Critic Review of Exhibition, “Shetland Collection & Other Works”

Following on from my solo exhibition at the Gilbert Bain Gallery I would like to pass on the review of my work by critic Stephen Gordon.  In this Exhibition the main feature was to show-case my current series of Shetland Landscapes done in the medium of soft pastel. I also displayed a variety of other works to show a variety of mediums and content, a selection of three wildlife paintings two done in oil pastel and one in watercolour, three landscapes two done in oil and one in acrylic.  I would like to thank the Gilbert Bain Gallery for the Exhibition space and am glad to have been able to have donated money toward Hospital funds.  I would also like to thank Stephen Gordon for his critical review of my work.

STRIKING LANDSCAPES AT HOSPITAL GALLERY – By Stephen Gordon

On show at the Gilbert Bain Hospital Gallery is a series of pictures by locally based artist Donna Marie Woodhouse entitled Shetland Collection & Other Works.

Woodhouse works in soft pastels which come into its own, especially in her striking landscapes and seascapes of Shetland.

Eshaness, Heavenly Skies & History Nesbister Bod and Last Rays Over Hildasay are particularly fine examples of her work.

Pastels are a very good medium for capturing Shetland’s dramatic skies and her technique is faultless.

The Shetland pictures are by far her strongest works, her “other works” not having the power or individual technique of her Shetland work.  This does however show how her style has developed.  The picture of a kestrel has strong resonance although not quite as much as the mountain scenes.

The Shetland pictures are mounted, detailed and the medium of pastel especially the skies, is a breath of fresh air for the hospital gallery.

Woodhouse says it is her intention to “capture these wonderful images and translate them into fine art paintings”.

Exhibition, “Shetland Collection & Other Works” on now.

Hi, I’d like to invite you to my “Shetland Collection and Other Works” Painting Exhibition in the Gilbert Bain Hospital (Lerwick, Shetland).   Please come along to have a look at the Exhibition and see the works first hand.  10 % from Paintings sold during the Exhibition will be donated to the Gilbert Bain Hospital Funds.  I hope you can make it there and enjoy the display.

Thank you, with warm wishes,

Donna Marie.

D M Woodhouse Fine Art

Latest Shetland Landscape Painting

“Sunset from Hjarkland, Yell, Shetland Isles, UK” 

This blog will show you in step by step progress shots the development of my latest Shetland landscape Painting.  I hope you enjoy seeing the Painting develop from initial sketch to finished painting.  If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.  This Painting, Prints and Cards will be available for purchase soon.

Stage 1, Using a CarbOthello pastel pencil on Fisher 400 pastel paper I lay in the initial outline sketch with the main details.  At this stage I focus on the basic shapes as any finer details are likely to be covered up during the painting process.

Stage 2, I like to work from the sky, then background, middle ground and lastly foreground.  The sky is laid in first using Unison pastels.  Fisher 400 pastel paper has a good deal of ‘tooth’, that is to say, texture, it is a very rough surface that grabs and holds on to the pastel and will allow for a good many layers of pastel to be applied.  When laying in the sky, or any area on this paper, enough pastel is applied to fill the grain and allow for the pastel to be subtly blended with the fingertips.  If too little pastel is applied the rough surface is not forgiving on the fingers.  At this stage I am careful to keep a note of which pastels are used as the same colours will be used again in later stages of the painting.

Stage 3, The background and middle ground are now laid in.  The distant hills are laid in first. To indicate distance and to give a sense of depth to the painting the colours are predominantly cool, however in this instance I have also added some subtle warm colours to give the sense of ‘glow’ and to keep the colour harmony in the Painting.  To further give that sense of distance the outlines of the distant hills are kept soft.  Now stepping up to the middle ground the colours are becoming warmer as they come ‘closer’ to the viewer, more details are suggested, however taking care not to overstate detail as at that distance and with the soft glow of light, details would still be diffused.

Stage 4 and completion.  Now it is time to work on the foreground and bring the Painting together.  Working firstly on the croft house using the pastels to indicate that this is a traditional old stone building, then moving on to the layers of grass and undergrowth in the foreground.  In the reference photo there was the remains of a stone wall in the foreground, however at this stage I felt this didn’t add anything to the painting and would have ‘blocked’ the eye of the viewer from travelling into the Painting, so at this point I decided to omit the wall.  Now that we are at the foreground, the colours warm again in value.  The direction of stroke is important here, the pastel is applied in broad vertical strokes to indicate the growth of grasses.  Darker colours are applied right at the bottom which serves to contrast with the greens, that contrast allowing the greens and golds to really come to life.  Those darks also allow for the addition and suggestion of wild flowers through the grasses.  Some of the same colours that were used in the sky and in the middle ground are also utilised in the foreground to tie the painting together, to give it harmony and to keep that sense of the sunlit glow through the entire Painting.

I hope you like “Sunset from Hjarkland, Yell, Shetland Isles, UK”, For me, it’s a feel good Painting, warm and peaceful, it soothes and stills the soul.  If you have any comments or feelings about the Painting I would be delighted to hear them, please feel free to leave a message or comment.

I’d like to thank Charlie Inkster from Yell, Shetland for his kind permission to use his reference photo of Hjarkland, that allowed me to create this Painting.

“The Fighting Temeraire” by J.M.W Turner

The Fighting Temeraire

I thought I would share with you one of my favourite of Paintings “The Fighting Temeraire” Painted in 1839 by Joseph Mallord William Turner (23 April 1775 – 19 December 1851).

I find this to be a very emotive and poignant painting. This mighty battleship which played an important role during Nelson’s victory at the battle of Trafalger has fought her last war. The sun is setting in the Painting as history also sets on the warship. Her time has come to a close, no more will she sail into the sunsets, now turned away and being brought in by the tug-boat to be de-commissioned and broken up.  I find the colours chosen to paint the ship accentuate this feeling as here and in other areas of the Painting Turner used artistic licence, for the ship was actually dark yellow and black however here she is painted in creams, ivory and gold, she is pale which lends an almost ethereal and stately quality to her which contrasts starkly to the smoky, dirty tug steadily pulling her (like the advance of industrialisation)to her fate.  The Painting I feel almost like a salute in her honour and that her passing and the decline in the strength of the British navy has not and will not go un-noticed.  I feel there is the sense of the passing of something which once was great, not just the warship but also of an era coming to a close.  We have to remember the context in which the Painting was painted, it was a time of great change, of ‘progress’ of industrialisation, urbanisation, out with the old and in with the new, the rise of machines that reduced the need for manual labour, the camera, the train, electric telegraph line… it was a rapidly changing world.  For me personally I feel the Painting embodies a sense of loss rather than an embracement of the new, however that is not to say that Turner did not embrace or indeed relish the ‘new’, for his painting “Rain, Steam, and Speed – The Great Western Railway” painted 5 years later in 1844 I feel celebrates the power of the steam train and of industrialisation, with a strong composition the train hurtles toward you, in a cloud of mist and steam, she appears, in contrast dark, strong, solid a powerful force, not of nature but of man and the changes he is bringing to the times. 

Rain, Steam, and Speed – The Great Western Railway

There is so much in this and his other Paintings, details, symbolism, emotion… I’d love to hear though, what are your favourite paintings by Turner?

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Promote Shetland, December Competition – Win Print ‘Northern Lights Over Mousa Broch’

There is still time to enter the December competition run by Promote Shetland, to win one of my large size mounted Giclee Prints, ‘Northern Lights Over Mousa Broch, Shetland Isles, UK’ worth £50.00 which I have hand-signed on the mount.

Don’t miss out! For your chance go to: http://visit.shetland.org/december-2014-competition

The following is an extract from Promote Shetland’s Competition Page:

December 2014 Competition

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WIN a stunning print of the Northern Lights over Mousa Broch by D M Woodhouse Fine Art.

Donna Marie Woodhouse is an artist who uses the isles ever changing qualities of light, its seascapes and landscapes to inspire her paintings. She aims to capture these wonderful images and translate them into fine art paintings.

Describing her inspiration for the Northern Lights over Mousa Broch, Donna Marie said: “While on a trip to Mousa, I was inspired by the Broch and its sense of history, its strength and its endurability. It came to my mind that it would make a great painting combined with a backdrop of the Northern Lights, which in contrast are fleeting and transitory, but like the Broch itself inspire a sense of wonder and awe.”

Shetland Arts & Crafts Craft Fair November 2014

The Shetland Arts & Crafts Association held it’s annual Christmas Craft Fair in the Clickimin Leisure Centre, Shetland on the 14th-16th November, so far this was the biggest fair to date with almost 100 exhibitors across 2 halls, the Main hall and the Bowls hall and was a hugely successful event.  This was my first time as an Exhibitor at the Craft Fair and it was a great experience, in particular being able to meet customers and clients face to face and have the opportunity to chat in person, to hear people’s stories about places in my Paintings, to hear customers views and opinions was really lovely and rewarding.  It was a great opportunity to showcase my Artwork so that people could have a close look at my Paintings and to assess the work first hand.  At the fair I also had my current range of mounted giclee prints and greetings cards available to purchase.  Don’t worry if you didn’t purchase at the Craft Fair you can still purchase Original Paintings, Giclee Prints and Greetings cards online, simply visit my Store Page and click on the item which will take you to the Shetland Market website where you can pay securely via paypal.  At the Craft Fair I launched my Commission work, if you would like a rural landscape commissioned please do not hesitate to contact me to discuss what you have in mind.  I’d like to thank the members of the Shetland Arts & Crafts Association that put in a lot of hard work, all voluntary, to make the Craft Fair happen, it really is a great event, very worthwhile for all the exhibitors and a lot of fun for exhibitors and visitors, there really is such a lot of creative talent with a huge variety of crafts and artwork on show, there is something for everyone. I have the date marked in my calendar for next year and I hope to be able to see you there if you can come along on the 13th-15th November 2015.

Encaustic Wax Art

Something a little different.  What is Encaustic Art?   In a nutshell it is applying wax coloured with pigment with a heated iron to a suitable surface.

The term encaustic originates from the Greek word enkaustikos which means ‘to burn in’, and it is this application and use of heat during the creation of a piece that is necessary in order that it can be called encaustic.  It is not a new form of painting, but has in fact been around for a very long time with the oldest surviving piece today dating from the 1st Century BC.  Encaustic work is an old form of creating art that is once again gaining popularity as a medium for painting.

Encaustic wax is primarily applied with a heated iron, there are specialist irons for the purpose of Encaustic Wax painting these have thermostats to control the temperature, (while painting it is usually on a low setting), and have a polished metal base rather than a Teflon coating.  Encaustic art can be done on a variety of surfaces, the panels that survive from the 1st Century BC were painted on wood, today wax painting is often applied to a glossy sealed paper surface which resembles photo paper, the glossy surface allows the wax to slide over the surface and allows for the image to be manipulated to a degree with the iron, stylus or other tool.  The beeswax blocks are coloured with pigments, there are a good range of colours available on the market including some metallic colours for adding special effects.  Using different colours of paper under the wax will also give different effects to the finished artwork.

Before starting a painting the work area needs to be prepared so that all tools and materials are easily to hand as there is a small window of time to paint with and manipulate the heated wax before it cools.  While painting it is necessary to have to hand plenty of paper towels or kitchen roll to wipe down the base of the iron between colours.  Something to notice while cleaning the iron before applying the next colour is to be sure to clean the groove behind the back plate as the liquid wax tends to collect there, this needs to be wiped away or it can give you an unexpected addition to the picture.  To keep the work area clean a pad of old white paper, or some scrap wallpaper is best put under the glossy paper so that the iron can glide over the edges of the paper to allow for smooth movement and sweep of the iron when required.  As this form of painting requires the use of heat whether an iron, heat gun, heat lamp, heated stylus etc. it is a good idea to work on a heat resistant surface.

There are various techniques to that can be employed to create various effects.  For example, when using an iron, different effects can be achieved by utilising different areas of the iron from the curved point of the iron, the heel, the sides, moving the iron in continuous passes over the paper or lifting away.  These effects can be added to by the use of the stylus to add finer details, or even by scraping or rubbing out.  Other effects can be achieved by using other equipment, hot plates, hot air guns, rubber tools, specialist brushes.  Encaustic wax is a very immediate medium, yet with the use of a variety of tools also has the versatility to allow re-working.

In the photo above, “Tranquility” on the left and “Fire” on the right are two abstract pieces that I created in Encaustic wax.  I’d love to know what you think of these two pieces, what do you get from them, which one is your favourite, what do you see in them?  For me, I feel a strong sense of peace and calm from the smooth flowing lines and soft, muted colours in “Tranquility” whereas in contrast “Fire” is alive with energy and vitality, it dances and glows.

Coming soon to Cinema Screens – “Mr Turner”

Click here on the Link in gold to watch the Trailer for  “Mr Turner”

Just to let you know to keep an eye out on your local cinema timetable for the upcoming film “Mr Turner” on general release from 31st October.  Actor Timothy Spall plays the lead role of Joseph Mallord William Turner in his last 25 years.  A grumpy, crotchety, cantankerous man deeply affected by the death of his father, the film shows the complex relationships with those around him, he is loved by his gentle housekeeper with whom he dallies with on occasion, his rejection of his children and their mother, one of two of his mistresses, and his later relationship with his seaside landlady with who he lives until his death.   Turner’s relationship with the Royal Academy of Arts was at times fiery, for Turner was a radical Artist not afraid of experimentation, the pursuit of his goals leading him to walk the moors alone and such exploits as tying himself to the mast of a ship so that he could paint a snowstorm, he was daring, fearless, determined, stubborn and single-minded.

Director Mike Leigh describes Turner as “a great artist: a radical, revolutionary painter,” explaining, “I felt there was scope for a film examining the tension between this very mortal, flawed individual, and the epic work, the spiritual way he had of distilling the world.”

Director Mike Leigh has a close attention for detail and determined that actor Mr Spall should not pretend to paint during the film but to be proficient in painting led to Mr Spall undertaking 2 years of art instruction prior to filming with accomplished artist Tim Wright, who was also later on hand during filming to oversee and assist in the painting scenes.

The era in which the film is set, is in a way, like Turner himself, it was radical, it was revolutionary, it was the time of the dawning of the industrial era, new technologies, railways, photography, the ‘modern’ age was coming.  In the film there is a scene where Turner witnesses “The Fighting Temeraire” the old warship being towed into harbour by a modern tug, which of course became one of his most famous paintings and my personal favourite.  Back on the 23rd April (Mr Turners birthday) I wrote a short article on my Facebook page about this Painting.

Facebook Article 23/o4/14 – “It is the birthday today of the late J.M.W Turner 23/4/1775 – 19/12/1851 and I thought I would share with you one of my favourite of his Paintings. “The Fighting Temeraire” Painted 1839. I find this to be a very emotive and poignant painting. This mighty battleship which played an important role during Nelson’s victory at the battle of Trafalger has fought her last war. The sun is setting in the Painting as history also sets on the warship. Her time has come to a close, no more will she sail into the sunsets, now turned away and being brought in by the tug-boat to be de-commissioned and broken up. I feel there is the sense of the passing of something which once was great, not just the warship but also of an era coming to a close. The Painting I feel almost like a salute in her honour and that her passing and the decline in the strength of the British navy has not and will not go un-noticed. There is so much in this Painting, details, symbolism, I love it and could go into so much more depth on it. I’d love to hear though, what are your favourite paintings by Turner?”

I am looking forward to this movie, I think it will be a rich tapestry of the man himself, his relationships and the era, a glimpse into the life of one of our most famous and iconic Artists.

For those lucky enough to be in Margate on the 31st October  you can take advantage of a two-day self-guided tour being offered by the Turner Contemporary Gallery from the 31st October to 30th November.  For more information and details about this tour see www.turnercontemporary.org  If any of you have the chance to go along and do the tour I’d love to hear how you get on and also I’d love to hear what you think of the film, “Mr Turner”, I know I’m really looking forward to it.

Eshaness, Shetland Isles, UK – Latest Landscape Soft Pastel Painting

I painted this Landscape on location up at Eshaness, what a beautiful place to be to do a painting.  On Monday morning I packed the car with my easel, board, paper and pastels and drove up to Eshaness, the drive takes about an hour and is most certainly worth it.  The coastal scenery around Eshaness is quite something with its wild and rugged coastline, dramatic cliffs, arches and quirky sea stacks, it is simply spectacular.  With the very kind permission of the owners of the Braewick café, I set up my easel in one of their lovely bay windows and spent a most wonderful day painting the view of the famous ‘Drongs’ sea stacks.  I enjoyed a delicious slice of chocolate cake and cup of tea while I was there, what a great way to take a break while I was painting.  If you are in Shetland then the Braewick café is a delightful place to visit, I thoroughly recommend it.  This was my first expedition painting in public and it wasn’t as daunting as I had imagined it might be, it was lovely to spend some moments chatting with the people that were in the café at the time.  The weather that day was a little changeable, the morning started off hazy, brightening up for the most part and coming in a little misty toward the end of the afternoon so I used artistic licence to put my own colours to the sky, sea and reflections in the small loch behind the beach.  I hope you enjoy the Painting as much as I enjoyed painting it.