Remote & Rural - Ev Hales Workshop @The Phillip Island Winery

Water and Rocks - Natural contrasts

Elusive, ever-changing water and solid immovable rocks provide a fabulous interplay of visual opposites. Phillip Island offers water at its wildest and at its most tranquil, and everything in between. Add rocks that are pink, red, black or brown, light or dark and the options for an artist are unlimited.

The water at the ocean can change the appearance of rocks on the shore. They can change their apparent size by covering them as the tides change or camouflaging them with waves and spray.  If you have photographs of this area that you would like to paint.  Bring these with you.

Techniques:

During this workshop I plan to explore several techniques that maximize brushwork to make painting water simpler and fresher.  Emphasis will be on loading the brush and ways to use different brushes for maximum effect.

Paper can be a big factor when painting water and we will explore both the rough and HP surfaces.

Part of the finishing process will explore a variety of options that give a sense of the scale to beach and rock images.   

Workshop Materials - to bring with you!

Ev doesn't expect you to buy a large supply of new materials - please bring what you have - but here she explains the main materials she recommends you to bring:

PAPER:   

• Hot Pressed (smooth) and
• Cold Pressed (rough) surfaces. Depending on how fast you work ¼ or ½ sheets - bring 2 of each surface.  Also bring scraps of paper to try techniques.

PAINT:

• Bring your usual palette of colours. Rather than buying colours that I like - I prefer you to explore your own colours and if you see something else you like then purchase it later for use.  I use a limited palette of about 8 colours and will explain this as we work.  I believe colour choices are very personal, you are welcome to watch this explanation from Ev on YouTube >>

•   Ev Hales on YouTube - Colours and Palette.  This clip on YouTube lists my colours and reasons for the choices.  Brands are important but due to high cost Ev uses a mix of brands and colours these days.  You will also see in this clip the kind of palette she uses.

BRUSHES:  

• A wide hake anything wider than 2.5cms, and your usual favourite brushes.

Ev also enjoys:

• NEEF needle point brush
• A white square taklon for lifting off.
• Informal brushes that give uncontrolled marks – fan brushes, bamboo handled hakes and a scraggy stiff brush from Bunnings that is great for grasses etc.

If you don't have these Brushes in your kit you are welcome to buy these and add them to your kit but also bring any brushes that you might already!

Palette:

Please bring a palette that allows mixing puddles of paint - not just a single flat mixing surface.

Or bring some small dishes to mix colours in - I found sets of these with lids from Bunnings sold, in the kitchen area, as Lemon and Lime reusable sauce containers, $ 2.50  for a pack of 20.  

Who Is Ev Hales?

Ev Hales has been working in the art field for more than 55 years.  She has worked across mediums and developed a distinctive brand and body of work. She has explored many of the avenues and diverse challenges that being an artist in the 21^st C involves.

She loves watercolour for it capricious nature, although her work is not limited to one medium. Skill with varied subject matter and a clear personal vision gives Ev a unique place in the arts community. A winner of many awards has resulted in invitations to exhibit in major watercolour exhibitions in China. A solid exhibition history for more than 45 years shows both commitment and achievement.

Inspiration for her work is firmly based in reality and this means much time is spent on location in both urban and natural settings. Ev’s keen eye finds subjects that are insightful, recording changes in  nature and everyday moments indicative of our time. Beginning her artistic journey as an art teacher, majoring in printmaking she has used her tutoring, mentoring skills throughout a long career. The opportunity to teach and travel all around Australia and internationally has added depth to the imagery she produces. She is keenly supported as a tutor for such painting adventures.

She has published books about her work, “Ev Hales A Work in Progress” as well as a series of instructional ebooks,  “Painting with Ev Hales”. This has taken her profile to a truly global market and her arts practice into the new digital world.

https://www.evhales.com/ visit her website https://www.youtube.com/@EvHales YouTube to see her in action.

Ev's aim is to leave a legacy of work that speaks of my life and times. I want to capture everyday moments that are unique to our times. I want my images to seem effortless and intriguing and my colours to be complex, and like the colour in nature, almost indefinable.