My last solo exhibition was 25 years ago!

My first solo exhibition in 25 years is currently on display at the Wondai art gallery until Friday 26th of June.

I am very excited about these paintings and drawings – I am beginning to grow into my art and have FUN!

Paintings

Some of my most enjoyable paintings are painted direct from life. I love sitting outside in nature and capturing what I see in front of me. I find it a fun complement to painting in the studio from a photograph. Painting from life is dynamic and spontaneous. The light changes, the weather changes and it challenges my skills in a way a photograph doesn’t!

Some subjects are harder to capture from life. People and animals are to important to leave out – I paint them from photos I have taken. One day I will have the skill to paint them from life also but photographs are a wonderful resource and reference at the moment!

Drawings

I am so very proud to share some of my drawings in this exhibition.

These ten drawings are favourites from my One Year Drawing Challenge. Drawing every single day for a year.

I wasn’t sure if committing to this challenge was a good idea.

I am posting my drawing every day on facebook and Instagram (you can follow me @amywoodartist) So far the only negative side effect is a mild social media addiction.

The upside is that I feel so proud and delighted with the drawings, the process and how much I am learning.

I spend an average of one hour per day on these drawings. Drawing people is what I really want to get good at. Sometimes I have an idea that doesn’t turn out right the first time and then it takes longer than an hour to achieve the effect I was chasing. Wherever I can I draw from life – an experience I find meditative and delightful. Somedays the drawing doesn’t come easily, somedays the ideas flow and I have so much fun. I am finding doing this everyday there is an opportunity to catch the ideas before the magic floats past and is gone again.

I am so excited by what I am getting out of this discipline.

A reason to return to all the wonderful art books I have invested in and really distill the information they offer.

A huge respect for artists who have mastered this incredible skill and moved on to grow their art.