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Category: Special Guests

Gouache; A Brief History and The Suitability of Rosemary & Co’s ‘Shiraz’ Brushes

Gouache paint has been around for centuries however not many casual artists have experience with them like they have with the more popular mediums of acrylic, watercolour or oil. I spoke to Murray Ince, an artist and tutor based on the Isle of Wight about Gouache and what best practices he implements. This is what he had to say;

“Gouache is a lovely medium to work with and has a surprisingly long history. It is very similar in use to Egg Tempera and Casein. Egg tempera’s pigments are bound with egg as you may have guessed and Casein is precipitated from milk. The binder is made by dissolving the resulting ‘Casein’ in an alkaline, usually lime, ammonium carbonate or borax, which is then added to the pigments. There are very subtle differences in these three media, but probably the most important is that over time both casein and egg tempera become waterproof. Gouache is not waterproof when dry so needs to be mounted and framed under glass as you would a watercolour.

The advantage of Gouache not being waterproof is that it can be re-wetted or dampened to re-activate the surface allowing for some subtle blending. The binder used in Gouache is Gum Arabic the same as in watercolour. The major differences between Gouache and watercolour are that the particles of pigment in gouache are larger and there is significantly more pigment in gouache. An ‘extender’ is used in some gouache colours, usually precipitated chalk which all works to make gouache much more opaque than its transparent counterpart.

‘View Towards Seaview from Puckpool, Isle of Wight’

‘View Towards Seaview from Puckpool, Isle of Wight’

Gouache Characteristics

Gouache dries to a lovely, matt, velvet like surface and as it is an opaque medium reproduces extremely well. Watercolour being transparent is notoriously difficult to reproduce well as some of the subtleties can be lost in the reproduction process, light passes through the pigment of pale washes bouncing back from the papers surface whereas gouache being more heavily pigmented, opaque and matt absorbs the majority of the light giving more accurate reproductions. For a long time, gouache has been the favoured medium by designers, animators and illustrators and has become known as Designer’s gouache.

The surface of a gouache painting makes it suitable for certain mixed media techniques, I have used it to great effect with coloured pencil and artist’s soft pastel allowing for some great effects.

The opaqueness of gouache allows for the application of light colours over dark colour, making it much more forgiving than watercolour.

‘Loch Leven’ on Rough 140lb watercolour paper created for an article in ‘Leisure Painter’

‘Loch Leven’ on Rough 140lb watercolour paper

Surfaces

The properties of gouache make it possible to paint on a great many supports and grounds including all types of watercolour paper. Of course you can use any paper below 140lb in weight if it is first stretched as you would watercolour paper. As gouache is so opaque you are able to paint straight onto any dark colour including black, any colour mount board is a good support! You can also paint on stretched canvases and canvas boards. If using on a stretched canvas don’t use it too thickly as the dried surface of gouache is not overly flexible and could be prone to cracking if on a very flexible surface.

Application

I am best known for my work in Water-Mixable Oil paints and am the founder of the ‘Society of Painters in Water-Mixable Oils’ for which I use the Rosemary & Co ‘Ivory’, ‘Red Dot’ and various brushes from their special ranges. I also do an ever-increasing amount of work using gouache and for many years just used basic lower price bracket brushes for painting with gouache due to its make-up, gouache is grittier and heavier than watercolour and even though I have generally been happy with my results I have always had my eye open for the perfect brush to use with them, queue Rosemary & Co!

Thumbing through the lovely catalogue (available for free here) and speaking to Joe at R & Co. I decided to buy some of the ‘Shiraz’ range of brushes and boy, am I glad I did! They are totally suitable for my style of gouache painting and are available in a great range of shapes and sizes. They have a lovely ’snap’ and hold their beautiful shapes well. They are that bit stiffer than watercolour brushes but not as stiff as hog bristle brushes making them perfect for my style and techniques.

I will be adding many more ‘Shiraz’ brushes to my growing collection of Rosemary & Co brushes, they have certainly helped me improve and develop my techniques in all mediums.”

by Murray William Cole Ince

‘Poppies’ on black cartridge paper 11” x 8”

‘Poppies’ on black cartridge paper 11” x 8”

Murray has mentioned the key brushes he has used for his recent gouache endeavours:

The pointed rounds hold their points beautifully and are a lovely shape, the filberts, Daggers and flats hold a knife sharp edge which is really useful and give me the full armoury of various mark making. I will be buying the full range in the very near future!

A big Thank You to Murray for all your information, I hope and i’m sure our readers can learn something new!

Everyone has their own individual preferences and favourite brushes. We are thrilled Shiraz work really well for Murray, but many of our brushes could also work for other artists, from beginner to advanced. Check out some of our brush sets that will be well equipped for gouache by clicking here

I welcome you to visit Murray’s website to see more about his art! www.murrayince.com


Wildlife art by George Davies

If you’re anything like me then wildlife paintings will bring instant joy and a smile to your face. It was with great pleasure to come across George’s work and I finally get to share his emotive and expressive paintings with you all. Here’s what he had to say earlier this year;

“I’m a 17-year-old oil painter from Chester, England and I’m currently going into year 13. I’ve loved drawing and painting from an early age and my particular interest is wildlife, although I do try other subjects as well.

A Shady Spot

I dedicate most of my spare time to painting and creating ideas for new works, using my photos as well as some from friends for my reference. I have been inspired by many artists, but particularly painters such as David Shepherd, John Banovich and Andrew Tischler, who has been a great source of inspiration and personal advice. I love creating pictures of wildlife from different parts of the world, such as those inspired by trips to the West Coast of Scotland and photos from friends who have travelled around Africa. I have also painted a few portraits of family members and friends and I’m planning to do more in the future.

Giraffe

During the first lockdown I was given extra time and freedom to paint as I was unable to sit my GCSEs. I was able to start a series of African wildlife, some Arctic wildlife paintings and a couple of portrait commissions.”

I think you will agree with me that George is an amazing painter, a rising star and his hard work and raw talent deserves to be showcased.

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Here are some of his achievements and exhibitions:

Exhibiting with Exhibition Wildlife Art July 2021

Exhibited at Gorstella Gallery 2019

Society of All Artists Young Artist and Junior Artist of the year

Exhibited at National Open Art, London

Member of the Association of Animal Artists

Check out his website www.georgelennondavies.co.uk

and his Instagram page now!


Artist Spotlight: Robert Trent

We were approached by Rob some time ago, conveying his love for our brushes! We are lucky enough to receive lots of these lovely emails – but this one was particularly special to us.
Rob was born disabled, and from a very early age was taught to write, draw and paint with the implement held between his teeth by his home tutor.
I recently asked Rob if he would be happy to be featured on the blog and thankfully he obliged, as I know our readers would be inspired. This is what he had to say:
“My tutor often told me about the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists (MFPA), and to encourage me they sent me a set of paints.
Although I enjoyed painting, I left school and focussed on finding employment. In that time I got married and we had a daughter.
It was in 1998 that I successfully joined the MFPA as a Student Artist. Working full time meant it wasn’t until 2013 that I became an Associate Member.
In 2018 I retired from my job and threw myself into my painting. I found a brilliant art tutor, Kay Le Poidevin, who not only pushed me to try different styles of paintings, but who also introduced me to Rosemary Brushes.
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The brushes were a ‘game changer for me’. I found them really robust (a lot of my brushes previously got chewed up very easily), they allowed me to apply marks to my paintings in a much more thoughtful manner and best of all, I was able to choose the long handle brushes.
I’ve been using the brushes for three years, and last year I achieved my ambition of becoming a Full Member of the MFPA.
I’m also delighted that one of my paintings, produced using Rosemary Brushes, was selected as a card for this years MFPA Christmas pack!”
“Post Box Robins” Gift cards are available to purchase at this link:
Roberts Work can also be found on the MFPA website, check it out by clicking here!

The Beautiful Artwork of Phil Courtney

Phil Courtney is a long time user of Rosemary Brushes and it is about time we shared his absolutely stunning work with you all. Phil graduated from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine arts located in Philadelphia and has been in the industry ever since. Exquisite both in Oil and Water colour,  Phil always manages to capture the beauty of his subject material.

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flower-fireworks-lt_orig I am amazed how he gets his paintings to look so realistic, especially with the sheer size of the canvases, (some 41″ x 57″!). To get the perspective and proportion so on point, I think you will agree it can be a challenge even on a smaller scale, but Phil does it with such precision and realism, and I can only imagine the patience he puts into them!

 

The oil painting below -Magnolia Seed Pod  22″ x 54″ – oil on canvas, is featured in the July/August 2021 of Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine and it was painted solely using only Rosemary brushes!

Magnolia Seed Pod

If you would like to see more of Phil’s fantastic work and to see his process, workshops and online shop, please check out his website: www.philcourtney.com

 

wooden-rabbit-web-72-res_origThank you Phil for allowing me to show off your art! The watercolours are my personal favourite, especially “The Wooden Rabbit”!


Oil PAINTING around YORKSHIRE By Luiz Vilela

Luiz visited us in Yorkshire for almost a month this Summer. The images shown are quick Plein Air studies, on the go!

I spent the month of June painting in Yorkshire, England. It is one of the most beautiful places in the whole world and paradise beauty for any artist.

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Rosemary & Co Artists’ Brushes hosted two painting workshops in their premises and around the area. The first one with Michelle Dunaway, we were out and about painting the landscape and the figure in the landscape. Michelle was a wonderful adviser, always helpful and sharing her thoughts in art and the life of an artist. A true inspiration! We had a fantastic time painting at Bolton Abbey for two days.

On the second day, we painted model Ross dressed in character – A real Yorkshire man! I didn’t feel the time passing by, I was so immersed in capturing the scene. I stayed for the second workshop with Michael Klein, painting florals. I’ve been such a fan of his work so it was like a dream for me to be able to paint flowers with him. The set was Rosemary’s orangery, a stunning place and each student had the most beautiful flower arrangement to work from. In the mornings, we watched Michael develop his own piece, and I had to sit really close to him and see how he handled the paint and his brushwork technique.

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“I LEARNT that the POSSIBILITIES of painting are INFINITE!”

We all watch videos but nothing compares to the experience of observing an artist responding to his subject matter right in front of you. With these workshops, I learnt that the possibilities of painting are infinite! And more: it helped me to find out what is really important to me. I also had the opportunity to explore the area on the days before and in between classes. I met old and new friends and enjoyed the camaraderie whilst going to places like Haworth (where the Brontë sisters lived) small villages in the neighbourhood and idyllic places like Malham Cove.

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Last but not least there were Rosemary and Symi (who showed us how to make brushes in two demos and shared tips on how to take care of your brushes – really helpful!) and their team striving to make our experience unforgettable! I like to quote from the master:

“There are moments in our lives, there are moments in a day, when we seem to see beyond the usual – become clairvoyant. We reach then into reality. Such are the moments of our greatest happiness. Such are the moments of our greatest wisdom. It is in the nature of all people to have these experiences; but in our time and under the conditions of our lives, it is only a rare few who are able to continue in the experience and find expression for it.” – Robert Henri

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I feel truly blessed and thankful.

Images courtesy of Luiz Vilela. Please visit Luiz’s website

 


ROSEMARY & CO Workshops – Master WORKSHOP with MICHAEL KLEIN

My words to Michael were, “This is a marathon not a sprint!” and boy was I right. Two 3 day workshops and a demonstration evening over 7 days was no mean feat – but we did it! We had 30 students over the two workshops from all around the world, and 16 flower bouquets to arrange. That, alongside the heatwave we’ve been experiencing in Yorkshire leant itself to a dreamlike situation. One we and hopefully the students too, will never forget!

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Each morning Michael set up his easel and palette to give an in-depth demonstration to the students. The first day Michael outlined the basics, although quite honestly, he makes it look so easy. (I’m sure the students
will agree!). A true modern-day Master. My job was to make sure folks had enough tea and coffee, and that they were generally comfortable at the workshop. Rosemary had allowed us to use her Orangery to host the workshops. The space is at the back of the Rosemary Brushes workshop and has the most glorious views of our valley.
At lunch we all sat outside and we brought out home-made packed lunches and nibbles for the students. It was a relaxed and calm atmosphere. Idyllic some may say. In the afternoons the students painted, working on the same piece over the three days. Michael went to each student time and time again to help and give advice. This indoor set-up was something new for us!

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With the week before the workshop being National Flower Week in the UK, we were lucky to have the choice of so many beautiful flowers for the set-ups – all at their peak and many from Rosemary’s garden!
The students were painting peonies, avalanche roses, agapanthus, sweet alyssum, alpine thistles, bell flowers… the list goes on. We made our own still life stands ready for the occasion, to ensure a professional set up
(thank you to Kenny!).

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Michael also gave an evening demonstration to the students, which we opened up to the general public. We filmed this evening, which you can find on our YouTube channel. Search Rosemary & Co to watch this! We’re
making lots more videos now.
During the demonstration evening (a 3 hour session), Michael showed how he would approach a still-life set up, with limited time. We are blessed to have our workshop where we make the brushes in such beautiful surroundings, and so this evening was filmed in Rosemary’s garden.

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Overall, it was such a magical week. I couldn’t pick if you made me as to which workshop was better! They were both fantastic, and I am confident the students would tell you the same. I urge you to look at the Masters we have joining us to teach next year and consider a trip to this beautiful place we call home, Yorkshire!


ROSEMARY & CO Workshops – Master WORKSHOP with Michelle DUNAWAY

Rosemary & Co welcomed Michelle Dunaway and students to paint within the grounds of the workshop and around the Yorkshire Dales.

In the month of June 2018 we welcomed Michelle Dunaway and a group of students to Yorkshire ready for a workshop on the figure outdoors. Each day we headed to different locations and placed a model in what I would consider, the most beautiful landscapes. Close your eyes and think Pride and Prejudice and you’d be almost there. Michelle had asked that I make it timeless – so that’s what we did!

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Each morning the students arrived at the Rosemary Brushes workshop early and eager to go out and paint! Plein Air is tricky at the best of times, but with Yorkshire’s seemingly unpredictable heatwaves of late – this was set to be a challenge! Fear not I thought, folks on these workshops are usually most understanding and roll with it. And that they did! The weather turned out to be a friend not a foe. We were actually wearing shorts asking for cold drinks, not piling on coats and hugging a cup of hot chocolate!

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The students came to me throughout the week to let me know how much they loved the area we are lucky to call home, and also to tell me how much they were learning from their maestro – Michelle. I have to say, the landscapes I can take very little credit for – Yorkshire is beautiful and I’m the one who’s lucky to live here.

Two of the days we visited the grounds and painted amongst the ruins of my favourite estate, Bolton Abbey. To think that Turner was painting in the same place as us some two hundred years ago gives me goose bumps.

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I always think about how things must have been for him as a painter back then. He didn’t have the luxury of squeezing any colour paint out of tubes, or of the most lightweight, compact easels on the planet. Turner didn’t have over three thousand Rosemary Brush ranges to choose from either! But then I think – if he did can you only imagine what he would have painted! How could he have been any better!? Now, I know I’m dreaming here, but quite honestly, it makes me think of what our masters of today have at their finger tips. Never the less, you can have all the tricks of the trade at your finger tips, but that does not mean you can sit in front of the most beautiful ruins with a model and paint like Michelle Dunaway. That is talent, years of hard work and a million brush miles.

These workshops started because Rosemary and I wanted to bring our friends to Yorkshire. We figured we travel so much, it’s about time folks come to us! We never dreamed we could bring the world’s best artists to Yorkshire and teach! If you ever get the chance to join us on one
of these workshops, I’d urge you to do so. The teaching ability is sensational, the general running of the workshop is by me (so it’s a little nuts, but it’s sure to be fun!) and of course, I have beautiful Yorkshire to thank for the most incredible backdrop, a painters paradise. We tried to capture a slice of this workshop on Youtube. Check it out!

 

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A NEW-FOUND FREEDOM in MY WORK – By Judy Krauss

“That painting´s really good, it looks just like a photograph!” went the comment.“Uh-oh!” I thought “Back to the drawing board…”

As much as I love photography, I want my paintings to be expressions in their own right. I´m not an abstract artist, although I love abstract art. I am inspired by shape, light and form and want to include these in my work.

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I love realistic art but I have been looking for the sort of freedom which allows a liberal dollop of artistic licence! I find myself caught between the desire to render an image faithfully and yet abstract it, play with it and create something new. Such comments (as above) started a journey to capture the essence of what inspires me about an image in the first place but allows me to express something that is not in the scene but speaks to me in my imagination. The brushes I used before did not help me achieve this. They splayed when I needed them to hold their shape, they dripped paint, the outer hairs would rub off – where did they go? – and they shed loose hairs at the most inconvenient moments! Working with acrylics I had to remove these before the paint dried.

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A lot of unnecessary effort was expended while I compensated for all of this. Sometimes I just wanted to complete the picture and leave any playing with the image and experimenting for another time. There comes a point where the initial impulse dies and the painting loses spontaneity and looks overworked. I wanted to avoid this at all costs. That’s why I was thrilled to discover your brushes. Painting has become so much more of a pleasure, as I have brushes that work with me, not against me. They have freed up energy and thinking time – sometimes only one brush-stroke is enough to complete a figure or suggest a window. They make a statement. Your brushes support a creative process where I can paint realistically but take artistic licence where I choose to. Needless to say, I have more confidence to experiment and take more risks. I´m enjoying a new freedom in my work. My latest paintings have been inspired by a visit to Sri Lanka this year. Just as our memories merge and blend the people we meet and the places we discover, the images do the same in my work. The colours are as intense as the brightly coloured temples, the smell of the spices and flowers.

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My sketchbook, diary and camera travel with me wherever I go. I cannot wait to return to Sri Lanka one day with its enormous variety of landscape, animals and nature. Thanks to my photographs and sketches I can capturequick impressions but this is not enough for me. Painting helps me not only to re-live the experience but explore the images. The result is an expression of something personal, a mini-adventure with brushes and paint that a camera cannot capture.

Images courtesy of Judy Krauss. Please visit her website


INTRODUCING the TISCH Bristle DAGGERS – By Rosemary Thompson

For almost two years Rosemary and Andrew Tischler have been working on creating a new range, The “Tisch”. Here’s the story.

I’d been looking at Andrew’s work on YouTube for some time and noticed he had been mentioning our brushes, in particular our Series 25, 1˝ Angular. Though Andrew liked it, he wanted something he could love because it didn’t quite do what he wanted it to do due to his unique brush strokes.

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So, Andrew got in touch and said that he wanted to make certain brush marks, and wanted the range to be available to his followers in all different sizes. Firstly, Andrew drew me pictures of the angles of the brushes he wanted me to create.

I took those pictures and made a set from them. I explained to Andrew we probably wouldn’t get it right first time, but I needed to know what was wrong with them to get it spot on. Again, Andrew trialled the set, told me we were 90% there but he still needed more of a curve on them. When you see how Andrew works, you’ll understand why that curve is essential.

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I made another set, sent them to New Zealand and Andrew said “Rosemary, I love the brushes, you absolutely nailed it. I am ready to go! I love them! I look forward to adding them to the kit, these will be my go-to’s.”

Once we launched the Tisch Daggers I thought it would be best to ask Andrew to tell you what he loved about this new range, “I paint a wide variety of subjects that require different technical approaches therefore, I need a wide range of brushes that will allow me to create an engaging
sense of reality across many genres.

Rosemary and Co make the best brushes out there. I choose these brushes for their reliability and absolute quality. I highly recommend these sets, which contain some of my favourite brushes made by Rosemary and Co! These sets will give you the range and versatility you need to master many subjects from portraiture and still life to landscape!” – Andrew Tischler

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From there we expanded all the sizes and made from ⅛˝ right the way through to a 1˝ available on the long handle only. As a brush maker, it’s really so lovely to think we can actually design something different that works for that artist, who a lot of artists around the world are following. This range will help Andrew and his followers make brush marks easier and in a small way, I feel to have contributed.

Images courtesy of Andrew Tischler.
To see more of Andrew’s work visit his website:

To see Andrew’s Deluxe Set, Introductory Set and the Tisch Daggers please visit online

 

 


ICONOGRAPHY and RELIGON – By Mary Fotheringham

Mary tells Rosemary & Co about her path into the world of art…

I have been a Rosemary customer for a couple of years now, having learned about Rosemary brushes from my art teacher. I use your brushes almost exclusively, and now I cannot be without them! My particular favourites are the Shiraz short filberts.

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I hope my story might give encouragement to others who are considering venturing into the world of art. I was born and brought up in England, but have lived in the United States for over 30 years. I started painting four years ago almost by chance, when a friend at church suggested that I take her religious iconography class. I was reluctant at first – still working full time and wondered how I could fit this into my busy schedule, but went along, admittedly half-heartedly. Little did I know that it would open up a whole new world for me!

After that first class, I began taking lessons from Ma Ly, a French-born art teacher here in Fresno, California. I have learned so much from him, but am still such a neophyte! I paint in acrylics and particularly like working with wooden boards. The majority of my paintings have been icons, but I also enjoy still life, and have just completed my first portrait. I have had several commissions!

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I retired a year ago, and now have more time to devote to my art. What wonderful therapy it has turned out to be! There is a whole theology behind iconography: every brushstroke is a prayer, and the artist comes to know the subject very well as the weeks go by. Icons are also therapeutic for the recipient. I find it gratifying and humbling when people tell me that my paintings give them comfort.

Find Mary on Facebook:
Mary Fotheringham Art