Create a contemporary, loose and lively painting capturing delightful poppies dancing in the breeze.
Using wet into wet and wet on dry watercolour techniques, we will aim to create a dynamic painting filled with sun kissed light, radiant with transparency and intense colour. Working at large scale if you wish for even more impact to capture the spirit of these delightful blousy blooms.
This workshop is designed for those who already have some watercolour experience.
About the Tutor
INSPIRED BY NATURE & IGNITED BY COLOUR
Nicky’s radiant and beautiful paintings are ‘realism with a touch of romance’, capturing the essence of the subject in a colourful, expressive and impressionistic style. Her painting and illustration skill set is diverse due to the influence of 2 decades designing print patterns for textiles for interiors and fashion. Styles range from refined botanical floral studies and graphical illustrations to vibrant, and often large scale, watercolour artworks, the latter being what she is best known for and brings her and others the most joy, yet offer the greatest creative and technical challenges to create. Using the magical and illusive medium of watercolour Nicky endeavours to accomplish paintings that radiate with colour and light and capture the essence of the floral or other subject matter.
Originally trained in Art & design at Telford College of Art in 1994, thereafter a degree in fashion and textiles at Demontfort University Leicester in 1997, which led to a 20 year career designing embroidered and printed textiles for various iconic and luxury UK interiors and fashion brands, also working freelance for many years selling designs to international fashion labels.
The fruits of her creative labours were commonplace in seasonal ranges in UK high street shops ,and regularly featured in fashion, bridal and interior magazines. Nicky also gained recognition and awards in the industry.
It’s highly likely you will have worn a garment embellished with her print or embroidery design over the years.
Coming full circle in 2018 her original love for art took precedence again over design returning to painting and further taking additional watercolour fine art study.
What you will need to bring
Watercolour paints
Any brand is OK but academy, or student quality to be avoided. I prefer tubes rather than pans.
Watercolour brushes
A medium and large round or mop style squirrel or sable
A small and medium pointed round brush – synthetic
Small rigger brush
Watercolour paper
Rough or Not surface paper 140 1b weight
I use Bockingford or Saunders Waterford, but any good quality brand
It is better to bring it stretched and ready on a board and a spare piece also or a pad of watercolour paper to practice on.
Other items
Waterpots, palette, drawing board, kitchen roll, pencil, rubber
Colour Selection
A warm and a cool shade of each primary and an earth tone is good to have in any watercolour palate we will use the following or similar in tis workshop but feel free to experiment with your own favoured colours too.
Lemon yellow (cool)
Raw Sienna (warm)
Cobalt blue (cool) or Ultramarine blue (warm)
Sepia (cool) or Burnt Umber ( Warm)
Red ( permanent red, pyroll vermillion or other primary red)
Alizarin Crimson