Painting Outside

 The Lettuce Thief, Pashley Manor  June 26th 2012
watercolour with  green ink by Tessa Spanton

Today I put some finishing touches to a couple of paintings. Both were painted on location outside on beautiful sunny days last year. Just looking at them reminded me of being in those places in the warmth, so different from the grey and cold weather today.

The painting below was done  a bit at a time after breakfast over several days. This is where I had my breakfast some mornings.

Casa Velha do Palherio, Madeira

watercolour by Tessa Spanton Sept 2012

Marbling On Silk

                             
                                        Flowers marbled on Silk by Tessa Spanton

I have done marbling on paper before and watched it being done on silk
 by Hikmet Barutçugil at Art in Action. He demonstrates traditional Turkish Ebru patterns and flowery Ebrus using traditional tools and methods.
Yesterday I was at the Surrey branch of the Guild of Silk Painters. Together we explored different methods of marbling on silk, researched and hosted by Jane with various types of gloop and materials prepared by Jane and Jackie and some delicious  biscuits whipped by Jane during the peak of action.
It was a matter of light the touch paper and stand back as we produced a flow of work that was festooned on driers or filled the floor space to dry  on pieces of newspaper.
All my examples shown here were done using iron fix silk paints. The substrate (gloop) for the top image and the one below was methocel. The other examples below were done on shaving foam, fun to do but not so much potential as with methocel.
 I forgot my camera and phone so have no photos of the process so that will have to wait for another post.

 Below: all done on shaving foam.

Just Joey

 Rosa Just Joey an original silk painting (c) Tessa Spanton

I spent about an hour drawing this rose in the gardens of Pashley Manor. It was around midday on a very warm

and sunny July day. By the time I had finished, the rose had opened further and the quality of light had changed.

The silk painting was done later in my studio.

Today I took this and 4 other paintings, some prints and cards down to Pashley Manor in East Sussex. They will be there on show and for sale from Easter till the end of September.

I also have limited edition prints available to buy. If you are interested conact me here

It was windy, cold and wet today, very different from the day when I drew this rose. The trees were bare and the rose bushes neatly pruned. There were snowdrops, hellebores, winter honeysuckle and daffodils in flower

These flowers were under snow only a few days ago but in about six weeks time there will be around 22,000 tulips in flower in time for the tulip festival.
When I look at that painting I still remember being in those beautiful surroundings and what a hot sunny day it was and the lovely lunch I had on the terrace when I had finished the drawing. That's what I love about drawing or painting out of doors, there's so much more of the experience going into it than from just a photo.