WATERCOLOUR PORTRAITS - at the ARTBARN

 

I'm teaching a Watercolour Portraits Class starting in October at the awesome Artbarn at 250 Eglinton West, just past Yonge street. Super excited about it! It'll be 8 Wednesday evenings. Join me! We'll go over all the features and complete up to 4 portraits in watercolour. WooHoo.

SOLD OUT

ANNIE'S KIT CLUBS - FLORAL MANDALA AFGHAN Step by Step

 

Soooo, after making a 36 flower chain in kit 2, I had to make sure that it attaches to the mandala circle perfectly, for kit 3. Each flower takes up 6 stitches, for a total of 216 stitches. (Flower 6 stitches, times 36 flowers = 216 stitches). I put markers and strands of thread every 6 stitches on my colourful mandala circle just to be sure! I'm so glad I took the time to do this. #highlyrecommend Here's a pic from their website. This is where I'm heading. More to come!

ANNIE'S KIT CLUBS - MANDALA "Floral Paradise" AFGHAN

 

Crocheting in the round and loving it! I love learning all of these new stitches. Look at the cool turquoise star stitches. #cuuuuuute 

Finished rows 1-18! Love the shell stitches. And the little cream coloured beans. I'm sewing the ends in every second row since the pattern calls for you to crochet into back bars often. Those ends can get in the way.

And look what's just arrived. Kit 2! With two new colours. #woohoo  I'll keep you updated on my review of the kit.

#yummy

SWEET TREATS

 

$100

6x6" original oil painting on 1/4"deep panel. Artist quality supplies. Sides painted to match. Lightly varnished.

I loooove pink and red together. I also love these new 6x6" panels that I purchased. They are 1/4" thick, so they are nice and light. Also, the grain is very smooth and lovely to paint on. Thanks to Sarah Sedwick for an awesome still life set up.

Lots of Xmas Shows are back on!! THREE COMING UP!

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19TH - 10-4pm - 56 Neilson Drive, Etobicoke.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20TH 10-4pm - 1300 Gerrard St. E (at Greenwood)

SATURDAY DECEMBER 3, '22 10-4pm Come by my Table and say Hi!!

ALL THE CHRISTMAS MARKETS ARE BACK ON! TWO IN NOVEMBER AND ONE IN DECEMBER. #woohoo I'll have small paintings, cards and crochet cuties for your Xmas tree.

Annual Christmas Market Craft Sale

 

I know, I know... we haven't even had Halloween yet! But, the following Saturday, I'll have a table at the Annual Christmas Market Craft Sale. It's a super fun, affordable, crafts-y show. I'll have small paintings, crochet christmas tree ornaments and hand-painted cards. Lots to see on November 5th from 10-4pmET.

Toronto - 361 Danforth Ave. at Chester Subway Station. You'll see the big sign!

Inktober - Nest

 

The prompt word 'nest' encouraged me to check the free images site called Pixabay, where this lovely image popped up. This nest idea is now on my 'Winter Painting' list. I've bought some long thin canvases (10x20), since I love the format, and on those snowy days I hope to try them out. Perhaps you'll be seeing more nests in the new year! ; )

breakfast in the garden

$80

5x7" original watercolour painting in 8x10"mat

This cutie-patootie chipmunk is enjoying a little breakfast in the garden. In an upcoming art class I'm teaching, we will be talking about contour lines and a warm/cool palette. So, in preparation for my class demo, I drew this little snookums with a energetic line then painted him with a two-colour palette, of warm orange and cool violet. Super happy with him. ; )

Art Show and Sale!

Hello! Long time no post. 😆

I'm in a group art show here in Toronto, at the lovely historical St.Barnabas Church. If you're around on the Friday August 5th from 6-9pm or the Saturday August 6th from 11-6, come by and say Hi! I'll be there both times. And I'll have all new works. So, if you were kind enough to see me at the last show, come by this one too and see more. Over 15 Artists!

I've been doing a lot of outdoor painting this summer. I promised myself I'd get back at so... a few of those will be at the show too.

Cheers and hope to see you in-person soooooon!

Oil Portrait Fun!

Oil Portraits on 5x7" panels that were painted during my Zoom Portrait Sessions. It's just been great! Usually there are about 23 of us artists meeting every week and posing for each other on Zoom. The poses are about 20 minutes each. I prep my panels with gesso and a green wash, then I mix a few colours before the session starts. 

The first one, I was suddenly motivate to block in the whole room as loose as I could, and kept the portrait small. Somethin' different...

Latest Portraits!

(see the cat?!)

These are the latest oil sketches I've done... all on Zoom with my awesome Portrait Pals. : ) I call them sketches because the poses are short and the panels are about 7x9". Sometimes I touch them up but often, I leave them alone. They are what they are! : )

Halloween Fun!

 

Another great Zoom Portrait Sessions. WooHoo! I think the whole group of artists, who pose for each other for 20 minutes, are all getting really good. This weekly practise is really paying off. Everyone has improved!! And today, being Halloween, the costumes made things super fun. Happy Halloween Y'all!!

Watercolour Class - Eyes, Nose & Mouth

CLASS IS FULL 

SEE YOU NEXT TIME!

Paint along with me for this 2 hour watercolour online Zoom class! We will go over the eyes, nose and mouth. Focusing on specific facial features is important to your overall portraiture skills. All of the class information is here for you.

                  Saturday July 17 10-12pm ET

$45 Canadian - (PayPal converts currency for you, if necessary). 

Email me for e-Transfer or personal cheque. 

nora904@yahoo.com  

😀

In this Zoom Online Class we will explore facial features with watercolour paints.

We'll paint together, learning about the importance of warm and cool colours, keeping shapes strong and then adding pencil for those finishing touches. 

Build the eyes, nose and mouth as you watercolour with me! 

 

Some Watercolour Painting experience is suggested.

Please be familiar with Zoom before attending.

SUPPLIES

Do not feel like you have to buy anything - bring what you have. However,

 PAPER

I'll be using - 9x12" Fluid Hot-Pressed Paper (from Above Ground/Toronto) and paint sits a bit differently on this paper. I do NOT use Arches Hot-Pressed Brand (yuck!). If you think now is the time to try hot-pressed great - but it's another element during the class. Maybe just focus on features...?

PAINT

I use Winsor & Newton and/or Holbein Tube Paints that are squeezed out and dry on my Winsor & Newton Cotman Compact Travel Set 14 pan palette. 

Yellow Ochre

Permanent Rose (Rose Madder Genuine or Aliz. Crimson)

Cad. Red

Cerulean Blue

Ultramarine Blue

Cobalt Violet

Burnt Umber

BRUSHES

Use the brushes you like and are familiar with.

I use synthetic pointy brushes sizes 6, 8 and 10. 

Loew-Cornell 7020 Ultra Round 

and

Kingart Original Gold 9020 Max Round

OTHER

6B pencil and paper towels

Questions? Just ask  - nora904@yahoo.com

PLEASE NOTE: I will communicate with you through the email address you use with your PayPal account unless you tell me otherwise.

Double Check your Time Zone.

Email confirmation sent out after you Pay. 

This class is not recorded (just like real life 😉).

Waiting Room opens at 10 minutes before the class begins.

See you on Zoom!

jewels

 

click button to purchase - 
$80 - 7x5" original watercolour in 8x10"mat 

I got to indulge in my favourite colour... again! Opera Pink (yummy), which I floated onto the page next to some warm reds. Then, all those cool greens and blues in the jar, those floaty bits, so abstract and fun to paint. Yummy, yummy, yummy!

Figure Drawing Practical Tips Registration

Hello and Welcome! The 3 hour class description, supply list, and my CV are all here for you. I've been teaching art for seven years and a year ago, I brought it to Zoom! 

Just click the PayPal button when you're ready to register. 🙋

FULL

CLASS IS FULL 

FIGURE DRAWING Practical Tips

SATURDAY APRIL 24 '21

11am - 2pm ET

$55 CAD 

PayPal will convert currency for you, if necessary. Email me for e-transfer or personal cheque. nora904@yahoo.com  

😀

 In this Zoom class we will explore figure drawing

using a practical approach

with lots of helpful tips!

An easy-to-remember measuring system,

focusing on specific body parts,

encouraging mass,

and how to bring it all together,

will all be demonstrated.

Get your sketchbooks out and your pencils ready,

as you draw-along with me

learning many figure drawing tips along the way!

Some figure drawing experience is recommended.

Please be familiar with Zoom before attending.

Questions? Just ask - nora904@yahoo.com

SUPPLIES

A sketchbook (9x12") or Newsprint Pad,

Your favourite dark pencils or pens,

(I'll use 6B pencil and charcoal pencils)

A few coloured pencils

PDF

You will receive an email with a PDF 

with some handouts of what I cover,

after the class.

PLEASE NOTE: I will communicate with you through the email address you use with your PayPal account unless you tell me otherwise.

Double Check your Time Zone. Class is Eastern Time.

Email confirmation sent out after you Pay.

My PayPal account name is "Watercolours by Nora MacPhail" - but have no fear, the link is for FIGURE DRAWING Practical Tips.

Zoom LINK will be emailed Thursday Evening.

This class is not recorded (just like real life 😉).

Waiting Room opens at 10:45am EST.

See you then!

THANK YOU.

inside joke

click here to purchase - 

$90 - 5x7" original oil painting on 1/8" panel.

Today's Two Colour Portrait was with Lemon Yellow and Dioxazine Purple, plus white for mixing. I'm getting the hang of this limited palette approach. : ) 

Values of Tube Colours

I thought I'd share my latest homework with you. ; )

In the left picture you can see that I placed a healthy brushstroke of every colour on my palette, fresh out of the tube, and put them down the centre of the page. Then, using ultramarine blue, burnt umber and white, I made greys to match the exact value of the colour. I got the first two wrong. Doh. But then I got the hang of it.

The picture on the right is a black and white photo of the same page. You can see I got most of my values right. (Phew). 

I learned that tube colours are a lot darker than I thought. Also, intensity, like the hot opera pink, is very misleading.

I did this exercise years ago and my repeating the exercise yesterday was long overdue. Very helpful!

Annual Life Drawing Exhibit

Come by this Saturday February 8th!  

Over 20 artists are in the life drawing show.

I'll be there with my three portraits from 1-3pm. 

35 Hazelton Lanes, Yorkville, Toronto.

Cheers ya'll!

Save The Date!

There are TONS of artisans in this upcoming art show, including me! 
November 16 - Saturday only - Free - Save the Date!