Shirley Roma Charlton Watercolors

Graduation

by Shirley Roma Charlton
(Brisbane Australia)

A Watercolour from Life

This watercolour was painted from Life in the royal Art Society group. The model was feeling sick so she only sat for half an hour. I felt I had not finished but one of my fellow artists said leave it frame it. I took their advice and also sold it.

So the tip is that sometimes things are better left and not overworked especially watercolours. Leave something to the imagination. My web site is www.shirleycharlton.com. I teach art full time so it is a luxury when I can paint from a model.

Thank you so much Mary Ann for sharing this web site. I have heaps of tips for anyone out there not sure where I should be writing them. Also not very good at writing my spelling and grammar are not my strong points.

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Feel free to submit tips here if you like.

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Farmers Chat

by Shirley Roma Charlton
(Brisbane Australia)

Loose Style *Farmers Chat*

I was questioned by one of my students on how to loosen up and I suggested that they gave themselves less time to complete a painting like I have to when I am doing a demo. BUT it does not mean that you give yourself less planning - lots of planning and less painting allowing the colours to mix on the paper.

Decide ahead of time what is the Center of interest and where you want the soft and hard edges. So thought I would show this Demo ( 10 min) which is sold but I enjoyed the subject I plan to do another one yes PLAN.

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FISHING ON LAKE MALAWI

by Shirley Roma Charlton
(Brisbane Australia)

Fishing on Lake Malawi

Memories of Lake Malawi the lake of stars and my birth place. I believe one cannot get the transparency through any other medium I love transparent watercolours and have my own web site www.shirleycharlton.com where you can see more. I love teaching watercolours and seeing what students can do.

This watercolour was inspired after a return trip to Malawi and the Lake in 2007 and knowing that one paints best what you know and love the best.

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3 MALAWI BOYS ON THE SANDS OF LAKE MALAWI

by Shirley Roma Charlton
(Brisbane Australia)

MALAWI BOYS ON THE SAND

I love to paint the kids they are SO poor and yet always smile, they do not have toys and a stick or a leaf or just an old can with some stones in becomes their toys. This is a painting is on a full sheet of watercolour paper ( for Sale) see www.shirleycharlton.com all proceeds will help to give these kids (Aid orphans.) food-

To keep watercolours from looking muddy then allow your colours to mix on the paper for example here in the dark skin tones Ultramarine blue and Burnt Sienna let them run together on the paper.

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Fetching Water by Shirley Roma Charlton

by Shirley Roma Charlton
(Australia)

FETCHING WATER

My heart is still in my Birth place Malawi and not far from Blantyre is one of the poorest villages called Man yo we Village. They have no water and have to walk 12k to get dirty water. My aim was to sale paintings to get the $8,000 for a water borehole. This is one of the paintings for sale of a Malawian woman walking those 18k to fetch water. I tried to keep this painting fresh and clean and something I seldom do I kept the background as the pure white paper. How blessed we are to turn on a tap.

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Out of Africa by Shirley Roma Charlton

by Shirley Roma Charlton
(Australia)

OUT OF AFRICA

This was a large half sheet watercolour but I painted it in a watercolour demo. Sometimes when you are teahing you give ALL and do not always paint how you want, as it is more important for Students to get the hang of watercolurs than for the teacher to do a perfect finished painting. When I got home I cropped it and added more darks and now it is framed. www.shirleycharlton.com So never throw away your watercolors until you have zoomed in and seen if the is part of it worth saving.

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Wet sand

by Shirley Roma Charlton

Wet Sand

I don't often glace but here i did and enjoyed getting the wet sand. Starting with the Lemon Yellow then Indian Red last Cobalt bule. It is best to have 2 weak glazes and one stronger one. you have to make up your mind if you want more purple finish or orange.

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WET STREET

by Shirley Roma Charlton
(Brisbane Australia)

WET STREET

I find that if more than three glazes are applied then the painting is in danger of becoming too dark and muddy. I tend to let each glaze dry before applying the next. Glazing really lends to the subject of sunsets. Here it worked well in Wet Street the crowds were painted by rolling my bush and then painting heads and a suggestion of legs they are too far away for feet. www.shirleycharlton.com

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Malawian boys

by Shirley Roma Charlton
(Australia)

Malawian Boys

I paint for Malawi and all the proceeds goes to Manyowe Village one of the poorest villages in the world. Malawi has a fresh water long inland lake and it has been fished out.

I love painting reflections and especially water. I feel watercolours lend towards transparent subjects.

I paint very wet and sometimes my watercolours on the paper are so wet I cannot hair dry. I try and paint from life as much as possible

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Malawian Mother.

by Shirley Roma Charlton
(Australia)

Malawian Mother

Painted on Arches cold press with a lot of opera rose. I even painted a wash of opera rose under the dark skin to help it to glow. Also I always mix my darks with ultramarine blue and burnt sienna not on the palette but allow these two colours to granuate on the paper.

The true Malawain Mum is a young girl called Aise Kachenje who was married off at the age of 11 years to an older man (this is common).This painting is not her, it would be too sad to paint Aise.
Her Husband is dead and so are her parents she has three of her own kids and four brothers and sisters to look after. she has no home no food no nappies no water and no bedding or anyway of making a living except to sell her body. So this painting will help to buy her a bag of fertilizer to grow vegtables to sale.
I have painted a sad picture in words above -but painted a well dressed malawian Mum for sale. I often look at Ann's fabulous watercolours of faces in sparrow villiage and love them they tell a story. When one paints for a reason, to tell a story to paint from the soul tells more than any words can. Enjoy and keep painting everyone out there.

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