Newsletter - Page 5 of 9

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

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 – 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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Posted on 18/12/2021 by Kerry Newell

Here to Ignite, Encourage and Inspire your Creative Flame

“Inhale possibility, exhale creativity.” – Laura Jaworski

Hey there my friends I hope everyone is keeping well and looking forward to the festive celebrations, or just a break from work. The weather here is getting slightly cooler but still no sign of snow, just seven sleeps until Christmas so there’s still the chance though – yep that’s me wishful thinking again. Okay I have a mug of coffee at hand, I hope you have a warm drink too. Time to catch up. Oh before I forget – my newsletters, although mobile friendly, are best viewed on a tablet, laptop or PC.

Thank you to everyone who’s contacted me this past week, brilliant comments and questions too. A big thank you to Pat King who asked if I could include a contact form at the bottom of my newsletters, and to Kieran Taylor who asked if I could add a ‘subscriber question’ section to each newsletter too. Both great ideas, so these additions will begin today.

Update on Uganda – after sharing last week’s exciting news with you all regarding Uganda (and sharing on social media too) I was so grateful with how many of you took the time to congratulate me on this new adventure in the making. I keep having to remind myself that it’s still early days yet, and I don’t want to take anything for granted. Having said that, my second meeting, via Zoom, went swimmingly well last Sunday. Everything seems to be going as planned and the final details are now being added into the 15/16 day itinerary. I’m now waiting again to hear from the Ugandan team but will keep you all updated as new developments arise.

With my ‘Christmas due’ commissions now completed and delivered, I’ve been able to spend some time making plans for the coming year, updates for my website and YouTube channel being amongst them. I now have notepads brimming with ideas as well as scribblings on how best to manage the time I have available, whilst not letting anything else fall by the wayside. For more Information of Commissions

I’ve also completed my last personal tuition booking for this year, which was a wonderful day spent in Wales with three ambitious artistic people. For more Information on Private Tuition

A few weeks ago I began the task of adding small contact forms to my Gallery Shop pages, enabling visitors to contact me directly should they be interested in knowing when a particular painting is available for purchase in print form. The feedback was almost immediate, and therefore I’m pleased to say that a majority of the paintings have now been scanned/professionally photographed and all being well prints can begin to be made available in January 2022.

Just five weeks to go until my Wildlife Art Workshops begin at Martin Mere Wetland Centre (mentioned in my previous two newsletters). If you’re interested in knowing more but haven’t had the time to take a look here’s a little link for you: Watercolour Workshop at Martin Mere

While on the subject of watercolour, I’ve a lovely little video over on my YouTube channel that’s suitable for beginners and enthusiasts alike. This Red Squirrel takes you through the process of working with watercolour pencils, but you could also apply the techniques to normal pan or tube watercolours, gouache or even acrylics should you wish. Red Squirrel Video

Okay tying in nicely whilst on a watercolour theme is the first of our two new newsletter additions:

Subscriber Question – what is the difference between watercolour and gouache, and do I need both?

A. Okay this one is quite simple to explain – watercolour, as the name suggests, is a water based paint which is translucent when dry. Whereas gouache, whilst also being water based, is opaque when dry. Pigments in either medium can be staining or non-staining and both mediums dry to a mat finish. Gouache has a tendency to dry with a slightly rough texture (ideal if wanting to apply coloured pencil on top for a mixed media project). I personally love having both mediums at hand, but no you don’t need both as each medium works perfectly well on it’s own as intended.

So there we have it, another newsletter in the bag lol. I hope you’ve enjoyed your time here with me today, thank you for keeping me company. As promised I’ll pop the aforementioned contact form at the end of the newsletter, so please feel free to use it to send YouTube, website or newsletter suggestions and general art questions too.

Signing off for now and wishing you all a wonderful weekend.

Stay safe and stay creative, Kerry xXx

Questions & Suggestions welcomed

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Posted on 11/12/2021 by Kerry Newell

Here to Ignite, Encourage and Inspire your Creative Flame

‘Creativity takes courage’ – Henri Matisse

Hey there my friends, I hope you’re all keeping well and warm. Wow has it really been two weeks already since my last letter? Time flies or so the saying goes. I’ve a large mug of coffee and a couple of those fancy biscuits (Lotus Biscoff) so I’m all comfy and cosy for our catch up.

Firstly I’d like to say thank you for the feedback now I have my email newsletters rolling out again, it’s great to hear from you all and I hope you’ve all found my replies satisfactory 😊 Last night I added a couple more items to my website ‘sidebar widget area’, I’ll see if you can spot them… okay a couple of clues – ‘he flaunts the front of many Christmas cards’ and ‘you already have, but it may prompt more to do likewise’. If anyone has further suggestions for additions to my
website please let me know.

New and exciting news – I’m currently in talks with a Ugandan-based company who would like me to run an art-based safari over there. We’ve had one informal meeting, over the phone of course, and we’re scheduled to have our next meeting this coming Sunday via Zoom. Initial itinerary plans have been put together which I’ve now received via email. It’s very exciting, even though development is in the early stages at the moment. As the plans for this adventure unfold I’ll be sure to share them all with you.

The past couple of weeks have been busy, as you’d expect in the lead up to Christmas. Anyone working with commissions at this time of the year knows the pressure of deadlines, and no matter how far in advance we try to plan, time has a way of creeping up on us. I’m not complaining though as I seem to work more efficiently with deadlines in place, an impending target date putting an abrupt end to my procrastination tendencies 😉

The hard work has payed off yet again and two more commissions have been delivered with time to spare. Another commission has been scheduled for the new year and I’ve already taken a large amount of reference images for this, so let’s just say I’m ahead of schedule in the commission area of my life right now. For more Information on Commissions

I don’t know about you but it always feels weird when I begin filling dates in my calendar for the following year. I’m looking forward to new and exciting journeys, one of them being Wildlife Art Workshops at WWF Martin Mere Wetland Centre as mentioned in my last newsletter.

Places are filling up nicely apparently, which is great for me and the centre alike. But if you would like to give it a go don’t leave it too late to book, I’ve restricted the amount of places so that all attendees get plenty of attention should the require it on the day. One thing I meant to mention is that 50% of all proceeds go straight back into conservation via the WWT (Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust).

I’m pleased to say I’ve now over 2k subscribers on my YouTube channel. I haven’t posted for a while as I’ve been fulfilling commissioned works, but over the Christmas period I’ll be able to get back on track. Its looking like the ‘Black Fur in Pastel’ has been a favourite with viewers so far.
Here’s a link if you’d like to take a look 👀 Black Fur in Pastel video

Okay I’ve rambled enough for one afternoon and my easel’s calling me lol. Don’t forget if there’s anything you’d like me to cover in these newsletters or things you’d like to see added to my website let me know.

I’ll sign off for now but thank you for spending some time with me.

Stay safe and stay creative, Kerry xXx

Posted on 25/11/2021 by Kerry Newell

Here to Ignite, Encourage and Inspire your Creative Flame

‘Practise makes progress, not perfection.’ – Me

From my sofa to yours…

Hey there my friends I hope you’re keeping well. It’s been a while since I last put pen to paper, well fingers to keypad to be exact. So we’ve plenty to catch up on. I’ll go and grab a coffee, if you want to do likewise, then we can relax and have a catch up.

Well I don’t know about you but I’ve heard enough about a certain virus that’s been doing the rounds this past 18 months or so, and I want to keep these newsletters upbeat so wont be mentioning it again… apart from saying that I quite enjoyed the first lockdown – plenty of guilt-free studio time.

Okay, so what’s been happening this end, and I apologise in advance as I doubt that my ramblings will be in any particular order (especially chronological).

In short, I’ve been a busy bee lol. Completing more drawings, paintings, commissions and YouTube videos than ever before, within the same timeframe of course. I’ve been inspired by inks, allured again by acrylics and played with my pencils, not to mention the occasional flexing of my digital art muscles lol. I’ve also been busy the past few weeks giving my website some much needed TLC.

So where has all this ‘playing with my art materials’ taken me? Well, I enjoyed a wonderful weekend exhibiting at the EWA (Exhibition of Wildlife Art) back in July, wow is it really that long ago. It’s a brilliant weekend if you’re into wildlife and art, takes place at the same venue each year – Gordale Garden Centre on the Wirral.

Then in October, last month, I was invited to exhibit at the North West Birdwatching Festival. It’s an event that’s held annually at the Martin Mere Wetland Centre in Lancashire. Hadn’t been to this event before, let alone exhibited there. On arrival, it turned out that I was the only artist there which was surprising but lovely at the same time.

One of the advantages of exhibiting, apart from selling and meeting such wonderful people, is the chance of being asked to do something that probably wouldn’t have happened otherwise. Well, okay it could but the possibilities are less I would think. Anyway, before I completely loose my thread and have to go and grab another coffee, I’m so very pleased to let you know that I’ve been invited to run Art Workshops at Martin Mere Wetland Centre! Exciting times ahead, even if I say so myself lol. So the first date has been set for Saturday 22nd January 2022 and it’s going to be a watercolour workshop. For beginners and the more experienced alike.

Here’s a link if you want to go and have a look at what’s on offer, as long as you promise to come back to read the rest of my ramblings of course – Information on these Workshops

So where did I get to? Oh yes ‘workshops’ – great news eh. Can’t think of anything better than starting a new hobby or brushing the cobwebs off an old one, and a lovely way of easing into a brand new year 🙂

Anyway as I was saying, before my mind jumped ahead of itself and my ‘fingers hitting the keyboard’ had to follow. I’ve been applying my tech savvy brain cell to the task of tweaking my website. While some people like the idea of a simple to use website where you just ‘drag & drop’ so to speak, I like to challenge myself once in a while with my homemade style WordPress website, one step away from the aforementioned drag & drop but not quite in the realm of coding where I wouldn’t stand a chance lol.

To my website I’ve added ‘Supply Lists’ seven brand new pages showing some of the products I use and can therefore recommend. There’s Graphite & Charcoal, Coloured Pencil, Watercolour & Gouache, Acrylic, Oils, Pastels and Studio Accessories.

Along with a little description and the supply listings, I’ve also included an image on each section showing my recommendations for someone wanting to get started in each medium. Something that I would have found useful when starting out.

On the subject of all things ‘tech savvy’ (well we weren’t but we can pretend can’t we lol) I now have 23 YouTube videos, have plenty more planned too. Here’s a link if you’d like to take a look 👀 My YouTube Channel

I’ve also updated my ‘Commissions’ page which now includes pricing examples and more information than before.

For more Information on Commissions

Those of you who know me well know that I could ramble on for hours, but those of you who don’t know me so well… I’ll spare you that ordeal for now 😉

I’ve so much more to share with you all but I’ll save it for my next newsletters to you.

If there’s anything you’d like me to chat about in particular just let me know. If there’s any subject or mediums that you’d like to see me cover in a YouTube video just let me know too.

So I’ll sign off now, thank you for spending some time with me.

Stay safe and stay creative, Kerry xXx

TWO NEW WORKSHOP DATES FOR NOVEMBER

Posted on 24/10/2018 by Kerry Newell

Good afternoon folks I hope that this quick update finds you all well and, dare I say, looking forward to the festive season. Our Christmas tree is already up, I’d blame it on the children but in actual fact I’m the culprit lol, hey ho I can think of worse things to be guilty of lol.

Whilst speaking of Christmas wintery things come to mind, and nothing could be more wintery than the subject for my next two Wildlife Art Workshops – a polar bear 😊

Unlike previous workshops the same reference will be used in both the Leicestershire workshop and the one here in Cheshire, so that everyone can experience a little winter cheer without having to travel too far.

The dates are as follows:

Polar Bear Workshop in Leicestershire, Saturday 3rd November 2018

Workshops in Leicestershire

Polar Bear Workshop in Cheshire, Saturday 24th November 2018

Workshops in Cheshire

Keeping this little update short and sweet while I compile the next, more in depth Blog/Newsletter.

Looking forward to hopefully seeing some of you for November’s workshops

Best wishes

Kerry xx