Sorry for the Neglect!!

Well, I am humbly sorry to all who have been following the blog! Between internet connections being difficult to access over the last 3 months' travels, I have been a bad girl! But here are a few paintings just off the easel this week and off to various Xmas Shows this week...hopefully to cheer someone else's wall space!!!

Baking batches....working in themes...

I usually find if I have a bee in my bonnet about a certain theme to paint, ie Scottish landscapes, or Venetian cityscpaes, I do a 'set' of them at once. I find it helps to keep a unity through the work if it is going off together to an exhibition. My latest 'batch' are Little People ie children doing things on beaches. Maybe it is the summer theme that is catching on to me, but i am often inspired by what is around me at a particular time.... going to Venice, then Tuscany soon so watch out for the next 'batch'!

'Cuillin Orange'

The half way stage, and the final stage of what is now titled ' Cuillin Orange' Keeping it all as loose as possible now, as i build up layers of painterly marks...and running through my delicious box of 'Great American Artworks' pastels, which are fantastic...and of course, my own selection of colours!! See www.greatpastels.com I selected rows of basic colours as you would in tubes of paint, then added a row of lights, another of darks, then neutrals. The result...a box worth buying!!

Galashiels Workshop Scottish Borders

1-day workshop at Galashiels demonstrating wet techniques with Pastels on Colorfix papers....

Just wrote a whole new post and it lost in transit...blast!

New Inspirations

It always inspires me when I go to the iAPS Pastel Convention in New Mexico - apart from the fantastic surroundings, which I actually got to paint this year, as I taughtt the Plein-Air Workshop, meeting and watching all my favourite artists fills me with new ideas. This year I treated myself to attend Elizabeth Mowry's 'Moods & Mists' demonstration, and it was not only useful, but appropriate to my lovely Scotch Mist I like to paint, so I have just finished off these 2 paintings since returning....more mists to follow!!

Inspiration round every corner!

Not had time to post any of the sketches done in Sardinia last week, but the photos have left me with numerous exciting prospects for new work...I loved the town of Bosa where we stayed and the coves and beaches are stunning. Can't wait to go back, thanks to www Bella Sardinia.com Going to Malta in October with them - THE best organisers i have ever had the pleasure to work with!!

Trying my luck for PSA?

Well - I must try again...I am a proud member of PSA and must face the failure as well as the success...see if I can get into the annual exhibition with either of these...going for a theme this year instead of Scottish Highlands....I DO do other things!!

Inspired by demand.......

Sometimes I'm in the middle of a 'batch' of paintings of say, Scottish Highlands, or Venetian Canals, when I get a request that sidetracks me. I originally started painting portraits after graduation in the 70's, so the chance to do some figurative work appealed when an agent asked me to supply some for next year's Art Fairs, which are very prestigious events ( and I NEEd a good agent) So my latest not only fits the bill, hopefully, but helps me prepare for iAPS, as one of my workshops there is about Painting Children! 2 birds - 1 stone - Love it!!

Stages of 'Ice Flow' and a new one from the easel

I've added the stages for the large 'Ice Flow Glencoe' as requested, and included the new painting that is just finished this morning from our recent visit to the Isle of Mull, Glen More - very striking scenery, similar to Glencoe, and to top it all, we saw Golden Eagles flying overhead - wow!!

Looking back on Glencoe!

I think this was one of my first paintings of Glencoe and it amazes me that for such a huge, empty, barren wasteland, it still excites me enough to paint it regularly, and people seem to love buying paintings of it. Maybe it's all those crazy hill-climbers who love to continually try to 'conquer' it! And 'Infinite Space' was the first 'biggie' I ever did ie 40 x 28" because I felt nothing less could convey the hugeness of the place!! Cant fit any bigger pieces into my car now though

Storm Brewing Glencoe

So March has turned out to be a productive month after all the doom and gloom! This is the 4th 'biggie' I've managed to complete, and they are each destined to a different gallery, so hopefully raise the profile for sales. Meanwhile, Sardinia trip in May is going ahead, Pastel Convention in June, and the US September trip to US is growing in momentum as I will now be in Pennsylvania as well as Hudson River Valley. Also working on my Florida trips next year in March and a few more dates are being organised, AND the 2012 Oz trip has already begun to take shape - phew.... I said I would slow down, but it is TOOOOOO tempting to keep going!

Duich Calm

Once again Loch Duich on the West Highland Coast is influencing my large paintings at the moment....I am moving on to more seascapes soon, but I do have some great nw material from my short trip to Loch Melfort last week, and the Isle of Mull! Ah...this is what I love about being Scottish - it is all on my doorstep too!

The 'Biggies' are ready to roll!

At the moment, this is the biggest size I can work in - 40 x 28" - in sheet size, and in fitting into the car after framing, so I have to work out how to do even bigger pieces and transport them to galleries!
Anyway, they seem slower to emerge, but finally here are the first to big ones of the year. I plan to more this size this year - it seems that's the way sales are going over here...we willl see!

I have 2 previous stages of the 'Ice Flow Glencoe' if anyone wants to see them?!

After flu Update!

Sorry for the lapse in productivity but I am back to full strength and full speed now with new paintings coming off the easel very soon! Menawhile delighted to say that our Teenage Cancer Trust fund-raising sale of paintings on our website is doing well and extended now till end of March. paintings are unframed and will be shipped free of charge wherever you are! see www.shinafoot.co.uk and the TCT button Here are 3 that have sold already and more paintings will be added to this page on Tuesday this week!

8 x 8" for small oils

These last 4 little paintings have just gone out to the galleries - each 8 x 8" I hope they tempt some pople to buy, as a fond memory of our thickest snow to date! Somehow i think most will want to forget the white stuff, but let's hope!

Warming up the Oils!

Getting myself into the 'groove' with oil painting...i have to keep this going this year - one of my resolutions. I have been painting in oils the longest, yet I spend the least time on them, and YET...people here still buy more oils than pastels...damn!! Anyway having fun doing my homework and it is beginning to feel as natural as pastels ( well 'nearly'!)

Underpainting with gouache

I found this early stage of a painting that's on display right now - it shows a more advanced stage of underpainting with gouache, just before i start to work into it with pastels - while the gouache is still wet. This gives a great 'impasto' texture which builds up, and the raw pastel pigment mixes into the gouache and turns to paint, like magic! Mouth-watering! This year I plan to develop more stages with oils and/or acrylics as underpaintings too.

MyArtTutor.com...its ready to roll!

For all of you who live too far away from my workshops, here is the perfect solution. Online workshops by www.myarttutor.com and work alongside me, with me, watching, listening, talking and being critiqued!! Wow. Have a look at this brave new world of online teaching now, and who knows...before long, I wont have to travel anymore! ( as if!!)
But seriously, this is a great way to keep in touch and furthermore, give you incentive to actually come along to a workshop in person

Online Workshops -Glencoe without Travel!

Hi Everyone:

This is Margaret Evans from Scotland. I'm really pleased and excited to tell you about my brand-new workshop that is now available on MyArtTutor.com.


This is a revolutionary and exciting new way for me to reach students who are too far away to benefit from my regular workshops, try though I may to cover the world!

You will now be able to register for a workshop, observe personal comments and critiques from me as I interact with other students, and the best of it is, you will be able to access the same lessons over and over again, which you can't on a once-only workshop!

Students will be able to communicate with questions & answers, critiques, techniques & product discussions - you'll probably even hear the dogs barking now and then so it will be as good as being in my studio...minus the tea and coffee!


Keep in touch and watch out for lots of new workshop plans in the future.




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I invite you to START NOW on MyArtTutor.com, and within a few clicks you can be ready to start your class.


Cheers, Margaret
mevans@myarttutor.com
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