A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of teaching my 2 day Colour Stories abstract art class at Elm Farm Studio, Colchester. A fantastically responsive and enthusiastic group of ladies eager to learn and experiment. We had so much fun splatting and spraying and sponging over our two days together.
SUCH a treat to do something in real life and not online!

Probably the best way to sum up the experience is in the words of my students:

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This month saw the start of my new feature called ‘Paint me a Picture’ in which I ask my friends on social media to choose a colour palette for my art. I then painted a trio of pictures on paper and recorded a time-lapse video to share my creative process.

Following the colour workshop I attended recently (see previous blog), I thought it would be an interesting challenge to paint a monochrome picture - just one main colour. Being such a lover of bold vibrant colour combinations in my art, I realised that this would be an unusual avenue for me to venture down! I offered blues, red/pink or green but the blues won with a landslide victory! Great choice!

I mixed phthalo blue, white, black and allowed myself a bit of raw umber to create a warm grey. No fluorescent pink, no yellow or red, not even some complementary orange!

I’ve affectionately named this trio the Blues Brothers, giving them names from the band: Murphy, Mack & Malone! Here they are:

My subscribers receive exclusive early access to purchasing these beauties.
If you’d like to be a subscriber…

These paintings will become available for sale to everyone else from 1st October - when you will able to click on each picture above for further details.

I’ve really enjoyed the nudge to paint with blue - not my normal ‘go to’ colour at all. Whether it’s the intrigue of the deep sea, a sense of soaring the clouds way up high, a fresh mountain spring or a warm bubble bath - blue brings such tranquility and peace with it, such a calming and nourishing colour. What does it make you think of?

I love inviting you into my process and my studio. Use the comments below, I’d love to hear what parts you enjoy most about seeing me work.

I recently had the treat of taking part in the Mark Eanes Colour & Design 3 day Intensive. I learnt so much and know you'd like to hear all about it!
I’ve always been a fan of colour, as you probably know, and I knew the basics of the colour wheel (primary, secondary, tertiary, complements) but this course took me WAY beyond and into a whole new adventure that I realised I was only scratching the surface of! Prismatic hues, chromatic and achromatic greys, analogous hues were all new things to me.

What is a Prismatic Hue?
The purest, most saturated and intense colours. Red, yellow and blue, and the rest of the 12 colours they mix on the colour wheel.

What is a Muted Hue?
These are not as saturated or intense as prismatic as they have another colour, white, black or grey mixed into them.

What is a Chromatic Grey?
These have little saturation or intensity, they can be very dark or very light or middle tones and they aren’t necessarily grey!

Day 2 and 3 we looked at composition and layout of art, looking at artists like Mondrian. We used the colour swatches we’d made to make designs of our own, based around the colour categories and relationships that we were learning about. Obviously it’s only when you try using your new knowledge that you test if you understand it!!

Here are my results

2 pictures per colour group. Both with a wide range of hue (colour) but then 1 had to be with a wide range of value (light & dark) and the other with a narrow range of value. Can you tell which is which? And can you see what difference it makes?
Which colour group and rules are you most drawn to? Does that surprise you?

By the way Mark told us a great tip for checking value, which is viewing through a black and white filter on your phone - narrow range of value should look very similar - see this example.

I think the biggest things to come out of this workshop for me is not that I now know clever colour vocabulary but that I discovered new colours and colour relationships that I love and that really excite me. I’m always on the hunt for vibrancy and have leant towards the more pure colours in the past (the prismatic) as I love their intensity, but actually the muted hues and even some of the more saturated chromatic greys, and how they sit with certain other colours, gave me a whole new avenue to explore!

We have ended the course with a whole load of extra exercises to continue with and things to discover. I actually finished realising that I both needed to harness this new passion but also to put boundaries on it, otherwise I could see myself just colour mixing all my days and never achieving anything else!

Click HERE for a link to Mark Eanes website for future 3 day and 6 weeks courses.
Click HERE to subscribe to my newsletter to follow where this adventure takes me next!

And I'd love to hear in the comments below which colour combinations you are most drawn to from the ones I've shared!

I had the joy and privilege recently of working in collaboration with my lovely friend Sheree Wright, a gifted singer/song writer from USA, and thought you’d like to hear about the project.
Sheree is working towards the release of her new album ‘Whatever is’ and she commissioned me to create a painting inspired by her music and the album colour theme, that would be available to people as a limited edition print as part of her crowdfunding.

I love Sheree, I love painting inspired by music and I love a challenge, so I jumped at the opportunity!

I decided to paint a trio, as this keeps me playful and loose as I work, and it would provide Sheree with three to choose from.

I created a time-lapse video with her beautiful title track to help with her publicity and to share my process with you.

Here are the final pieces...

 Sheree chose number 3. I gave number 2 as a gift to a special friend for a special birthday.
HOWEVER, number 1 is available for purchase - saved just for you!

It will be on sale from September 1st (when I will add a link to click from the picture above), HOWEVER there is a special early release today for subscribers to my monthly newsletter! [edit: sorry this has now sold]

If you would like to be the first to receive exclusive access to my new work, and hear about my news and offers in my monthly email newsletter - then please sign up HERE!

If you would like to discuss a future collaboration project with me, or know of anyone who would, I'd love to hear from you! Drop me an email: Kate@KateGreenART.com
Or if you'd just like to see my painting inspired by a particular colour pallette or type of music - why not drop your ideas in the comments below?!

Cambridge Open Studios became Cambridge Open Windows this year due to Covid. Inviting people into my world couldn't happen face to face this time, so things had to go virtual instead!
I've just finished displaying my art in my windows for the last 4 weekends of July along with 145+ other artists in the area, and it's been so good to have something positive to do! Let me show you.

It's been interesting having art in the windows every weekend, my family have been very patient living in the dark! I had to think through what would fit and how to stick. This exhibition came through the support of mainly sellotape, masking tape, Command hooks and string! And nudged me into actually cleaning my windows - which doesn't happen often!
Here's the view from the inside.

The 1st weeks questions are covered, so let me take you through the rest.

Now my art is down and my windows feel a little bare. What's next? I'm taking a year out of my MA in Fine Art due to Covid and plan to use the time to develop my art business and within my studio to develop my sketchbook practice - which I'll share with you in due course. Make sure you're subscribed to my mailing list to get my monthly newsletters so you don't miss my updates: SUBSCRIBE NOW

A lot of my art shown in my windows above is available in my current #Artistsupportpledge page ranging from £15-£200 - cushions, work on paper, paintings on canvas, prints and lots of extra goodies. Take a look by clicking HERE.

Cambridge Open Studios (COS) is sadly one of the many many things to have been cancelled this year for artists due to Corona Virus. Being the biggest event in my calendar income wise, this is really disappointing.
But it’s not just about money, it’s also a deadline to work towards creatively/professionally, and an opportunity to increase ones audience and connections.

When I heard of other artists in my artist mentoring programme doing alternative events for their Open Studios around the country, I began to ponder whether we could do something similar here in Cambridge. Some were doing online exhibitions but others were putting their art in their windows and this was something I thought could maybe work for us.

After posing the idea to the COS committee I realised that it was something that needed organising amongst the artists to avoid any cost and I set about quantifying what type of project I felt able to offer to put together.

Since my first musing (around the 2nd week of April) we’ve had 145 people sign up to join in! We’ve got a video, a website page with art gallery, we’ve got 4 maps, a poster, a social media virtual programme and I’ve actually lost count of how many magazine/newspaper articles and radio interviews I’ve done or organised!

Let me outline the plan for you:
WHAT - 4 weekends of July artists put their art in the windows of their houses, they also put their names and the website for people to find out more.
HOW - people download a local map from www.camopenstudios.co.uk/open-windows (with spots on where they can find an artists) and do an art treasure hunt, discovering the artists in their neighbourhood. We have also planned a virtual programme on social media where alongside the art in windows, artists share a bit about behind the scenes using #cosart2020.
WHY? - to invest in our communities at this challenging time, bringing colour to our streets and cheering people up. Also to inspire creativity and to help promote local artists. 

What’s really lovely is that before we’ve even started I’ve had several requests from people who are not members of Open Studios asking if they can join in as well. I love that people are feeling inspired and positive about the plan, and of course they can join in - the more the merrier! Wouldn’t it be amazing to see every window in every street filled up with colourful, cheerful art for their neighbours to enjoy?!

We now have 9 days before our first weekend, so I’ve turned my attention from organising the event to thinking about how I can actually take part myself! Creating a page to direct people to on my website and thinking about what art will fit in each window pane.
Here is my COS PAGE outlining my plans, and here is my new SHOP PAGE (art under £200) that I’ve set up to coincide with the event. To see Private View please sign up HERE to subscribe to my newsletters, open to the public from Monday 29th June.
It’s a lot less effort than the normal overhaul of the house that takes place for Cambridge Open Studios, but there’s still a fair amount to think about! Once things get underway I’ll check back with you guys and share how its going.

As you know I started a Master degree in Fine Art in September 2019. It's something I've wanted to do for a REALLY long time, something I was thoroughly loving, and I was milking the opportunity for all  it was worth! I'd chosen to do it 'part time' over 2 years so I could make use of the facilities for longer, I was going into college every day and getting to try all sorts of new techniques, mediums and equipment.

With no more access to facilities the end of my 2nd trimester moved into teaching online and working from home. My 2nd module is now complete but my course has become unrecognisable from what it is meant to be. With my summer term module focussed on writing a dissertation, without access to a library I decided enough was enough and have deferred for a year.
A sad but necessary decision that many on my course don't have the luxury of making. I am really hoping that in a years time, things will have gone back to normal enough, for me to get stuck in again to college life.

At the start of the Covid crisis it seemed (I appreciate this wasn't everyone) that many people had a lot of time on their hands, chance to do those jobs you never quite get round to, chance to be creative etc... whilst I was juggling homeschooling, supporting a medic and 2 teens alongside working towards my MA deadline and getting more and more exhausted.
Homeschooling and childcare will continue for a few more months but I now have time to do some catching up. The MA has been pretty intense (mostly of my own making) while other areas of life have been shelved. Now I get to sort out those cupboards, update the photo albums and tend to family tasks. I also have time to focus a bit more on my art business, my website, my marketing etc.

Maybe I'll even find the time to write more blogs! Watch this space :)

Well I’ve finally reached the end of my 2nd term, having been working on this module since January!
With Covid 19 rudely interupting this trimester, I have needed to present all my work in a digital format for handing in, which actually makes it nice and easy to share with you guys!
I’ve made a video of my portfolio and have discovered ISSUU.com where I’ve had fun making little flip books of my sketchbooks (I say little, it’s actually 130 pages!). I'll even share my essay summary (including bibliography) - as I know some of you love that sort of detail!

Click below on each section to take a look at the parts that interest you, and feel free to ask me any questions in the comments below.

And now for a well earned and much needed rest!

Well this term has certainly not progressed in the way I thought it would!
This current module was always rather complicated with many elements to juggle all at the same time. I was branching out into 3 dimensions, working with clay and the potters wheel for the first time, and with this project being a site-specific focussed piece, I’ve also needed to consider which site would be suitable for sharing my art and how this would work in their space.
Yes things were complicated enough before Corona Virus reared it’s ugly head, meaning that art facilities, equipment and materials couldn’t be accessed, potential sites for sharing my art couldn’t be visited, teaching moved onto Zoom (not a great platform for group discussion amongst 20 people) and of course homeschooling began!
BUT I’ve adjusted and adapted and somehow managed to keep making progress.

Would you like to see what I’ve been up to this month?!

With this module being about site specificity my aim is to show it in a women’s centre for either those who’ve been in prison or those with a history of domestic abuse. It’s a piece about being more than the sum of our parts ‘celebrating the value and awesomeness of each unique individual. From the cellular building blocks and genetic makeup we’re made from to outside influence shaping us. There is only one wonderful you.’ I wanted to share it with those maybe struggling with their sense of self worth.

Inspired by the responses of my group in the crit, I have designed an installation space as my final piece, which I think could work well in a community space, and I’ve been making their dream of huge body cells a reality!

I started by creating a large fingerprint screen, which I used to print several sheets of material as well as various paper for collaging

Then I cut the shapes ready for sewing and had a lot of fun with my very old sewing machine.

I think it helped having a medic in the family as I could see how fast things were about to change with the Corona Virus and I prioritised accordingly - I knew I needed to get together what I needed before limitations struck. I crammed as many hours into my last few days of access as I could, and created 30+ prints in the print room. I was also thrilled to collect my ceramic pieces fresh from the kiln to bring home.

Sadly our college have decided we have to continue ‘as normal’, although we have been given a 2 week extension and everything has to be handed in digitally - which creates a lot more work (videos, photos, editing etc). However this does mean that once I have my completed work in a digital format it will be available to share with you guys.

Once my fabric pieces were sewn, I collected large ball lights from my friend, I created a projection (using a projector I’d managed to borrow from my church before lockdown) and I found lots of soft stuff from around the house to bulk out the comfort of the space.
My intention had been to add a splash somehow to my ceramic tile to represent the personality and uniqueness - the ‘more’ bit of the phrase ‘more than the sum of our parts’. After playing with ideas in Photoshop I decided not to splat the actual ceramic piece as it would look too busy, but instead to make it look like it’s created a splash, by painting the wall behind it (this would be created from sticky vinyl sheet when I share the work in a gallery or one of the sites I’ve been researching).
I added a shelf of 5 separate pots each with different intricate things inside, as an interactive element. I used fishing wire to hang the smaller cells from the ceiling.
Here are some pictures.

It’s been quite a month but I won’t get much of a break until I get to my deadline in May. In my next monthly MA update I should be able to show you the conclusion to my work this term including a video of the installation.

Have a very happy Easter and stay safe.

Last week was week 8 of my 2nd term doing a Masters Degree in Fine Art at Cambridge school of Art, so it’s time for an update.

This was mainly a month of me jumping feet first into the medium of clay for the first time - now that conjures up an interesting mental image! It began on the potters wheel, not the easiest place to start!

I spent over 20 hours on the wheel in my first week, with 23 attempts at throwing a pot.  Day 1: one survived out of 8; day 2: four out of 8 survived (but I killed 3 of these the following day ‘turning’ the base!), day 3 I only killed 2 of the 7 and was able to go larger, round and taller. By the end of the 2nd week I had enough pieces to play with but was aware I was beginning to get sucked into the perfectionist’s need in me to master this - when I didn’t actually need to and had to force myself to “step away from the wheel”! I felt like the pieces I’d made were more about me stopping just before they collapsed, rather than being in control of what I was doing but they will do. I had thought I’d really enjoy this, I like getting messy and learning new things but I found the process a bit stressful, feeling on the brink of disaster all the time and the intensity is rather exhausting! Saying all that, I’m really glad I’ve given it a try, feel a great sense of achievement and am pleased with what I’ve made.
Here's a little movie of me in action.

My next job was building pieces by hand, which I’ve not done for 30 years since I was at school and all I remember was “do it properly otherwise it will blow up in the kiln and may destroy other peoples work as well as your own”! However, I found this much more relaxing and therapeutic as an activity and it suited the results that I wanted.
I decided to make 2 main pieces - the original plan being a square plaque with the body cells arranged in an orderly way to represent the amazing order and design inside of us, with the other I wanted to try something more organic looking, so created a bowl in which I could group them more randomly. I also had a handful of slightly larger pots from the wheel to experiment with later.

I knew that there was going to be a kiln firing while I was away in Madrid for the week (see previous blog post about my trip) and I used this as a helpful deadline to bring my pieces to a conclusion ready for their first bisque firing. On my return from Spain I was utterly thrilled that nothing had indeed blown up in the kiln, so I then set to work to prepare them for their earthenware firing the following week. I used an underglaze to add colour before dipping them in a transparent glaze which I used as a glue to stick them all together.

I worked out that up until this point I have spent over 100 hours on these pieces of ceramics. On Tuesday I got to collect them from the kiln room and the technician was really excited to show them to me - which was lovely!

They are still not completely done. I want to add some yellow to them, as I feel that’s needed - I’ve been told enamel (airfix) paint would be good for this. Then I want to experiment with adding a large ‘splat’ to some of the work to represent our uniqueness/personality/spirit - I will explore using plaster and paint for this. Katy the technician was really reluctant to sell me the bag of plaster as she doesn’t want me to mess up what I’ve done! But I have a concept to deliver!

If you want to hear more about the module I'm working on and my inspiration or if you haven’t seen my other monthly MA updates since I started in September and would like to find out more about what I've been doing, follow this link and you can scroll back through them.

The world has turned upside down with Corona virus and this week has been escalating for us here in the UK, which of course impacts everyone and everything, my MA included. But let me save that story for next time - then I can tell you about what actually happens rather than pondering on what might be around the corner!