Exploring Tonal value

As artists, we must learn to be self nourishing. We must become alert enough to consciously replenish our creative resources as we draw on them – to restock the trout pond, so to speak.
- Julia Cameron


Beach and trees - tonal value exercise

My watercolour workshops with Angela Eidelman are two weeks apart - every second Wednesday - and probably just as well - after three hours of watching, listening, planning, and actual sketching exercises, I find myself totally exhausted afterwards, and I'm telling myself it's NOT an age thing! My younger counter-parts like Cathy Gatland (read her workshop up-dates with Hazel Soan here) and Debbie Schiff (read Debbie's posts about her art class with Hazel Soan here) have both complained about the same thing. It's hard and exhausting work setting up your work station, trying to take in everything and anxiously trying not to make a complete botch-up of your exercises, right there where everybody is witness to the whole thing!

So for two weeks until my next class, I've got plenty of time to practice all the basics. At first I've been trying to do everything all in one painting - the planning, good composition, focal point, light source, tonal value, and where the most detail or the least detail is. I've given that up as a bad job and am spending a day or two on each point - the exercise above is mostly about tonal value, but it also gave me a chance to explore the source of where my light is coming from and making sure I don't have shadows running in all sorts of directions!

Watercolour Workshop 2 - Wet-on-Wet

We all have time to paint. We have time to paint the minute we are willing to paint badly, to chase a dead end, to scribble a few words, to paint for the hell of it instead of for the perfect and polished result.
- Julia Cameron


Art class wet-on-wet 17/03/2010 on Bockingford 300gsm - Maree

This past Wednesday was my second watercolour workshop with Angela Eidelman, Honorary Chairman of the W.S.S.A. (Watercolour Society of South Africa), and this week we covered wet-in-wet, that loose, elusive style that so many artists strive for.

A new concept of painting for me - having to keep in mind good composition, focal point, light source, tonal value, and where the most detail or the least detail is. I usually just go with my gut feeling of what feels or looks good to my (untrained!) eye. So for the next two weeks it's the three big P's - practice, practice and practice!

Crocodile River

“When the river is deepest it makes least noise.”
- Chinese Proverb

A daily practice of sketching and painting gives you a chance to exercise the big three P's - practice, practice, practice!


"Crocodile River, Broederstroom" - watercolour in Moleskine Portfolio 12" x 8" - Maree©

When we choose to go to Hartebeespoort Dam via Broederstroom, we cross over the Crocodile River (the same river I collected water from to sketch the gate scene in the previous post), which feeds the dam, offers white water rafting, and includes overnight options complete with riverside camping. Tubing, canoeing and cable slides into the river are also available.

I did this sketch from memory after we returned from our lunch and is the view from the bridge.

Keep out!

Creativity occurs in the moment, and in the moment we are timeless.
- Julia Cameron



This farm gate scene is not far from us in Broederstroom, a farm bordering on the Crocodile river, on our way to Hartebeespoort Dam. We stopped to give our puppy a chance to go to the toilet and I was faced with this wonderful gate right in from of me!

To hubby's utmost frustration, I actually hauled out my paint set, collected water from the river and quickly started doing the sketch. The frustration was because it took a bit longer than normal, actually putting in the colour right there - normally I would do a preliminary sketch and finish it off at home - this took me just over half an hour, while Dave and Jacko explored just inside the fence, but we were soon on our way and I fiddled a bit when we got home.

This was done in my Moleskine Folio watercolour sketchbook, 12" x 8".

A new family!

"The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg - not by smashing it."

- Arnold Glasow

"Pippie the Hen" - watercolour on Visual 140gsm - 12" x 8" - Maree©

This is Pippie, one of Kingston's hens, getting quite fluffed up having me so close and personal in her space! The other hen took off as soon as I approached, but I think Pippie's brood is about to hatch and she's not being intimidated by a lunatic with a sketch-book!

She was in Kingston's harem when I bought them, just in time, as he was destined for the pot. I haven't brought them over to my yard yet as some of the hens are still sitting on eggs, so I'll be getting a few extra for my money spent!