NOTES FROM THE BEGINNING – MOVING ON

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NOTES FROM THE BEGINNING (MOVING ON – PART 2)

After I had done lots of happy little clouds and mountains covered with snow in the Bob Ross style I decided it was time to have a go at a subject matter that was closer to home (No snow covered mountains here in Cheshire).

So I branched out and started to try and capture a more familiar landscape. I was still enjoying painting but was still struggling to achieve a standard that I was happy with – I was still a very frustrated “artist”

This was my first country side landscape

 

NOTES FROM THE BEGINNING

Posted by joanblease on

NOTES FROM THE BEGINNING
 
I get asked a lot of times how did I get into photography well……… it all started with a TV programme that is currently having a revival.
 
I have to confess that I was (and still am) a frustrated artist. I knew what I wanted to paint but could never manage to get my paint brushes to produce what has in my minds eye. I could always draw, but totally made a horlicks of the drawing when I applied the paint. No matter what medium I used it would ultimately become a muddy mess….. I was soooooo frustrated .
 
Then one day I happened upon a TV programme featuring the charismatic Bob Ross and I was hooked….. it looked so simple. Lots of paintings of happy little clouds, wonderful landscapes using a palette knife, lots of carefree sploshes on the canvas using a “big brush” – I thought “even I could manage that !!!. Bob Ross was a painting evangelist who preached that there were “no mistakes just happy accidents” and he was right.
 
I bought all the stuff, Bob Ross brushes, Bob Ross palette knives, Bob Ross artist palette and the very special Bob Ross paint – “you could only achieve the best results by using this paint”. I eventually plucked up the courage to go on a Bob Ross weekend course in Scarborough and really got into his style of painting.
 
However, I quickly realised that Bob Ross (and his style of painting) was sneered at by “real artists” – but he brought joy to lots of people and helped them, and me with our first faltering steps in producing a painting to be proud of.
 
This was 2006 and I realised that art was my “thing” and decided that I was going to do a degree in Art via distance learning …………. this turned out to be a total disaster but it did introduce me to the wonderful world of photography……… but that will be my next story.
 
This is one of the first paintings I did in the Bob Ross style – I found it in my Mum’s house when we were clearing out her belongings. She was so proud of everything I did – even the happy little accidentsNOT

 

GETTING CREATIVE WORKSHOP ANNOUNCED – 19TH MARCH 2020

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NOTES FROM THE OBVIOUSLY NOT OBVIOUS

I have been looking back through some old external hard drives and came across this picture.

I think it demonstrates that sometimes, as a creative photographer, your mind works a little differently than other peoples minds (especially judges). I will elaborate…

I put this image together in 2013 and it’s called the Fish Wife.

I thought that it would be obvious to all that she was holding a round bellied fish prior to ironing it and turning it into a flat fish – see them hanging on the line behind her. Round fish … ironed to flat fish …. Well I thought it was quite obvious and humorous anyway.

Well guess what – only a few people (judges) got it.

Unfortunately, in the 3 seconds that the judge has to view the picture, understand what the “story” is all about and give it a score, it never did very well in comps. I therefore learned a valuable lesson…… make the picture and story more obvious.

I cover this sort of stuff in my new Tutorial/Workshop called Getting More Creative which I have just announced will take place on Thursday 19th March.

You can find more details on my website  Butterflysmind   I can’t add the www  before butterflysmind ’cause WordPress won’t let me 😦

 

Notes Form The Inspired

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NOTES FROM THE INSPIRED

I had the pleasure of being one of the judges at last weekend’s PAGB GB Cup comp.

I was truly inspired by a number of fabulous still life images and also some stunning portraits.

I have been doing studio portraits for a while now for comps and will continue to do that this year – I’ve got lots of ideas. Also, for a number of years (along with my studio work and painting) I have been producing still life images for my own personal use – cards, prints etc for various craft markets or gifts for friends and family (the attached are a couple I did last year – not for competition)

However, looking at some exquisite still life images this weekend I have decided to go through my many external hard drives to see what is hiding there. I can honestly say that those hard drives are full off “stuff” I’ve photographed over the years, so I think I will revisit this genre and maybe enter a comp or two to see how they go.

I was so filled with eager enthusiasm whilst judging last weekend I couldn’t wait to get home to start planning what I
was going to do – so thank you to those people who entered the comps and inspired me.

NEW WORKSHOP FOR 2020 ANNOUNCED

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Hi All,

The first Cre8ing Images Workshop for 2020 has now been released…… not photography based, but I promise you it could be just as addictive.

If you don’t think you have any artistic ability then this workshop will change your mind – it will be lots of fun and VERY VERY messy.

The image I have attached uses one of the acrylic pouring techniques as it’s background…… a very nice texture I hope you would agree.

Limited to 2 people per session – one morning one afternoon session.

Saturday 15th February 2020 – Fee £35 pp (pay via Paypal) . All materials included in fee – you also get to keep your painting too

Please  type butterflys mind into your search engine – you will find my website there (unfortunately WordPress won’t allow the link)   – click onto the Workshops/Tutorials tab and register your interest.

Or if you can’t find the website – just get in touch using the contact form on this site.

BTW – There is also info about the new GETTING MORE CREATIVE Tutorial/Workshop in March….. date to be confirmed (but you can still register)

 

WORKSHOPS FOR 2020 – AND A NEW ONE ADDED

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HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

Last year, for various reasons, I was unable to offer or run any workshops but hopefully I will rectify that in 2020.

There will be a few workshops on offer – the usual suspects …. STUDIO SHOOT with a model, A MODEL SHOOT WITH A POST PROCESSING WORKSHOP and of course the ever popular TANTALISING TEXTURES WORKSHOP. I have added a new one for 2020.

NEW WORKSHOP
The new workshop will be concentrating on how to become more creative, where to look for inspiration, how to think outside the box, how to utilise your own photoshop skills to produce something that is uniquely yours and the importance of developing your own style . There will be lots of information and handy hints for those people who enter photo comps.

This workshop is aimed at those people who have the Photoshop skills but find they struggle in “coming up” with ideas for images. This workshop is not about teaching you Photoshop skills – it’s about helping you to be more inspired and creative.

The workshop has already been written… just need to sort out dates.

To get more information you need to be a group member of my separate Facebook page Cre8ing Images Workshops – By JoanieB. If you are not already in that group please ask me to add you. The workshop dates and all further info will only be posted on that group’s page.

PLEASE NOTE: The workshops will be in Warrington, Cheshire and the number of attendees will be strictly limited.

A proportion of the money raised will be given to the British Heart Foundation.

Many thanks

TANTALISING TEXTURES (A NEW DIRECTION)

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TANTALISING TEXTURES (A NEW DIRECTION) !!

For a good few years now I have been creating my own textures and have held workshops to teach others how to make their own textures too.

I thought it was time to push the boundaries a little further and over the last few months I have been perfecting a new creative texture technique.

I will be holding workshops in the new year which will be limited to 2 people per workshop.

I am really excited about this and look forward to introducing more people to this creative process.

Here are a few examples….

 

For more information please message me using the contact form – many thanks