Colour Palette Play - FREE DOWNLOAD

Free Digital download.

I get asked all the time to talk about how I come up with the colour combinations in my artworks - well this book tells you how.

This pdf includes information for other artists, I discuss how I choose my colour palettes for artworks as well as tips and tricks to help you find your own colour combinations successfully.

To access the download just click on the link below and save the file to your computer.

You can save a copy to your smartphone, tablet or PC. If you have trouble downloading the file please contact me via email and I will send you a copy

Five Day Tasmania Art Retreat - October 2019

If you want to stay in luxury accommodation whilst indulging your creative side and learning from the best, then this trip is for you. We are taking only 10 students and have timed this tour to be combined our favourite Tasmanian accommodation with the regions most popular flower festival - don't miss out! We have included all meals in the workshop pricing except for 1 lunch (at the Tulip Festival) and 1 dinner so that we can enjoy a night out together.

We have painting days with Clair Bremner as well as a full day at the Tulip Festival. At night, we dine by candle light as our chefs prepare local Tasmanian fare from locally sourced produce. There are beautiful gardens to explore as well as well as plenty of nearby walks along the river to truly experience the beauty of the area before or after class.

- Artable

Join me for a relaxing five day art retreat in Launceston, Tasmania with Gillian from Artable Retreats. We will spend the day creating in the studio, exploring the beautiful rural location at the Red Feather Inn and chatting about all things art.

We will spend one day wandering around the Tasmanian Tulip Festival gathering inspiration and taking in the food, wine and festivities. The lessons will be casual and relaxed, I will take you through some step by step techniques and also give you plenty of time to explore your own ideas. This retreat has a limited number of places available so get in quick if you are interested.

Some of the guided classes will include working in a sketchbook to loosen up and plan compositions, observing the landscape and interpreting it in a more abstract manner, acrylic painting techniques and colour mixing, sketching from observation, painting flowers and more. The materials list is very low key and easy to manage, we will be working mostly small scale on paper so you will come home with a big pile of work that you can experiment with further.

This workshop is suitable for all levels, so whether you are an absolute beginner or experienced artist you will learn something new and have the chance to meet like minded people. There is only a few places left and payment plans are available. Follow the link below to learn more and sign up.

How to use photos as inspiration for expressionist art.

I don’t generally work from reference photos, however sometimes I am inspired by a specific theme or place that I have visited and so I use images from that visit as starting points for new artworks. This was the case recently, when I visited a local garden that specialized in different varieties of Lotus and water plants. I found the combination of water and greenery irresistible and felt the instant urge to create. I took many different photos on my phone while I was there, not really sure at the time how I was going to incorporate this new subject into my existing style and aesthetic.

I find the biggest problem that I have when working from reference images is that I get bogged down in the details. Instead of seeing loose shapes and colours, I see all the different subtleties and I struggle to decide what to leave in and what to toss. I find that my work is a lot tighter and less free when I am focused in an image that I am trying to convey.

I have found that I get the best results by first sketching the images and compositions in my sketchbook. I make simple colour studies and I observe the details in the images and sketch them out,

I looked through the images that I had taken and first decided on what elements I wanted to focus on. Although I found the flowers to be really beautiful, I decided that I found the images that I had taken of the plants coming out of the water much more interesting. I liked the view from below, the stems and seed pods poking up, the canopy of leaves and the negative space of the sky, so this is what I started to sketch.

Once I had made enough of these sketches and mini paintings, I ditched the reference photos all together and this is the key. From that point on, I only worked from my small reference artworks. These small test paintings were simple and lacked detail, which meant that when I started working in a larger scale I had to make that detail up myself, which is when the magic happens. Instead of ending up with a painting of my photos, I ended up with something inspired by the landscape but also completely original.

So if you find that when you are working from a photo reference you work becomes stiff and unimaginative, or you are trying to loosen up your work into a style that is more expressive and free then maybe give this method a try and see what you come up with.

Experrience True Colours

If you are an artist and you are interested in learning more about colour and general art techniques, then the Experience True Colours online course might be something you are interested in. 

This course has been created by Kellee Wynn and every month she brings in a guest teacher to share new techniques and materials. This month I am the guest teacher and I have provided a video that is over 30minuets long showing the techniques that I use to create a loose floral artwork using a limited palette. I talk you through choosing colours, colour mixing as well as a step by step demonstration on how to put together a still life artwork.

By joining up you will gain access to my video and also all the previous videos from the other guest artists, so it is fantastic value for money.

You can learn more and join up via the link below.

Custom Float Frames

All of my original artworks on canvas are now sold framed. Each artwork is custom framed in a timber float frame which finishes off and protects the artwork. It also means that the artwork is ready to hang when purchased which makes it much easier for you the customer (especially when dealing with very large artworks).

By providing my artwork framed I am also supporting a local business, Custom Float Frames who do a beautiful job. The frames are all hand created in either Tasmanian Oak or high quality Pine. They come ready to hang with wire across the back and I still provide free shipping within Australia.

Keep in mind that large framed artworks can be very heavy. In order to prevent damage and injury, you need to make sure that you take care when hanging your artwork. For artworks over 1 meter in length, I always recommend that you consult with a professional to get advice on how best to hang it. Any qualified tradesman or builder will be able to help you locate a wall stud or help you come up with a safe way of mounting your artwork to the wall.

D Rings and wire are already in place on the back of the artwork, you can hang the artwork from the D rings OR the wire depending on how you choose to mount it. For very wide artworks it is always best to use at least two hooks/ hanging points. The responsibility of hanging correctly falls on your shoulders so it is important for you to do the research to prevent damage.

YouTube

I have recently started a YouTube channel in order to share video content with the world. I have already added a few videos and I will upload more as I make them. If you would like to view what I have uploaded so far and subscribe head to the link below.

Remembered Landscapes Opening Night

On Thursday the 6th of September I headed down from the hills and into the big smoke to officially open Remembered Landscapes at Established For Design. Despite the weather being a little unfriendly, I was joined by a bunch of lovely fans and followers (both old and new). The girls at EFD set up an epic grazing table (seriously....people came for the art but stayed for the cheese!) and the bubbly flowed freely. It was fantastic to meet a few of my collectors that have been following me via EFD for the past few years. 

Here are a few snaps from the night

Several pieces have already found new homes, however there are still plenty available. The show will run until the 22nd of September. If you are not in Melbourne, you can view and purchase all available work via the Established for Design website until the 22nd.

A Sudden Downpour Vlog

I had a play around with my new video camera the other week and created a vlog of my painting A Sudden Downpour. Click below to watch a bit of studio action. 

3 things no one told me about being an artist

I have been working as a full time professional artist for about five years now. When i started out, i didn't really make a conscious decision to suddenly "become and artist" it kind of just happened organically, which i find is a pretty common story. However, when i look back I know i did have a fairly romantic notion in my head of how life would be as an artist. I thought that spending all my time just paining and creating was going to be easy and stress free. However, here are three things that i was not aware of before i began.

1. You will be a one man band. 

Unless you happen to have a tower of money in your backyard, if you are wanting to make an income from your art then you need to realise that you will spend at least 50% of your day doing everything except actually creating. Running a business as an artist means 50% creating 50% EVERYTHING else. This box labeled " everything" contains advertising, marketing, photography, website building, listing items for sale, admin work, accounting, emailing, negotiation, packaging, posting, planing, communicating, ordering...etc etc etc. Sometimes you will spend a lot of time doing all these things and not actually be making any money from it. Unlike most jobs where you get paid for all this work...as an artist you just have to do it in the hope that eventually it will result in some income. When you do finally get around to creating you art, you are still going to be very much alone in your own little world. You have to learn to be self sufficient and to be able to make decisions on your own about which direction your art needs to go in. I do a lot of talking to myself. 

2. Insecurity.

Us artists are an insecure bunch. Because you tend to spend so much time on your own doing your own thing, when it comes to sharing that thing with the world there is a lot of self doubt that comes out with it. Running any kind of creative business that relies on you making something individual and unique and then selling it is like riding a rollercoaster. Will people like this? Will someone like it enough to buy it? Will i be able to make more? What if none buys it? What should i make next? Is that person selling more than me? Maybe i should do what they are doing? 

Unfortunately i don't think this whole insecurity thing is ever going to go away. I feel just as nauseous releasing a new paining for sale onto my website now as i did 5 years go. 

Income is also an insecurity. It is sporadic and irregular. There is no way to predict or plan for how much you may or may not sell from one month to the next. You just have to keep plugging away in the hope that something you make will resonate with someone else out there in the world and they will buy it so you can keep making new things. Although i would consider myself to be quite established now and i can to a certain degree predict roughly how much i will earn each month (based on previous months and upcoming jobs) it is still and always will be a struggle.

3. You can not switch off. Ever.

Now, I know you don't necessarily need to be running a business to have this problem. Generally, being a creative person means that you are always coming up with new ideas and plaining your next move. However when you are relying on it for your livelyhood it can become almost impossible to take any actual down time. My mind is constantly spilling over with ideas that i just don't have enough time in the day for. So i have had to become quite good at being ruthless when choosing what i dedicate my time to and what needs to be put on the wait list. 

All artists struggle with the fact that there is simply not enough time in our lives to do all the things we want to do. And when you are running a business there is even less time. I need to be very specific and strategic when it comes to what i create. Which means that i spend quite a bit if time staring off into the distance with a glazed expression, while my brain is trying to process and prioritise all of the things. There is also a fair amount of risk involved in any new project that you start. Will it be profitable? Will my collectors like it? Is it going to take too long? Is it going to cost too much? 

A big part of being a full time artist is being disciplined enough to shut off a lot of the extra noise in your head. The little voice that is convincing you that learning how to screen print is a great idea even though you don't own any equipment or knowledge and it would take up way too much time to learn. Or the other voice telling you that you need to apply for a grant to create a sculpture in the middle of town even though your not a sculptor. Ot that time your brain thought it would be a good idea to maybe cut out 100 squares of paper and draw a different kind of beetle on each one. 

 If i followed every single tangent that my brain took me on i would never actually get anything done. You need to learn to focus your energy onto one thing and just keep doing that one thing...but that doesn't stop the new ideas from flowing every day. 

There is so much more involved in making an income from your art which is why i have compiled all my thoughts and experiences into my ebook, Painting Money. Painting Money takes you through all the steps that you need to take in order to set yourself up to sucseed as a professional artist. One of the topics i talk about is mindset and how to get your head into the right place. If you would like to read more, you can purchase my ebook via the website here. 

Yarra Valley Open Studios

I am happy to announce that I will be taking part in the annual Yarra Valley Open Studios again this year. Last year was the first year I had participated and it was a fantastic weekend with over 120 visitors popping in over the two days to ave a chat, but some art and have a sticky beak at my studio. 

I am in the Warburton area so my studio will be open on the 27th and 28th of October. I will be there painting and chatting to everyone throughout the day. 

You can visit the Yarra Valley Arts website to have a look at the list of artists that will be opening their spaces so you can fill your day with art. 

if you are interested in popping in my studio address is Studio 5, 21 Woods Point Rd, Warburton. 

Art to Art Pop Up show

Art to Art in Balwyn are holding a Pop Up show starting on August the 23rd. All artwork available will be under $2000 which is fantastic for art fans that don’t have big budgets. I will have three works available in the show, and there are 30 other amazing Australian artists with work showing. 

Make Something out of Nothing, 96cmx66cm Acrylic on MDF framed in Tasmanian Oak $1000

Rebel Heart, 91cmx91cm acrylic on canvas $1250  

Between Days 61cmx84cm Acrylic on Canvas $900 

The opening night is is from 7pm on the 27th of August and you can RSVP via this link: RSVP

Remembered Landscapes

Remembered Landscapes is a collection of paintings that I have been working on over the last few months. They are all inspired by the Australian Bush and the Upper Yarra area of Melbourne and include a mixed series of both abstract and more traditional landscape paintings, all with a typical Clair Bremner twist.

The exhibition will be on display from the 6th - 22nd of September at Established For Design in Malvern East. I am really proud of this series and I am looking forward to seeing the work on display surrounded by a beautifully curated collection of furniture and homewares.

You are invited to the exclusive opening event. Please join us for an evening of art and drinks to celebrate.

Thursday 6th September, 6:00pm - 8:00pm

Established For Design
287 Wattletree Rd, Malvern East

[If you are interested in attending please click on the button below to RSVP for catering purposes ]

RSVP HERE

Australian Natives

I have always loved Australian native flowers, the shapes and colors are so unique and strangely beautiful. I will always love painting landscapes but every now and then I get the urge to create floral paintings instead. I’ve been spending a lot of time working on a series of new landscapes for a solo show in September. I find that when I focus on one thing for too long I go a little crazy and I need to work with something totally different. 

Over the school holidays I started to play around with pen and Watercolour because I was at home and it’s all I had around. I created a collection of native inspired paintings which then spilled over onto canvas once I returned to the studio two weeks later. 

These florals on canvas are bursting with native goodness such as Proteas, paper Dasies, bottlebrush and flowering Tea Tree. They are all 76cmx76cm and you can view more details via my website here http://www.clairbremnerart.com/shop/

Do you have a Sketchbook ?

.... I have a confession. I am a sketchbook purchasing addict.  

I love buying sketchbooks, the new fresh clean pages, the potential and anticipation of filling them with pretty things. However, I am not that great at actually using them.  

At this point in time time I think I have four...maybe even five sketchbooks going at once. I usually have one in my bag, one in the car, one at my home and several at the studio. 

I use them sporadically to sketch composition ideas, jot down names for paintings or ideas to sketch later. I also use them to brush up on my general drawing skills and some poor souls just get random pages torn out of them when I need to write down a shopping list or phone message. I have some that were really expensive and others that were just impulse purchases from discount stores. 

I love the idea of starting with one sketchbook and filling in every single page with sketches and art but I just can’t seem to commit. I also love looking through older sketchbooks to see how my ideas have changed or developed. Sometimes I’ll come across old sketches that never made it to a full painting and I’m inspired to finally paint it.  

What about you? Are you a fellow sketchbook hoarder?  

How to choose the right artwork for your space.

Original art can totally change the feeling of a room. A well placed artwork can pull together all the other furniture and elements in the room or make a statement all on its own. It’s a great way to add a bit of personality to a space, owning an original artwork is a special way of adding an individual touch to your home.   However it can also be hard to know exactly what kind of artwork is best for your space and making a descision can be hard.  

The main question I have clients ask me is what size artwork is best for their space.  If you are lucky enough to have a large wall then go as big as you can, or consider a group of two or more paintings that go together (a dyptytch or triptych) 

Generally speaking, hanging a large painting in a small room can actually make the room seem bigger.... which is the opposite to what you would think. People will often make the mistake of purchasing an artwork that is too small for the wall. Artworks will always look smaller once they are hanging, so if your budget can allow it I would always recommend going larger or waiting until you can afford a piece that is bigger. A large painting will create a focal point and add movement to the walls, especially if the subject of the painting is a landscape or inspired by nature.  

However, creating a gallery wall consisting of many smaller artworks can also work in any space as long as there is a cohesive look to the artworks (such as similar framing styles).  Gallery walls are great for people that don’t want to commit to just one artwork or they have many favorite artists and they want to be able to collect a little something from everyone. Purchasing smaller artworks can also be a little kinder on the pocket, as you can build and add to your collection over time. 

Dont be too concerned with matching your art with the existing room or decor. Add modern art into older style homes and traditional art into modern homes. The contrast of styles works every time. It is more important that you choose an artwork that creates an emotional response within you when you see it rather than choosing something just because it matches the sofa. If everything matches too perfectly, the art work will end up blending in rather than standing out as a statement.  

Choose and artwork that you love, your opinion is the only one that matters. If it makes you feel something special then buy it. If you love it enough it will naturally find a place in your home where it fits. 

Finally, If you seen an artwork that you love but it’s not quite the right size or colour, always approach the artist and ask if they are able to create a custom piece. Most artists are happy to create private commissions, and if they are not able to then they may have something else available in their studio already that fits your needs. 

If you have been thinking about purchasing one of my paintings but you’re not sure if the size is right or if it will work in the room, feel free to send me an email with some images of your space. I am answering questions like that all the time so I’m happy to help.  

Tools of the trade

The main medium I prefer to work with is Acrylic paint. Over the years I have experimented with every art supply and material imaginable. Early on, while I was studying Viaual Art at TAFE,  I was actually using oil paint because I thought that you weren’t a “real artist” unless you knew how to use oil paint. 

As I have aged and matured I have realized how rediculous that idea is and that you can be a real artist and use whatever materials you like. I also always hated the messy cleanup process that is involved with oil paint. So once I started to get back in to painting on a regular basis I decided to use acrylics.  

The fast drying time, vibrant colours and easy cleaning qualities are all perfect for the way I work.  

I also use a range of brushes to create my art, all of them are cheap and some of them are not even “artist” brushes. I use nylon brushes, house paint brushes from the hardware store and a few mop style brushes that are meant to be used for stenciling or applying gesso but I like the scratchy messy marks that they make.  

I am a terrible brush owner. I abuse them all the time. I let them dry out, or I soak them for days on end in dirty water. I use them to varnish and then forget to was them. I use them to scoop out blobs of paint, smoosh them into containers and clog them up. When they are dead I throw them out and buy new ones. 

I use a few different brands of acrylic paint, but mostly Derivan Matisse, Golden Acrylic and Hydrocryl. I mix different brands together to make up my own colours as well as using colours right out of the tube. If I know I’m going to use a particular colour a lot then I will mix up a big batch and keep it in a plastic container with a lid. I also use Liquitex paint markers to add in some of the fine details on top. 

I paint on both stretched canvas and watercolour paper, I have my canvas custom stretched and sent to me and I purchase my watercolor paper in large sheets or pads. The canvas is 12oz cotton and the paper is always 300gsm cotton or above. 

Zartart Whimsical Portrait Workshop

Join me at Zartart in Box Hill as I take you through the steps to create striking expressionistic portraits inspired by the masters Matisse and Modigliani. You will learn about the proportions of the face and how to create an imaginary portrait using charcoal and acrylic. The class will explore a number of drawing and painting techniques used to create a mixed media work on canvas.

The workshop is on Saturday the 4th of August and includes all materials and lunch. 

Follow this link for more information and to book.  

https://zartart.weteachme.com/classes/1026890-create-expressive-portraits-in-acrylic

Painting Money - How to make an income from your art

I have had people asking me for a while now to put together information on how to create income from your art based on my own experiences. After holding my first two successful business marketing workshops I have now released an ebook that is full of all the information that people are constantly asking me for.  

I’ll be honest, there is no secret word or magic formula in this ebook that will guarantee success as an artist. As with everything in life, there is no easy quick-fix solution. Instead this ebook contains the steps that I believe you need to take in order to set yourself up as a working artist and to help increase your chances of making you art profitable. 

Topics include: 

• Are you ready to become a pro?

• What makes your art different from others?

• How to create good art practice habits

• How to edit and work in a collection

• How to find your target market

• How to write an Artist statement

• How to use social media to find and build an audience

• how to approach galleries and retail partners

• How to photograph and present your art in the best way

  plus much more.  

If you are an artist and you have the desire to turn your hobby in to a full time income then you will find the information in this ebook incredibly helpful. I wish I had found something like this when I was starting out. Although I am based in Australia, the information can be used by anyone anywhere in the world. Many of the sales avenues I mention are online and not country specific so you should have no problems implementing them wherever you happen to live.  

You can read more details and purchase a copy of Painting Money by following this link to my website: Painting Money Ebook  

Art in progress

Over the next few weeks I’m planing on working on a few large scale landscape paintings. I want to focus on creating landscapes that are a little more realistic but still whimsical enough to be considered a “Bremner”. I am really drawn to these wide open spaces at the moment as apposed to the closed in tangled of trees I’m usually painting. I am still working from imagination, these landscapes are not real places... instead they are created from a feeling of the area I live in. 

I am inspired by landscapes by Brett Whiteley at the moment, especially the rolling hills and curving streams in the above sketches. I want these landscapes to be loose and have movement within them. Wild sky’s and broard sweeps of expressive brushstrokes.