon at the easel ahead of me.

Thank you as always 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

Posted on 23/01/2022 by Kerry Newell

Here to Ignite, Encourage and Inspire your Creative Flame

You are your only limit – unknown

Hey there my friends I hope you’re all having a relaxing weekend. Wow this past week has simply flown by, it’s been a productive one but has gone by far too quickly.

Yesterday I had the privilege of running a, what I hope will be the first of many, wildlife art workshop over at Martin Mere Wetland Centre. I’d like to thank Caroline, Wendy, Sandra, Matthew, Anne, Louise, Jonathan and Alison (the participants) for attending and supporting this new venture for Martin Mere; and for your eagerness for more dates – news of which I hope to be able to share soon.

Well it looks as though, all being well, 2022 will be the year of artistic adventures and endless possibilities, as interest in the Art Safari to Uganda has begun to build. Check out the full itinerary for more information, and if you have any questions then please feel free to contact Lesley who’s looking forward to hearing from you.

Update on Ugandan Art-based Safari

I’m so excited that I can finally reveal to you all the full itinerary, including dates and ‘all inclusive’ price for this amazing adventure in Uganda!

15th – 30th September 2022

Limited Places

All inclusive price of £5,230

For more information please contact Lesley Harris Lesley@ventureuganda.org

WhatsApp: +256 782 735 309

Ugandan Art Safari Full Itinerary

Venture Uganda Travel

I promised yesterday’s workshop participants that I’d share a little review of this amazing studio light!

I’d listened to a few artists rave about this light but I still had my doubts, so I ordered one for myself (after all I could have sent it back were I not happy with it). It arrived the following day, last Monday to be exact, and I wasted no time in unboxing it and clamping it to my easel… OH MY WORD this light is a game changer!!! The two tube lights that can be positioned independently, and each tube has four different brightness settings too! I’m literally blown away. I can even work at night now without the need for any other light source in my studio, it’s simply that amazing I just had to share. It is literally the only studio light that I’ll be using from now on.

I’ve attached a link to this DUOLAMP if you’d like to take a look, via my Amazon affiliate account, please feel free to click, browse and shop if you want at no extra cost to you 😉

Subscriber Question – I have some watercolours and have been given some watercolour pencils. Can I use them both together or will it look wrong if I do?

A. I actually love combining traditional watercolours with watercolour pencils for many reasons. More colours for less money is one reason I’d recommend them, also if you’re wanting to do some outdoor sketching then they’re great too, you can add water to your sketch once you’re back home and go from sketch to a painting in one easy step.

See the Watercolour & Gouache supplies I use and therefore recommend.

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. Here’s a link for the Giraffe in Watercolour if you’d like to take a look.

Well that’s enough rambling for me for one day, I’m off to get a drink and some lunch, followed by an hour or so of emailing. Then hopefully this afternoon I’ll get some quality easel time before dinner, a film and then bed lol.

Thank you for spending some time with me today. As always please feel free to leave a suggestion or question in the contact form below.

All being well next week’s newsletter will be back to landing in your inbox on a Saturday.

Until then, as always, stay safe and stay creative, Kerry xXx

Questions & Suggestions welcomed

Posted on 15/01/2022 by Kerry Newell

Here to Ignite, Encourage and Inspire your Creative Flame

Art is never finished, merely abandoned. – Leonardo da Vinci

Happy Saturday everyone, I hope you’re all keeping well and have something lovely planned for this weekend. I’ll be working my snow leopard painting to completion, all being well, later today. It may roll over into tomorrow, if so then that’s okay by me too. I’m painting the final details of the foreground now, quite a relaxing process to be honest, listening to a podcast or YouTube while I work keeps me on track. I’m not one for working in complete silence as my mind has a tendency to wander far too much lol.

This time next week I’ll be over at Martin Mere Wetland Centre teaching the first, in what we hope to be, a brand new series of Wildlife Art Workshops, starting with watercolour. Wow the weeks have simply flown by since this date was set for Saturday 22nd January ’22, and all being well I’ll soon have the following dates to share with you all, in case this date was one you couldn’t attend.

A quick recap – All of my courses are beginner friendly and 50% of all proceeds go straight back into conservation via the WWT (Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust). Thinking of starting a new hobby or refreshing an old one? Then come and join us, beginners welcomed!.

Interested? For more Information on these Workshops

Update on Ugandan Art-based Safari – I’m so excited that I can finally reveal to you all the full itinerary, including dates and ‘all inclusive’ price for this amazing adventure in Uganda!

15th – 30th September 2022

Limited Places

All inclusive price of £5,230

For more information please contact Lesley Harris Lesley@ventureuganda.org

WhatsApp: +256 782 735 309

Ugandan Art Safari Full Itinerary

Venture Uganda Travel

Subscriber Question – I love working with coloured pencils but they are just so slow. Is there anyway of speeding up the process?

A. I too love working with coloured pencil and fully understand why sometimes it would be nice to hurry the process along a little. The two techniques I turn to are using toned paper and a solvent. You can use one of these or both. Toned paper means you now don’t need to add a background but the painting still looks complete, and the solvent helps to achieve a richer look without tons of layering. I believe my Red Panda video should be helpful to you.

See the Coloured Pencil Supplies I use and therefore recommend.

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. Here’s a link for the Coloured Pencil on Toned Paper if you’d like to take a look.

Okay I’ll leave it at that for now as my tummy is rumbling which means it’s lunch time already. Don’t quite know where this morning has gone lol.

Lots coming in my next newsletter including a new studio lighting review and hopefully an update on my newest commission.

Next weeks newsletter will probably land in your inbox next Sunday due to the fact that I’ll be teaching next Saturday.

Thank you for spending some time with me today. As always please feel free to leave a suggestion or question in the contact form below.

And as always, stay safe and stay creative, Kerry xXx

Questions & Suggestions welcomed

Posted on 08/01/2022 by Kerry Newell

Here to Ignite, Encourage and Inspire your Creative Flame

‘You are your only limit’ – unknown

Hey there my friends I hope the start of the new year has been a positive one for you all. Last week was spent with family for me, so it’s been a slow relaxing introduction to 2022 instead of the ‘hit the ground running’ experience I was expecting (no complaints there though lol).

I’ve a few commissions pencilled in to my diary now, but none with immediate deadlines to meet. So I’ve given myself a couple more weeks of tidying up loose ends from last year and preparation time for my new series of workshops due to begin in two weeks time over at Martin Mere Wetland Centre.

Update on Ugandan Art-based Safari – this morning I spent a couple of hours sending over details for a small biography and sample images of my artwork. These were requested and will be used for marketing procedures.

I keep reading through the full itinerary that I now have and so can’t wait to share it with you all. A Ugandan safari has always been a dream of mine. To see in person the beautiful and majestic species that call Uganda their home will be an amazing experience I’m sure. And to be able to share this experience whilst teaching there is just… yep I’m lost for words – not great when I’m trying to write a newsletter lol. But I’m sure you know what I mean.

I’ll soon be able to share the full itinerary and price for this amazing safari due to take place in Uganda 15th – 30th September 2022

Watch this space…

With just two weeks to go I’m getting excited. You know when you just want to get started on something but have to wait…. Yep that’s me right now. A new year and a new adventure, new people to meet and new subjects to paint, doesn’t get better than that eh.

Want to start a new hobby or refresh an old one? Then come and join us, beginners welcomed!.

Just in case this is your first newsletter – All of my courses are beginner friendly and 50% of all proceeds go straight back into conservation via the WWT (Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust). I’m starting off the workshops with a watercolour one, after that I’ll tailor workshops to whatever participants want, different mediums and different flora & fauna subjects.

Interested? For more Information on these Workshops

Yeah! We finally had some snow! Not a lot, just a little flurry but hey that’s better than nothing. Those loose ends I mentioned earlier – well this snow leopard painting is definitely one of them. I made quite a few changes whilst progressing through the painting (one of the joys of working with acrylics). And now the end is coming into sight. Prints will be made available once it’s finished, and here’s a link if you’d like to take a look at the acrylic supplies I use: Acrylic painting supplies

Subscriber Question – what brushes would you recommend to use with watercolour and gouache?

A. There are many brushes on the market that make the claim, when advertised, that they can be used for all mediums. These ‘all medium’ brushes are something that I wouldn’t recommend. Instead I’d encourage students to purchase golden taklon bristle brushes. These synthetic bristle brushes are soft enough to carry and apply watercolour paint, but not too delicate that they’d be damaged by the heavier consistency of gouache.

When choosing paint I like to stick with well known brands whose lightfast ratings I can trust. But when it comes to brushes I just use what gets the job done. Sometimes it’s a well known brand, other times generic brushes do the job just as well. For more information on some of the brushes I use for these mediums please follow this link: Watercolour & Gouache

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. Here’s a link for the Gecko in Gouach e if you’d like to take a look.

Now not everything in life runs smoothly. We all have our ups and downs. Sometimes the downs can bring priceless lessons – one of which I learnt this week. If you’ll remember, I mentioned recently that most of my original paintings and have now been scanned/photographed ready for the production of prints. All of which were saved safely onto an external hard drive and an SD card for safekeeping… yep I think you can guess where this one’s going. My external hard drive decided to crash and unbeknown to me, I’d accidentally formatted my SD card. All seemed lost and nightmarish thoughts of having to get everything scanned and photographed again formed in my head. But hurrah that wasn’t to be, and all thanks to a nifty little programme called Disk Drill. Admittedly I had to pay for this piece of software, but a small amount in comparison to the amount I would have had to have paid had this not been available to me. So lesson learned – always double check before formatting an SD card and always have work saved to two or more separate external hard drives. And there you were, thinking I was going to leave you on a cliff hanger lol.

Okay with that said, it’s time for me to get back to my easel as I’ve a rocky outcrop to paint lol.

Until next time, stay safe and stay creative, Kerry xXx

Questions & Suggestions welcomed

Posted on 31/12/2021 by Kerry Newell

Here to Ignite, Encourage and Inspire your Creative Flame

Painting of a playful tiger cub laying on his back, with the words 'Close Encounters of the Furry Kind' across the top of the image, and the the words 'A Wildlife Artist's Blog by Kerry Newell' across the bottom.

‘If you don’t do it, someone else will’

Welcome to 2022, let the adventure begin. Love and peace to all, Kerry xxx

Happy New Year 2022 my wonderful friends! I hope this latest newsletter finds you all well as we move into 2022. Like so many others, moving into the new year can come with a mixture of emotions. I had to say goodbye to my beloved canine companion Skye in September, hopefully stepping into the new year will bring new challenges and adventures to keep me occupied.

I don’t tend to make New Year resolutions as such, as I feel I’ll just be setting myself up for a fall lol. However, I am determined to form some new healthy habits especially when it comes to creating and sticking to a schedule. Beginning these weekly newsletters again has been a great start. Are you setting yourself any new year’s resolutions? And if so, what are they? I’d love to hear.

An acrylic painting of a snow leopard walking over a rocky surface, with mountains in the background. This is a work in progress shot.

No snow as yet, so I’ve had to settle with working on my snow leopard painting over the festive break. It’s definitely a work in progress and there’s a lot to do yet. As I work through the foreground, which is mostly going to be rocks, I’ll keep popping back and adding to the leopard as I spot something new that needs adjusting. This is acrylic on canvas, and prints will be made available once it’s finished.

Here’s a link if you’d like to take a look at the acrylic supplies I use: Acrylic painting supplies

A watercolour painting of a robin. The style of painting is loose with vibrant colours.

Wow just three weeks to go until my workshops begin at WWF Martin Mere Wetland Centre. What a great start to the new year! Want to start a new hobby or refresh an old one? Then come and join us, beginners welcomed!.

Obviously I’m hoping that all of the places have been booked, but if you’re interested in taking part check out the link or call them direct and it might not be too late to book a place. All of my courses are beginner friendly and 50% of all proceeds go straight back into conservation via the WWT (Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust). I’m starting off the workshops with a watercolour one, after that I’ll tailor workshops to whatever participants want, different mediums and different flora & fauna subjects.

Interested? For more Information on these Workshops

Scratchboard artwork depicted the face of a young Lowland Mountain Gorilla. It is monochrome - just black and white.

Update on Ugandan Art-based Safari – I’ll soon be able to share the full itinerary and price for this amazing safari due to take place in Uganda 15th – 30th September 2022

The organisers are awaiting flight confirmations before finalising the marketing details, rest assured that this will definitely be something worth waiting for. As I mentioned before the itinerary is simply amazing and I can’t wait to reveal the whole package to you. I can guarantee you wont be disappointed lol.

Watch this space…

A hedgehog painting created using pan pastels and pastel pencils. This image is being used to advertise the hedgehog in pastel video on my YouTube channel.

Subscriber Question – what paper would you recommend that I can use for pastel that doesn’t need a fixative spray.

A. There are many papers on the market that lend themselves well to pastel. However, my favourite by far is Pastel Mat by the company Claire Fontaine. It’s a finely textured paper that is soft to the touch (unlike sanded paper). It can hold many layers of pastel and I personally have found that it can be used effectively without the need for a fixing spray. Once a finished painting has been mounted and framed there is little to no droppage of pastel dust, unlike other pastel papers such as velour.

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. Here’s a link for the Hedgehog In Pastel if you’d like to take a look.

This image shows a tranquil, frosty, early morning scene of a pathway through a winter forest. Vivid colours and long shadows are cast across the pathway on the frozen ground.

Whatever you’re wishes and dreams are for the new year, one thing’s for sure – there’s a path to be taken and adventures to be had.

Happy New Year 2022 to you all!

Stay safe and stay creative, Kerry xXx

Questions & Suggestions welcomed

Posted on 24/12/2021 by Kerry Newell

Here to Ignite, Encourage and Inspire your Creative Flame

‘I make art to show my soul I’m listening’ – Pat Wiederspan

Seasons Greetings my friends! I trust you’re all keeping well and getting ready to relax and recharge your creative batteries during the festive break. For those of you, whom like myself, celebrate Christmas, I hope you’ll have some arty goodies to unwrap tomorrow. Something you’ve put on your Christmas list or maybe something you’ve treated yourself to? No doubt I’ll be browsing art materials online tomorrow and seeing if anything sparks my interest. If it doesn’t then not to worry as I’ve plenty to keep me entertained for now. Have enjoyed flexing my digital art muscles for a change whilst creating this little Christmassy Frogs picture, I hope you like him.

Well as much as I’ve wished for snow, the cold weather hasn’t arrived yet. Actually it’s quite mild at the moment, so my dreams of a white Christmas are looking less likely by the hour. No worries, I’ve still made myself a warm drink so that at least I’ll feel cosy on the inside whilst catching up with you all.

I’m pleased to say that last week’s addition of ‘subscriber question’ and ‘contact form’ sections have been successful, so they’ll be staying put. No new addition suggestions as yet, but keep your ideas coming and who knows what the New Year will hold. Okay, now things of an arty nature:

Update on Ugandan Art-based Safari – I’ve now received the full itinerary and dates!

I haven’t been given the go-ahead to share everything with you yet, as flight details are, at the moment, being confirmed. What I can say is that this is going to be an amazing 15 day safari in Uganda, 15th – 30th September 2022, the trip of a lifetime.

Reading through the itinerary alone gave me goose bumps, not to mention the butterflies the size of Monarchs in my stomach from excitement lol. But I do keep reminding myself that it’s still early days. So watch this space and hopefully come January all will be revealed.

With just four weeks to go until my new and exclusive workshops begin at WWF Martin Mere Wetland Centre, I’m getting pretty excited about this too. Teaching is always a wonderful opportunity to meet new people and share an interest or two, an opportunity that I never take for granted. I love to see individuals taking ‘the next step’ on their artistic journey, whether it be their first initial steps or leaps and bounds later on, the fact that we’re on this never ending journey of discovery together is what makes sharing it even more special.

All of my courses are beginner friendly, with each participant encouraged to work at their own pace however steady or speedy that my be. Each workshop has a set (limited) number of places so that everyone can get the extra help and words of encouragement should they need it. Plus 50% of all proceeds go straight back into conservation via the WWT (Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust).

We’re starting off the workshops with a watercolour one. Beginner friendly of course, and not too heavy on the wallet material wise. After that I’ll tailor workshops to whatever participants want, different mediums and different flora & fauna subjects. Interested? For more Information on these Workshops

Subscriber Question – what water based medium can I use to compliment my watercolours but that has more vibrancy?

A. Achieving vibrancy in watercolour can be achieved but it isn’t always easy, especially if you’re new to the medium. Gouache (opaque watercolour) can be used. But if you want colour with a visual kick then I’d recommend giving Derwent’s Inktense a try. It’s a water-soluble ink that is permanent and mat when dry. It can be used on paper, canvas and even fabric and works wonderfully well alongside watercolours in mixed media projects.

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. Here’s a link for the Iguana in Inktense if you’d like to take a look.

Thank you once again for taking a few minutes out of your day to join me, I promised myself that I’d keep my rambling short this time as I’m sure you’ve plenty to do, so with that said I’ll say farewell for now by wishing you all a huge MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Stay safe and stay creative, Kerry xXx

Questions & Suggestions welcomed

Category: Uncategorized

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Here to Ignite, Encourage and Inspire your Creative Flame

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Here to Ignite, Encourage and Inspire your Creative Flame

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Newsletter

Here to Ignite, Encourage and Inspire your Creative Flame

Wildlife Art Workshops New for 2022

‘LATEST NEWS’

Newsletter

Here to Ignite, Encourage and Inspire your Creative Flame

Wildlife Art Workshops New for 2022

Newsletter

Here to Ignite, Encourage and Inspire your Creative Flame

New for 2022

Here to Ignite, Encourage and Inspire your Creative Flame

Here to Ignite, Encourage and Inspire your Creative Flame

Here to Ignite, Encourage and Inspire your Creative Flame

Here to Ignite, Encourage and Inspire your Creative Flame

Here to Ignite, Encourage and Inspire your Creative Flame