capturing shadow play on courtyard steps in Olhao Portugal – watercolour. Disappearing steps symbolise for me – the unknown….
If ever there is a place that is conducive to exploring the creative process….it has been the school in Olhao, Portugal where I have been fortunate enough to teach for quite a few years. A place I had come to think of as a second home….
Situated in the middle of the old fishing town of Olhao, and just a few minutes walk from the waterfront, market, shops, cafes, restaurant, etc. this school has allowed those who have visited to completely immerse themselves into the creative process.
After being met by Nuno at Faro airport, 20 minutes later we enter the School house. It is in this inviting space that so many freshly cooked meals have been served and enjoyed ….all overseen by the beautiful Margarida and Joanna. It has also been a place of many interesting conversations and much laughter:)
Margarida looking up from one of the lower courtyards.
What is it that makes a place conducive to the creative process?
I believe there needs to be a sense of harmony and cohesiveness. I find that when people are running all over the place, never settling…there is fragmentation….which in itself can destroy the flow of creative thought and production.
The School has given us this, a sense of harmony and cohesiveness.
When a new doorway between the School and Pool houses was introduced several years ago there was an immediate sense of further flow and harmony. Almost like taking a huge gasp of fresh air….
The doorway became a metaphor for opening up creative expression.
When teaching I often talk about how changing one tiny part of a painting, changes everything, and so it is true for the doorways of life – we simply have to find and open them.
It is now time to open the doorways of our minds. Time to allow new thinking and creative expression to flow through previously blocked areas.
Flowers for sale at the Saturday Market. 
And of course wonderful fresh fish………..
Visits to Armona Island, a fifteen minute boat ride from Olhao, were always very special. I would like to spend more time on Armona Island. 
150 year old olive tree in main courtyard……a tree synonymous with he School. 
Through the school I have met some wonderful people..and made lasting friendships. I will always be grateful for the day that David Clark contacted me to see if I would be interested in being one of his tutors.
Mostly I thank him for his vision which I believe will live on in ways that none of us is creative enough to know about at this time.
I know that David’s legacy will continue through conversations, paintings, friendships and so much more.
Thank you David, Margarida, Joanna, Nuno (1) and Nuno (2) and I must not forget Carlos who opened up the doorway between the two buildings:)
Sadly the School was yet another victim of Covid!. It is dearly missed, but having said that many of us are still very much in touch and getting together in different places. It’s legacy lives on.
Each painting we work on (including preliminary sketches and warm up exercises) is connected to all the work we have produced in the past and any work we will produce in the future…….Everything is interconnected.
Something to consider is that striving for perfection can sometimes cripple the creative process.
Always try to work on more than one image at a time. This can prevent overworking the painting and producing mud, particularly when working with watercolour!
When working on canvases….it is customary to turn paintings to the wall – sometimes for long periods. This helps an artist to see the painting in a fresh light at a later date. Any work produced in the interim feeds the artist with new information, which is often relevant to the original piece. 
Regardless of the end goal…rapid sketches in any medium, along with honing observational skills help an artist to focus the mind.
There have been periods during my career when I was fortunate enough to begin each day with a two hour life session. I can’t think of a better way to get the creative juices flowing.
I was fortunate to go to art school in the early sixties when the first year was dedicated to life drawing. Observation, observation, observation……
I believe that a strong foundation frees an artist to explore their work with confidence. 
Along with nude models I also enjoy working with ‘costume models’ learning how to capture the human form beneath the drapes of fabric – again it’s all about honing observational skills.
Focusing on the loving and gentle hands of the mother. A few years ago I gave a weekend residential workshop in Herefordshire where we only painted the hands and feet of our models. An excellent exercise. 
Capturing the gesture and seeking out the abstraction of the shapes produced. – ten minute full sheet study. 
The Aboriginals, Native Americans and many other indigenous peoples around the globe have a deep understanding of our spiritual, physical, social and cultural connection to the land. They believe all of life as it is today, human, animal, bird and fish is part of one vast unchanging network of relationships. They understand fully the importance of land management towards our health and overall wellbeing. 
It seems that many people today, young and old from all sectors of society, are experiencing physical and emotional illnesses and distress. Given our fast pace of life and that so much of the world’s population is now plugged into technology of one kind or another, is it any wonder that our collective senses are being deadened?
Feeding our senses by spending time in the natural world, is healing. However, like all good medicine, it needs to be enjoyed on a consistent basis.
I have been listening to a radio programme about the power of the placebo…and how it has been shown time and time again to cause a sense of wellbeing even though the recipient is fully aware that they are taking a sugar pill. This has everything to do with mind, body connection. 
Trying to exist in this brave new world and finding a space for creativity, in all its many forms….might for many sound impossible.
My Life as an Artist (2) 