Arty Bloggy

If you’ve read my website you’ll have discovered I’m dyslexic so I expect you can appreciate that blogging is not my favourite way to pass the day. BUT here it is worts and all. May you forgive my enimitable grammer and typos!

How to Choose Colours for a Painting

by | 21st May 2020 | Soft Pastel Tips | 0 Comments

I don't know about you but if you are anything like me when I first started pastelling (painting with pastels) I could never get the colour right. I'd always be picking up the wrong colours and ending up with a mess that would end up turning a shade of brown! You're...
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Critique – Pastel Pet Portrait

by | 11th May 2020 | In the Studio | 0 Comments

Can a critique help you improve your pet portraits? Obviously‌ ‌I’m‌ ‌going‌ ‌to‌ ‌say‌ ‌YES‌ ‌-‌ ‌a ‌critique‌ of your pet portrait ‌can‌ ‌help‌ ‌you‌ ‌improve‌ ‌because‌ ‌I‌ ‌am‌ ‌an‌ ‌art‌ ‌tutor,‌ ‌both‌ ‌private‌ ‌tuition‌ ‌and‌ ‌weekly‌ ‌classes‌ ‌and‌ ‌more‌...
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How to Frame a Pastel Portrait

by | 21st May 2019 | In the Studio | 0 Comments

A lot of people ask me how to frame a pastel painting so I have written this post to show you how I do it.  I use Acid free materials because my commissions are designed to last a life time.  You can choose to use different materials.  So to start, here is a list of...
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I Didn’t Draw For 3 Years

by | 7th April 2019 | Art Classes | 0 Comments

Someone once said my art wasn't very good. I thought it was great, really great, my best! She said it didn't look like the celebrity I was referring to and I gave up art on the spot for 3 years!! My world came tumbling down.  This was my best and it is not good...
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I Lost My Art Mojo

by | 31st March 2019 | Art Classes | 0 Comments

Over the years I have not drawn for months at a time or years even!! I used to idly think it was some magic power that I had temporarily and then it would vanish as quickly as it had arrived. That sounds a bit (a lot!) crazy but that is honestly how I felt. Someone...
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Wash Underpainting with Soft Pastels

by | 29th March 2019 | Art Classes | 0 Comments

This week in the Improvers art class (based in Southampton) we went in a completely different direction to realism and it was a bit scary - for me as well as the class!!  In fact if someone had asked me to do this at the beginning of my art journey I would have been...
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Intro To Pastel Workshop

by | 19th March 2019 | Art Classes | 0 Comments

I can remember well what it was like to be a beginner to soft pastel and how confused I was by all the different materials on the market, which paper to use, which pastels and why I should use them and how to protect my work once complete.That is why I decided to...
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First Soft Pastel Class 2018

by | 1st March 2019 | Art Classes | 0 Comments

What an exciting day! My new Pastel And Drawing Skills weekly class in Marchwood started.   I love teaching, I used to be a teacher in a special needs school and a private tutor.  For me, there is little that is more satisfying than helping people learn a new skill.I...
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Bokeh Backgounds in Soft Pastel

by | 28th February 2019 | Art Classes | 0 Comments

This weeks class was all about making our paintings stronger by having a centre of focus and blurring the background. This is known in the photography world as a Bokeh effect. For the pronunciation think Hyacinth "Bucket" from Keeping Up Appearance's but if you're too...
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Which Pastel Pencils Work Best On Which Paper?

by | 1st February 2019 | Art Classes | 0 Comments

There's no prize for guessing which pastel pencils and pastel sticks are my favourite - just looking at that delicious photo!! But, the point of this blog is not what is my favourite but which pastel pencils work best on which paper.  Between myself and the lovely...
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Bokeh Backgounds in Soft Pastel

Bokeh Backgounds in Soft Pastel

by | Feb 28, 2019 |

This weeks class was all about making our paintings stronger by having a centre of focus and blurring the background. This is known in the photography world as a Bokeh effect. For the pronunciation think Hyacinth "Bucket" from Keeping Up Appearance's but if you're too...

Hampshire Open Studios 2018

by | Jul 30, 2018 |

Hampshire Open Studios 2018 is nearly upon us and I'm not ready!  But I have a plan so all is good!  This year I will be joined by two other artists Donna Mcghie and Jasmin Crockett.  So the line up is: Susan Kerrigan-Harris (me) with portraits in soft pastel. ...

Powertex Sculpting Workshops

by | Feb 26, 2018 |

Powertex fabric sculpting workshops which are suitable for all ages and abilities.  Without fail, after almost every workshop, someone will take the time to come up to me and tell me how therapeutic they have found it to be.  Sometimes these are people who have a...

ShoeTattoos

by | Jan 25, 2018 |

Rea and I have won the same Business Recognition Award on Twitter. The Royal Connection was started by Aqua Design Group as a fun way to celebrate women in business with the #QueenOf day competition which was weekly during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of Queen...

Nina’s Nannies for Pets

by | Jan 24, 2018 |

When Nina’s Nannies for Pets was formed, it was done through love – a love of animals, that I believe was inherent from birth.  I have always found it easy to connect with animals, who were my constant companions as a child and when I suffered a brain hemorrhage aged...

Tellington TTouch Horse Training

Tellington TTouch Horse Training

by | Jan 24, 2018 |

Lesley and I are in the same facebook group and I was really interested to hear about her business because she works with horses. So I thought I’d intrview her for my blog, it’s a really fascinating read

: So who is Lesley? My name is Lesley and I am from Emsworth,...

Chihuahua in Soft Pastel

Chihuahua in Soft Pastel

by | Jan 13, 2018 | ,

I was asked to paint a beautiful white chihuahua by the daughter of a friend for her boyfriends Christmas present.  Little Hugo was such a delight and I got to meet him in person which is quite rare as usually people send me photos to paint.  But his owner didn't have...