British Polo Day, Great Britain

British Polo Day Great Britain was, as ever, a spectacular event.  Whilst British Polo Day have hosted subsequent events including China, and are now in Singapore, I have only just updated my website with the GB event – it is hard to keep up with them!

I am thrilled to have been Artist in Residence for three  years and I still have many ideas for new art, exploring images taken at their events around the world.  The photographs that I have previously painted from have been mostly taken by the talented Sam Churchill.

The large, lavish and beautifully decorated marquee erected for the event at the home of the Black Bears Polo Team can accommodate large pieces of art.  Indeed they probably do need to be of a size to be seen and this year I celebrated the event with some large prints as a backdrop to the tables.  Also within the collection were some new pieces exploring a technique to bring a 3d element to the painting.  It was so lovely to chat to guests and the paintings generated lots of interest.

To find out a little more about British Polo Day, the link here will take you to their website.  Please click here 

So, from the gorgeous flower archway by Harrods to the sumptuous picnic by Cecily Violet, the day was one to remember. It really is hard to imagine how British Polo day could make the day any more enjoyable.  Well done to a team who work tirelessly to host these stunning events around the world.

My art needs to push boundaries and I am always looking to bring a level of action and excitement to my polo pieces.  Whilst I do love and enjoy painting with watercolour, it sometimes feels to me too “soft” a medium to adequately capture the dynamic action.  I am subsequently experimenting with the inclusion of other mediums to achieve the effects that I am seeking.

I thank the BPD team for three great years and guests for viewing and talking to me about my work.

Hope to see you all again very soon.

Flight Action

"Merlin"

Original Watercolour

720mm x 560mm

©Kaye Parmenter 2015

This painting marks a part of an artistic project.  To quickly recap, I looked to paint a piece to celebrate the Merlin arriving at RNAS Yeovilton with 846sqn.  I was invited to RAF Benson a few months ago to attend the official handing over ceremony and the highlight of the day for me was a fly-past of a number of helicopters flying in formation.  It provided the inspiration that I needed.

My aim with this painting was to achieve the feeling of impact of the helicopter taking off and flying over head....I was looking to include some effects in the painting to capture the imposing aircraft, yet still retain the loose and ethereal feel to my work.  From the rotor blade in the top left corner on the painting to the dark bottom right foreground, a huge amount of thought went into this piece with regards to composition and technique before I even picked up the brush.

I know that there are a large number of people very fond of this aircraft - from the RAF who have handed it over, to 846sqn who will now be flying it and not forgetting the very people who manufactured the helicopter at Augusta Westland.  The original painting belongs to 846 squadron, however prints will be available soon.

I aim to paint an anniversary piece in a year's time....to keep updated, I would recommend joining my website mailing list.  I send out an update email every 1-2 months.

Website mailing list, please click here

Bee Ready

"Bee Ready!"

To coincide with my latest online tuition video and my tutorial in the SAA paint magazine, I have been painting lots of bees and if you would like to see more, please do visit my website over the next few days.  

I use lots of techniques when painting the bees.  The online video demonstrates a soft wet-in-wet method and splattered masking fluid for pollen.  The above picture is a quick sketch painted using a wet-on-dry style and complimentary colours.  There are so many ways!  

The resource images that I work from are taken on my walks along the country lanes.  Having said this,  I think that the majority of the photos that I work from have been gathered from photos taken before I reach the country lanes.  The bees that I have found to paint have been busy gathering pollen from flowers in the beautiful gardens of my neighbours!  So you may not have to travel too far from home to find inspiration!

I hope you join me in painting this magical little creature that is so very important to us all.

www.kayeparmenter.co.uk

Special moment

Deborah Meaden

Original Watercolour

370mm x 370mm

It was a lovely surprise and akin to a christmas present to find that a Dragon was following me on Twitter on Christmas morning!  

A while ago I painted a watercolour painting of Deborah Meaden and Robin Windsor from Stictly Come Dancing BBC1.   The levels of enthusiasm and commitment to the dancing inspired me to paint.  When Deborah received her painting, she promised to show me the frame that she chose for the piece and here is the photo.  I think it looks lovely.  So great to see the choices that people make to compliment the painting.

Thank you Deborah to making this all so special!

www.kayeparmenter.co.uk

Stand by your work

"Backhand on the Gallop"

Original Acrylic on Canvas

©Kaye Parmenter 2015

At an event this autumn, upon setting up my exhibition area, my painting above prompted an early visitor to enquire about a commission.  A great start to the day.   

An artist's life can be a solitary existence and sometimes it is easy to hide within the confines of the studio.  But, here's the thing.  Despite the wonderful advantages of social media and the internet, there is still a huge potential audience who don't see your work online.

Although your most productive time has to be in the studio, I firmly believe that you need to allocate some time to "get out there".

So....at an event or show, here are some tips I have gathered along the way:

• When your work is on display anywhere, try to be in close range of your art
• Listen and pick up on comments about your work
• All comments are valuable
• Always have literature to hand out to prospective clients
• Small notecards and business cards are good
• Don't be afraid to ask for email addresses, explain about your mailing list and newsletters

So, in 2015, if you feel the need to plan, allocate some time to show your art to the offline world!

www.kayeparmenter.co.uk

Simply Watercolour

Minimal detail in portraying a subject in watercolour

I have seen many artists paint roses in watercolour absolutely beautifully but, if you've ever tried,  it is not as easy as it looks! 

So, in this post, I'd love to help with just a few suggestions:

• Sometimes it can help when painting a complex subject to break it down into very simple shapes.
• With my rosebud, the most obvious step to simplify the subject is to choose a bud rather than a "blooming" flower :-)!  There are fewer overlapping petals, so it is less complex.
• By squinting at your photograph or flower, study where the darkest and lightest tones are.
• The darkest tone should be in the very centre of the flower bud and also where the sepals join the base of the flower which may be in shadow.  The lightest tone should be on the petal tips.
• Paint a pale(ish) wash to represent the total shape of the whole rosebud, leaves and stalk.  You can either paint wet-in-wet or wet-on-dry.
• As the wash is drying, begin to add more concentrated paint to the darker areas.
• Leave to dry
• Add a few darker tones with a concentrated wash to the very darkest parts of the flower and leaves.

Remember that simplicity is the key - try not to fiddle too much with detail.

www.kayeparmenter.co.uk

Painting Poppies - new online watercolour tuition

Poppy Trailer from Kaye Parmenter on Vimeo.

I am excited to release my new online tuition - Five Fabulous Poppies in watercolour.  The full details are available on www.kayeparmenter.co.uk/five-fabulous-poppies 

Join in for some tips, hints, techniques and fun with watercolour!