Words & painting 😊 Over the past 3 yrs I have discovered just how deeply the 2 meld together for me. When I’m outside *gathering* from the landscape I now quite often work a double landscape page, my marks on the right, on the left my words. These can be anything from descriptions of sounds and smells, visualisation of how I’d blend a colour I’ve seen, words that just pop into my head while working & often a short poem to capture how the view made me feel. I find those words help me get back to where I was in my head at the time 😊
Ahhh, so wise your insight that the creative process is not always linear (min 6:53 i.e. thumbnails-sketches-final layout on a painting), and perhaps rarely is, and more importantly doesn’t need to be! Thanks for reminding us of what then opens up into possibilities unlooked for.
I love your videos because I love beautiful landscape photos, your works look amazing, looking how your paint is very interesting and inspiring and your advices are very useful and your voice is nice ❤
Thank you so much for sharing. I just discovered your channel. I'm not a professional artist but am passionate about keeping a sketchbooks. It's so inspiring to see you work, especially out of doors. Yesterday I was at the beach painting 'backgrounds' and writing down the colours. I noticed that I also write down what I see through the window of a train when I'm on journeys and trying to sketch the moving scene.
Orla, I just discovered your channel around Christmas time. Since then, after literally years of procrastination, I now draw / paint pretty much every day. Have got the habit going by gamifying it and making something each day / week and not being too precious about 'it has to be good". I've done 53 drawings and 23 mini paint studies since new year. You're a miracle worker!! Thank you!
Inspirational as always, Orla! I must say I'm quite jealous. At the end of the video when you're sitting in front of a glass door it looks like you live in the forest 😍 I would be delighted to have nature at my doorstep. Maybe someday! I was really surprised about the mini view finder. You captured some amazing ideas with it and I love the idea of trying the ideas out on a larger scale! How big is the window for that view finder?
Thanks Laura! ♥️ this studio is in a national park, so lots of trees around, it’s a really beautiful area, very grateful for my time in this place! 😊 it’s a really fun one, I’ve got one around 10, another 15cm long, and another a bit bigger, around 30cm!
Thanks so much Orla, writing is part of my practice too. I mainly use mind maps to generate and collate my thoughts and ideas of whatever is interesting me at the time 😊
You're truly amazing Artist, dear Orla. Thanks for sharing your process, ideas and soul through these videos. I think there Is such a Huge work "behind the scenes". Really congrats for the great quality We can enjoy🍃🩵☺️
Oh I love your videos so much! They are calming and inspiring and gorgeous to watch. I love the view finder over your work to make it on a larger scale. brilliant! I will be making some for my self. Have a wonderful weekend! 👋🏻 Roxanne from Atlanta, GA
you have such great spaces to draw inspiration from..... just adore watching you get lost in creating. i live in a concrete city and can't imagine what it would feel like to paint amidst all that water and greenery... stunning. always look forward to your videos.
I’m very fortunate to have easy access to these spaces for sure! When I stay in cities I find I have to push myself more to search out some nature - hope you find some time nature time 🍃
Lovely video Orla, scenery is breathtaking and beautiful, and I really enjoyed watching you get inspired by everything around you. You certainly suffer for your love of art 😮, your poor hands looked very cold, you earnt that hot chocolate. Interesting to hear you voice that niggle about using sketchbooks and ending up with a cracking painting in your sketchbook. It's what's made me hesitant about using sketchbooks. But I have started to use one as an experiment, I'm on day 5 of the 100 day challenge. I can see the pros and cons of both. Turning your paintings upside down, brilliant, thanks for a lot of inspiration.
Thanks Chris! Haha yeah, I’ve got to get used to the cold here otherwise I’d never get out 😅 absolutely like you say, pros and cons for each, but great to give it a good run in your 100 day challenge and see how you feel after!
Would love to hear more about your writing process…you do along with your paintings. Like what words do you start with, do you write beforehand or in the middle of creating/ paintings or afterwards or it doesn’t matter, and then how do you tie those writings to your paintings or do you?
Of course! It really depends on the painting and project; sometimes they’re collated naturally as I find them, and used as titles eventually down the line. Other times they’re thought of specifically in a painting session, to either guide the work or to title the work :)
I gotta get a little treat when i finish things! (Or when i have to do anything really 😂) I went from journaling to sketching, so im trying to incorporate art into my written journal. Failing miserably btw 😅😂 Im giving myself grace because writing has been a lifelong habit, by comparison sketching and drawing is still new to me.
Haha yesss all the treats! 🩵 oooh that’s a great shout - you can just go back and forward when you feel like it then :) absolutely, take it easy and it’ll come over time 🕰️
With a bit too much mess at the moment 😂 I try spend around an hour after painting walking around or sketching to give them time to dry. By then they are normally ok to carry. Sometimes I have them taped to a board and just walk with them taped on. Very open to more efficient solutions though! In this session with so much kit I had the car near by :)
Hi Orla, so beautiful and informative as always. Thank you. Would you please tell me what the name is of the yellow tape that I've seen you using to tape off and tape down your papers? Is that paper wc or mixed media? I'm having so much trouble with tape tearing my paper recently, that I'm looking for something else. x Nell.
Hey Nell! Thank you ☺️ the tape I’ve found to be best so far is Tesa sensitive, can get it from hardware stores :) the paper I used in this video is cartridge paper but tape best works with watercolour, Seawhite recycled is my fave! X
