Highland cow Painting with Flowers
This new Highland cow painting with flowers has been on and off my easel for several weeks. She is finally finished - there are a lot of colourful layers in this piece and some quite textured areas. I have named her Dunbar, for that interesting and artistic town, and she is now for sale on my website here.
Highland Cow with Flowers
This new Highland cow painting with flowers has been on and off my easel for several weeks. She is finally finished - there are a lot of colourful layers in this piece and some quite textured areas. I have named her Dunbar, for that interesting and artistic town, and she is now for sale on my website here.
A Painting of Doves
Mourning Doves
This week I am working on this painting of doves. I enjoy finding out a little about the wildlife I paint. These are also known as the American Mourning Dove, or the Turtle Dove, and apparently are very common in America. I think they have the loveliest little faces.
Bird Artist - Keeping it Colourful!
Birds Eating Berries
This week I am wearing my bird artist hat, and working on a couple of originals. This piece features two Blue Tits, a perennial favourite. These sweet birds are eating berries and surrounded by a glorious burst of spring colour. I have some minor adjustments to make on this piece before it is ready. There is also a piece with Jays nearing completion, and there will be at least two more in this set.
This is the time of year when more Spring colours emerge on my palette. Lemon Yellow, Pinks, Lilacs and Peach. There is also a particular green that I shall never tire of using for spring foliage, mixed with a little pink - perfect!
Painting Cows and Sheep
Cows and Sheep Workshop
I had a wonderful day with this enthusiastic and fun group of artists on Saturday! Many had never really painted since school, and everyone had great fun creating these beautiful original art pieces! More pics to follow!
If you would like to see one of my own Highland Cows with Flowers, click here.
Owl in Flight, a new expressive wildlife oil painting
Barn Owl in Flight
This new oil painting is a work in progress on my easel this week, Once this layer of paint is dry, I will be able to add the finishing touches. check back later in the week if you want to see the completed painting.
New Barn Owl paintings for Sale
New Barn Owl paintings for Sale
This painting ‘ Midnight Haunt’ is the first of my new Barn Owl paintings for sale. There is a Tawny Owl also, nearing completion. As you may know, I love owls and really enjoy painting them. This new series explores owls in a nighttime setting and Im rather enjoying the mystery and beauty of these lovely birds.As it happens, I’m also painting them late into the evening as I am in the middle of a studio move and time is precious, as ever.
Here is the link to ‘Midnight Haunt’ the original painting
If you are looking for an owl painting for your home, keep an eye on my website for upcoming new releases. You are also welcome to sign up to my art collectors newsletter for monthly updates.
Colourful and fun new Highland cow art sold last week
Bright new piece ‘Our Cow Molly’
Straight off the easel, this very colourful new Highland Cow art piece was purchased last week by a lovely couple who were visiting the Midlands from Devon. So this little lady is heading to the sunny south as soon as she is dry enough to go.
I am available for bespoke oil painting commissions, so if you would like your own happy cow painting in lovely colours, get in touch and we can discuss a painting.
A huge stag oil painting is currently in progress on the easel
Stag Oil Painting
I had to take a selfie with this big stag oil painting to show the size of him. i have several hours of work still to go, but im hoping to get him finished in the next few days before the studio move!
Barn Owl Paintings
I am working on Barn Owl paintings this week, one of my favourite birds to paint. Check my ‘Originals’ page to see this gentleman when he is finished!
So far, I have been building up the layers quite slowly, next step is the darker feathers and a little more shading and detail.
Work in progress
A selection of new original pieces of art arrive at Creative Fine Art this week!
A selection of new original pieces of art arrive at Creative Fine Art this week!
Rob from Creative Fine Art collected eight original pieces of art this week, here is a sneak preview. This Highlad Cow with Flowers is now available framed from Creative Fine Art, and will be going out to galleries soon. Two of my pieces were sold last week, one in Worthing at Room With a View, and one in Yorkshire, at the Acorn Gallery, Pocklington.
Highland Cow Painting Course.
Enjoying the day
This was the first time we had a workshop at this venue, which is the village hall just near my home. It was a lovely day, we had half the group who had a little experience with different painting media but who were new to acrylics, and half the group were total beginners. It was a bigger group than normal as we had a few reschedulings from another date. A very positive and jovial group of lovely ladies! Here are some photos from the day, and the lineup of moo-g shots at the end of the day.
We went step by step through the painting, with mini demonstrations throughout the day and guidance and encouragement given at every stage. Everyone went home with their own beautiful and unique work of art. Friends were made, laughs were had, techniques were learned and the cake was eaten! Everyone was marked safe from the terrors of the ‘exploding jar of black paint’!
Beautiful new paintings
The next Highland Cow Workshop is on March 4th at Sharpes Museum- places are still available, there will be a max of eight places at this one.
Sharpes Pottery Museum is a lovely cosy venue with a wealth of history and heritage. We are in the Glazing Room, a nice comfortable space. The cafe will be providing a lovely buffet lunch for us and as always there will be homemade cake! Book your workshop here
step by step tuition
New cow painting for sale
Beautiful new cow painting for sale - textured painting in glowing colours is now available.
My latest cow painting for sale is Talisker, in rich glowing shades of chocolate, gold and warm orangey-reds. I painted this big guy using thickly applied paint over thinner underlayers, creating a lot of texture and movement, The layered colours absolutely glow! This is one of the many beautiful things about oil painting, you can glaze on top on under layers and create dazzling effects. Because of the thickness of the paint, and the type of colour used, this piece is taking weeks to dry!
Update: this piece is now available from Creative Fine Art, Marlborough.
Of course, I named him Talisker because of his beautiful whisky colours!
The first of two new paintings of Barn Owls in progress this week.
I enjoy creating paintings of Barn Owls so much, I decided to make a couple more, they are such beautiful birds, and quite haunting too!
New Barn Owl Paintings
I enjoy creating paintings of Barn Owls so much, I decided to make a couple more, they are such beautiful birds, and quite haunting too!
I am creating this piece on a textured ground, as I love painting over a ‘bumpy’ surface, the textured effect of the finished painting. This piece will have the effect of the owl emerging from the dark, the second piece is similar, with the addition of a starry sky.
Which paint do I use?
I have had a few requests recently asking which paints I use in my workshops. So far, all of my workshop days have been using acrylic paints, because they dry really fast and this allows artists to easily take away their paintings at the end of the day. I have used several different brands of acrylic paint, and these Daler Rowney System 3 are the ones that I have found striking the right balance between quality and affordability. The colours are nice and bright, and there is a good choice. They seem to stay usable in the palette for longer than some of the others, too. I use the big tubs because we get through such a lot of paint, but these are also available in smaller tubes. I’ll share links to the places that I buy mine here here,
Colourful Highland Cow Paintings
multi-coloured brush strokes
I have been working on a set of four new originals, which are now available for sale. These are textured pieces with brush and knife work and in very rich bright and beautiful colours. These pieces will be ready to ship soon, Benavie is now on my website. There are three larger pieces at 80 x 100 cm approx / 30 x 40 “ , and one square format canvas at 76 x 76 cm approx / 30 x 30 “
Fabulous results in my beginner's art classes - Let your creative side out!
The step-by-step process is the reason my workshops are suitable for total beginners, as well as artists with more experience who want to learn new techniques and tips, all the way through to experienced artists who want a relaxing day painting away from it all, with time to experiment and try something different.
"Absolutely fabulous. Sue, thank you. You teach in an easy way for numpties like me to understand. You made the course so easy, especially doing the cow's nose and eye. I have never painted an animal and at least it does look like one, even though perhaps a bit psychedelic . It was a great day 5/2/2023, today, lovely lunch and cake was had by all. Plenty of drinks, no not gin, but everyone’s cows were marvellous. I shall definitely look for another of Sue's courses to attend."
Follow this link to book one of my courses for yourself. Why not bring a friend? Vouchers can also be bought online to gift, and we have a brilliant two-day hare workshop in the Summer if you want to make a weekend of it!
* Learn to Paint - join me at my in-person workshops
Looking for beginner’s art classes? I teach art workshops for artists at all stages, at my events in Derbyshire and Leicestershire.
Beginner’s art classes.
If you have always thought you would like to have a go at painting but don’t know where to start, why not join me in one of my in-person art workshops this year? I provide all the materials needed, and we follow a step-by-step process to get you from A ( a bright white canvas ) to B ( a beautiful piece of original art).
The step-by-step process is the reason my workshops are suitable for total beginners, as well as artists with more experience who want to learn new techniques and tips, all the way through to experienced artists who want a relaxing day painting away from it all, with time to experiment and try something different.
I have a lovely workshop coming up in March 2023 where you can paint a Highland Cow in Folk Art Style like the one shown here, in progress. This is a technique that involves mindfulness and you will find you really ‘get in the zone’ using different mark-making objects, brushes and stencils to create a totally unique and vibrant painting to take home.
Painting of Bluebells this week, Spring is on it's way!
Bluebell woods painting 50 x 80 cm
Some new atmospheric paintings of bluebell woods and colourful woodland landscapes are in progress. These are the first in a new woodland series of original paintings.
Magazine Feature and 'Cover Girl Cow'
I’m delighted that Artist and Illustrators Magazine has chosen one of my Highland Cows to star on the cover of their March edition! And there is a double page spread inside too.
I’m looking for little shafts of sunlight at this time of year, just like we all are, and for me this does the trick!
The proud ‘Cover Girl Cow’ is Loch Venachar, a painting that I donated to a fundraising auction for the Ripple Retreat last year and which raised £1100 to help such a worthy cause/
New online painting courses.
Every now and again someone gets in touch and asks whether I do an online course, so that they can try one of my workshops at home. Of course Id be delighted to have the oppoprtunity to teach students all over the world. I have taken a while to get organised with everything I need, but I am now in the middle of creating my first online workshop. Let me know if youd like to get the information emailed to you when the class is available
Paint your own Rainbow Sheep!
On March 4th I’m holding a one-day painting workshop in which you can paint along with me, step by step and take home your own original sheep canvas at the end of the day.
The venue is the lovely Sharpe’s Pottery Museum, downstairs in the glazing room. This cosy historic building makes the perfect backdrop for a day of fun, relaxing and learning.
We will have a buffet lunch provided by the onsite caterers, and as always, plenty of coffee and tea and slices of homemade cake are provided.
Beginners and more experienced artists are very welcome, we usually have two or three participants who have never painted before, together with some who have, and are keen to do more. We have even had professional artists join in, for a relaxing day trying out a different medium. For more info and booking details click here
