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

© Kerry Newell ⭐ www.KerryNewell.com ⭐ All rights reserve