abstract journey

The right mindset and the first moves to ensure success

The right mindset and the first moves to ensure success

Starting a painting can be daunting - that blank canvas is like an empty stage waiting for brilliance to arrive! This can be a huge hurdle to overcome when expectations are high. So in this video I’ll share with you how to adopt the right mindset to allow yourself to freely create your best work, and what are some of the first steps you could take on that blank canvas to lead to success. Watch and then let yourself loose on your next painting journey!

2 Tricks to Save Your Ugly Abstract Painting

2 Tricks to Save Your Ugly Abstract Painting

It happens - sometimes a painting goes through a very ugly phase and a lot of artists give up and start again. In this video I go through this process with you - I create an ugly painting, and then I show you two ways to save it. And it’s amazing how quickly it becomes a fun, playful painting with a cohesive structure - instead of the chaotic crazy mess it was before.

How to Edit your abstract Painting

How to Edit your abstract Painting

Many of my students decide their paintings are too busy but then get stuck editing them. In this video I demonstrate the thought process in deciding what to take away and what to leave behind and how it’s all based on DIFFERENCES. Creating differences and then deciding which areas you like the best and reducing distractions around these areas, leaving them to be the focal areas in the painting. By doing this successfully you calm the painting and it becomes less ‘busy’.

How To Paint Vibrant Florals WITHOUT Counting Petals!!

How To Paint Vibrant Florals WITHOUT Counting Petals!!

Who doesn’t love flowers? In this demonstration I show you how to paint florals without getting hung up in petals, stamens, leaves and stems. Do you want your painting to convey the FEELING of the flower? Through combining a looseness of line and paint you can easily create gorgeous florals that are vibrant and fun.

How to Use REPEATED SHAPES in Your Abstract Painting

How to Use REPEATED SHAPES in Your Abstract Painting

In this video I lead you through a process of creating simple shapes that can be repeated in your abstract composition. When you repeat shapes you create a structure and cohesion in your painting which helps to eliminate that “chaotic, too-busy” feeling that can happen in abstract work. Follow the simple steps shown in this video using shapes that resonate with you and I’m sure you’ll be pleased with the outcome.

Expressive Painting: How To Love The Accident and Still Maintain Control

Expressive Painting: How To Love The Accident and Still Maintain Control

The accidental marks and effects with paint can often be the most expressive. In this video I share with you how to allow the accidental to happen while still maintaining control of the media so that your work can have more energy, be more expressive and be rich in abstract detail.

Create Your BEST Paintings with These Simple DIY Shapes

Create Your BEST Paintings with These Simple DIY Shapes

The best art relies on great design. So how do you ensure the design in your abstract painting is strong? In this video, I show you step by step a great tip for finding strong design ideas for abstract paintings using work you already have. I’ll show you how to create your own unique shapes and then demonstrate how you can use these to generate ideas for future work.

Overcome the Overwhelm When Starting A Painting with this Simple Process

Overcome the Overwhelm When Starting A Painting with this Simple Process

One of the biggest problems that stops artists from beginning is a feeling of overwhelm. When faced with a blank canvas, the options seem endless and terrifying: where do I even start? What if I end up with something hideous? How do I know what to paint at all? This video will give you 2 techniques for getting started when you have a new canvas, that are fast and effective and will help to kickstart your creative process so that you can begin your painting easily and with beautiful and exciting results.

Mastering Subtle Texture in Your Painting with White Paint and Glazes: Tips and Techniques

Mastering Subtle Texture in Your Painting with White Paint and Glazes: Tips and Techniques

In this video, I'll be sharing my top tips for creating beautiful, subtle texture in your paintings using white paint and glazes. By using a light touch with these tips and techniques you can achieve subtle and nuanced effects that elevate your work. I'll also be sharing my go-to technique for harmonizing colors. These techniques create a visually striking effect that pulls your painting together and makes it feel cohesive. I hope this video inspires you to experiment with these techniques in your own artwork!

How to Paint Abstract Flowers - Without a brush!

How to Paint Abstract Flowers - Without a brush!

In this demonstration you will see how to create a beautiful abstract painting giving the SENSE of flowers bobbing in a breeze. My goal is to create interesting shapes of saturated colour with depth and complexity that suggests a floral form, but has the feeling of freedom and spaciousness. Using paint in layers, pencil and ink along with a palette knife and colour shapers beautiful effects can be created - watch and then try it for yourself.

How to Find the Colour and Shape Heroes in Your Abstract Painting

How to Find the Colour and Shape Heroes in Your Abstract Painting

In this week's Vlog I have made a small painting in my sketchbook following my process of building up layers. But what it demonstrates as well as building an interesting surface, and the introduction of the use of stencils is how to give strength to the hero's in the painting. Prioritizing the colour heroes as well as the shapes and elements in the painting that are important to the success of the composition.

Capture the delicacy of plants in Drawing & Painting

Capture the delicacy of plants in Drawing & Painting

In this demonstration, I drew some plants picked from my garden. First establishing what it is about the plant that I want to capture. Using pencils loosely and closely observing the subject, I then did a series of studies on a variety of plants. Next, I created a painting, laying down a background with a couple of layers of paint, and then loosely creating the plant forms with paint and pencil. Practicing studies like this in your sketchbook will hone your observational skills and ability to use a variety of media to translate what you see in a free and loose style of drawing and painting. Soon, you’ll be able to integrate plant drawings with a range of media into your paintings.

Using a Range of Media for Imaginative Painting

Using a Range of Media for Imaginative Painting

Watch this demo to see how I use a range of techniques in wet and dry media to create an imaginative painting incorporating abstract elements and representational references. Spoiler Alert: Anything goes here - freedom in markmaking and media to create a painting straight from your intuitive imagination. Give it a try!!

Expressive Botanicals in Wet and Dry Media

Expressive Botanicals in Wet and Dry Media

Develop a loose and dynamic approach to drawing botanicals, using simple line and colour combinations, pen, pencil and paint.

Learn how to read the foliage and structure of the subject then create rich texture, form and detail in your drawings by making expressive marks with a brush, pen or pencil.