Week 45 Homage to a favourite artist*

Instead of going for a famous master of art - I chose an artist from the online challenge group #illo52weeks.
Ever since I started the challenge in January 2015, I thought she painted how I did - until I tried. Then I realised I didn't at all! My watercolours went away and rarely came out (as you see if you scroll through my blog). So this was a perfect opportunity to have another go!

Trees on Boxmoor - from a photo I took in the snow last year, with today's autumnal colours
This was my first try. A useful exercise in letting o, and getting into the loose-painting groove

If you would like to see more of the person who inspired me, and if you have facebook, click here to go to Leonie Cheetham's Art Studio
I end up getting tight and detailed with my drawing, and constrained with the paint, so this was the week for me to really try and channel her loose style and wobbly lines  and I loved doing it - I'm so glad I tried!

What I learned:
Quick doesn't mean rushed
Stopping to centre myself and taking time to think was important
Time spent looking hard at my source (in each case a photo I had taken, intending to paint 'one day'), was time well spent
It was useful beyond measure to study Leonie's colours and placement of paint in her paintings, and repeating a little mantra of 'What would Leonie do?'
Wobbly lines don't mean indecisive lines
Few lines doesn't mean you can ignore the form
letting go of the slow and careful, constrained lines and flow of colour was harder than I thought - but now I feel free!
I won't desert my old ways completely, but I have new sense of anticipation about painting, and I'm excited to explore more and develop my own more confident style.

Cormorant, Mousehole
I went on a 2 hour boat ride in her but saw nothing as a thick sea fog came in!
Leonie loves a little fishing boat, and this photo was taken in order to be painted. This style suits it very well, I think

Seagull, photographed on the harbour wall of Mousehole, just above the Cormorant boat
This was my 4th painting in the session (the third doesn't really cut the mustard) I was really using it as a way of using up my reminding puddles of paint that I'd mixed.
Goes to show that sometimes, when you let go and relax, you can do things you wouldn't be able to if you let you head get in the way