Here to Ignite, Encourage and Inspire your Creative Flame
“Go the extra mile, it’s never crowded there.”
– Dr Wayne D. Dyer
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. Sorry it’s been a while since my last newsletter but hopefully this newsletter will make up for it. So where have I been and what have I been up to? Here goes:
The 26th – 28th July I was blessed to be exhibiting at the Exhibition of Wildlife Art. This exhibition is an annual event showcasing the works from wildlife artists from across the UK. All of the works exhibited are viewable for the rest of the year (until next year’s exhibition) via the Exhibition of Wildlife Art website. This year was my fifth year to be invited, and like the past four years it was a blast. Excellent company throughout the event and the opportunity to demonstrate my art whilst chatting with the public and potential buyers:
Once the exhibition was over I was able to spend some quality time finishing this Bonobo Chimpanzee, and unless he sells in the meantime, this will be exhibited at next year’s event:
Following this I settled back into ‘normality’. Beginning with creating new content for my YouTube channel. YouTube’s algorithm sure is an entity in itself, sometimes long videos do well, whilst other times short videos catch more attention. So I felt it’s time to mix things up a bit. So between the longer videos I’m going to be uploading shorter product reviews and projects. With this in mind I edited a smaller section of a longer video and launched it (so far so good):
Next on my ever-growing ‘to do’ list was to begin working through art materials that had been sent to me for review. I don’t like to do a simple review lol, I’d rather find a way of pushing the boundaries of an art material, and the next video definitely did that. When people talk of Fineliners they’re normally using them in conjunction with something else, such as line & wash with watercolour. However I wanted to see if a whole project could be achieved with these water-based pens, spoiler alert it definitely can! lol:
My next journey into the world of filming for YouTube was to finally enter the magical world of Kuretake Granulating Watercolours. I’ve seen fellow artists use them for backgrounds or ‘special effects’ in a painting, but again I wanted to push the boundaries. Getting the feel for these beautiful paints was amazing, watching the pigments split and granulate was amazing and I thoroughly recommend them to anyone who maybe looking for something different or just curious:
Moving towards the here and now. Last week my husband and myself, joined by my sister & partner, and my mum and dad had a holiday in North Yorkshire. A well-earned break and to celebrate my mum’s 90th birthday!!! 😊 We all had a fabulous time, with walks, sight seeing and delicious vegan food.
And now to today:
Three years ago today my world fell apart when my beloved Skye crossed over the rainbow bridge 
A loss so deep that few can understand. But on Sunday we finally welcomed a new addition into our family, Honey (aka studio assistant). My heart & home feel complete again, so prepare yourselves for daily doses of Honey 
The loss of a pet is a ‘bereavement of a family member’. Don’t struggle on your own. Find someone to talk to, someone who will understand. Take time and be gentle on yourself, I know your pain 
Love and hugs xXx
This Epic Arctic Art Adventure is soon to have a date available in 2025!!! More news on this soon.
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:
My Fine Art America page and shop
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 | A choice of: Fallow Deer or Chimpanzee |
| November 23rd 2024 | Watercolour | TBC |
The above dates have been confirmed and bookings are now being taken.
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 |
My ArtDiscount & Amazon affiliate links – please feel free to click, browse and shop at no extra cost to you.
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. Could you please recommend one of your videos that is suitable for a watercolour beginner? Thank you.
A. Thank you for your video request. The following video not only covers an ‘easy to apply’ technique, but also covers the idea that it’s fun and informative to just sit and play with our mediums whether you’re a beginner or not. I hope you find it helpful.
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 email me your questions and I’ll help as best I can.
Until next time, as always, stay safe and stay creative, Kerry xXx
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