Live now!

The cover of my video
available at Pulsar Productions

My video "Forest Streams with acrylics" is live! click  here

 

Just click on the video to get access to the whole full length, hour long film in HD.

My videos are published worldwide by  Pulsar Productions Australia

They were very pleased with the result and wrote:
"Fabulous, superb paintings, very educational and excellent production values. Well done for braving facing the camera, I know you're not keen, but that picture in picture of you speaking to the camera helps give a connection to you."
Although it took me a ridiculous amount of time during a ten month period I am also pleased with the result. In most cases a film like this is produced by a whole team of experts which you normally see in the rolling credits at the end of a film. 

 Apart from the music this was entirely a one person show. While I painted I filmed and recorded everything using a DSLR camera on a tripod. Sometimes I even used a Gopro camera, or iphone, ipad or a DJI mavic pro drone which I  sent up for footage from an altitude of 65 meters.

 One of the difficult scenes was especially time consuming. I painted a leaf flying over the stream and wanted to capture live footage of the leaf

flying. I tried standing next to the stream while throwing a leaf in the air and letting it sail downwards while filming with the camera on a tripod. The slightest gust of wind blew the leaf away before I could catch it in the viewfinder. Over and over I tried until I finally caught enough footage to render it in slow motion.

 

Me talking in front of the teleprompter

 

Another difficult scene was when I wanted look straight at the camera and talk frankly and sincerely about my trials and errors. (Even though I have been an artist for over 50 years I can still make mistakes.) I used a home made teleprompter for this which I described in my last post.

Starting the recording at the right moment

 

 

 

 

I then worked with the very time consuming process of editing the video. This was especially difficult as I was using many tracks in the editing program Premiere Pro: The tracks consisted of superimposed pictures in pictures, original video footage, and two tracks each for the stereo audio recordings : ambient sound, narrative, sound effects and music.
                                                            

                                                           

Editing the video

The video is available for download or streaming on vimeo

 

Tele prompter

 I am hopeless at remembering what to say if I need to talk in front of a camera. In my latest video about painting techniques I wanted to talk to the viewers about my inspiration. So I decided I needed a tele-prompter like the ones TV news anchors use.

After searching for one on the net I found a very cheap solution. I downloaded an app from Cowlin software called Teleprompter Pro Lite. This can transform your text into white script on a dark background. Then you can mirror the text and get it to roll downwards at a speed that suits your reading speed. 

Cutting a hole for the camera lens.

The assembled parts with ipad and photo frame

Then all that's needed is:

* A tablet or ipad for the text,

* A black cardboard box with a hole in the  back to fit your camera lens.

* A photo frame with glass, size A4.

* A bit of string.

* Your camera

The glass is hung at 45 degrees in front of the camera so that the text on the ipad is reflected on the surface. You can then see the reflected text but the camera only sees you.

It took a while to rig up and more time to practise reading like this. The first time my eyes could be seen moving along the rows of text but by moving the teleprompter further away and enlarging the text it looked more natural.

I read that teleprompter reading technique is an art that isn’t that easy. I now closely study the eyes of news anchors and have great respect for them.

Experiment

A couple of years ago I took part in an international watercolour festival in Fabriano Italy. Apart from exhibitions, lectures and meetings there were a number of interesting workshops. Among them was a workshop lead by the renowned french artist Didier Brot in which he demonstrated the use of synthetic paper. In the US this paper is called Yupo and in France Lana Vanguard. He started the workshop by telling the participants to forget everything they had ever learnt about watercolour! This was, to say the least, a new approach for me. 

Basically the technique involves painting the dark colours first as a background and then lifting areas off selectively, where needed, with a damp brush. Then its possible to gradually build up the subject by adding colours of different strengths. The colours stay on the surface of the paper and easily run into each other even after drying time. This took some getting used to.

Here is a painting I have been working on for the last 10 days. I wanted to depict the atmosphere of magic and mystery in a Swedish forest. It was a great challenge to render the details I wanted and I had to paint them several times before getting them right.

Midsummer Night

Midsummer Night                                      Watercolour 23 x 31 cm                               Elizabeth Tyler 2020

This is the view I had over the Fegen Lake in Sweden on Midsummer Night. I was fascinated by the intensity of the colours in the sky even though it wasn’t quite the midnight sun.
The colours I used for the sky were French Ultramarine and Quinacridone Magenta.
The water was painted in Quinocridone Magenta, Orange and Indanthrone Blue. All were tube colours by Daniel Smith. The trees and dark clouds were finally added with Paynes Grey.
The Paper I use is Arches rough, 300 G/M2 in this case a small block sized 23x31 which is easy to travel with.

Finding new inspiration in Corona times.

In case anyone is wondering what I’m up to
in these Corona times I thought it was time for an update.
I had planned on returning to the boat with my partner in February. Aquarella is standing on dry land at the Basimakopolou shipyard in Kilada Greece where I know she is safe, which is a consolation. However when all the borders closed I knew it would be impossible to get back for quite some time. As my partner and I are in the risk group ( we are both 74) it is especially important to keep to the rules of social distancing. We stayed in the house for nearly three months and even though we could enjoy the fresh air in the garden we longed to get out and see something else. Being privileged of having a camper van this was an opportunity to get out and about without getting near other people. We can still not cross any borders and we are not allowed to travel more than two hours from our home district but even so its possible to see and experience some of Sweden’s unique and noteworthy nature from our own secure bubble of the van.
In Sweden there is an ancient right going back at least 500 years called Allemansrätt. ( Everyones right) This applies even today.

This means in brief the following:

• You are allowed to access any land, except private residences, or the immediate vicinity (70 meters) of a dwelling house and cultivated land.
• You can put up a tent.
• You are allowed to collect flowers, mushrooms and berries.
• Driving on private roads is allowed unless there’s a sign saying otherwise.
• Swimming in lakes is allowed.
• You can access any beach as long as you stay away from private residences.
• You are allowed to catch fish in the five big lakes and along the entire coastline.

Source: The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

So instead of another solosail on my boat in Greece I am on a road trip in Sweden with my partner.
One overnight stay was on a tiny peninsular with just enough space for the van. We were surrounded by the water of a lake on three sides and while we listened to the swaying branches of overhanging trees, the van was even slightly rocking in the wind, it was ALMOST like being on board my boat.The sound of a nearby passing train was no worse than listening to a passing cruise ship.
As often before I am producing a video about my painting techniques. This time its been necessary to choose a smaller body of water as subject matter. Instead of the crashing waves of the open sea I have been inspired by the trickling water of a forest stream. The acrylic painting in progress will be available soon as streaming video, more about this later.

New video

Every year at Easter for the last 23 years I have opened my home for the public for 10 days during the open studio event called Konstrundan here in Sweden.

                                       The video with a virtual tour of the house and studio.
                                                       https://youtu.be/KgxlFKvdHrs

What was before my dining room is now exhibition space

The lounge where each painting has its own spotlight.

Towards the previous open plan kitchen now with a sliding partition

 I had never prepared for the event as much as I had this year. The whole house was renovated and is much lighter than before with new flooring, white walls and each painting with its own spotlight. I had decided to open the whole house for the public this time, not only with exhibition space for paintings but also the studio itself upstairs including a small exhibition with my photographic art.
Unfortunately, owing to the Corona pandemi, the event was cancelled this year.
So to enable everyone to see a little of my exhibition/studio anyway I have produced this short video as a virtual tour of the house.
I hope you enjoy it.
You can also visit my website at
www.elizabethtyler.com
or  Konstrundan

The stream

The Stream            Acrylics on canvas    111 x 150 cm                  Elizabeth Tyler 2020

 I finally finished my painting of the stream. The many layers upon layers took time. The broad brush strokes rendering splashing water were the easist part but the intricate detailed work with tiny brush strokes depicting veins in the leaves demanded intense concentration. The tentative finger smudges to merge the colours were the final touches before I  triumphantly could sign the painting as finished.

Many years ago I wrote this poem about a similar scene. I feel the description fits the mood.
....Flowing, bubbling, swirling, hurrying down the hill.
washing, rushing,  splashing, filling the air with mist.
Flowing, moving, streaming, rolling pebbles on its way.
Squirting, spraying, sparkling.
Surging towards the sea.

Painting the final brush strokes

New studio - New painting

Before: My studio as it was for many years.
It took a lot of self discipline and many trips to the tip to minimalise the clutter.

After: The studio, now well organised with new shelves, new lighting and practical furniture.

Painting a stream while filming the work in progress

I'm finally back to painting after renovating my studio and exhibition space. It's a wonderful feeling to be in new, light and tidy surroundings after many years of accumulated mess.



I decided to work on a large painting in acrylics this time.  I have often been inspired by streams and waterfalls. I feel they are quite symbolic. The flowing and rushing fresh water, just seen for a moment, en route from a far away source somewhere, to its final destination - the sea.
I found the subject for this in a nearby wood. I took many photos and filmed a few sequences before my feet got too wet and the cold crept under my coat. I then took a few leaves, stones and branches back to the warmth of the studio for a closer look.

The painting is far from finished but it's getting there,
a few centimetres at a time.

I am producing a video about this work in progress which I intend to publish on YouTube as soon as it's finished.

A new watercolour

The sky and water painted with just two colours

It took me a long time to start painting again after several months occupied with other things.
But I felt I needed to get back to my boat in Greece to find my inspiration.
One morning it was there. The sky before the sunrise, the water reflecting the silhouetted headland and a tiny chapel hiding under the hill.

I started by painting the sky with just two colours: Paynes grey and yellow. I used a lot of water so the colour diluted on the paper

After the sky had dried I painted the headland 

with bold brushstrokes of Paynes Grey.

I painted the church by lifting pigment off the background with a tiny, stiff hakebrush.
I then added the brown colour to the tiled roof.
 The edges of the cliff were softened before adding a little green and brown.
 Finally I broke up the dark water by washing out light reflections with a fine brush and a white watercolour pencil.

Coming soon: My new book "Colours of the Sea"

Mock up of the book cover

This is my latest book which I have been working on for two years. It started off as a coffee table book with a presentation of my works painted during the last 20 years.  However it gradually evolved into an illustrated, educational textbook with anecdotes about my source of inspiration by the sea and descriptions of my techniques, tools and colours.

Last week I received these proof prints of 15 of the 235 photographs in the book. They were sent by the printers Bulls Graphics in Halmstad Sweden. I am very satisfied with the result so far as the colours are just about as near as you can get to the originals.
Needless to say, the work with the paintings, texts, photographs and layout has been enormous. During the last three months the layout program crashed, the hard drive crashed, my computer crashed and in the end I crashed myself,  in a daze of a horrible migraine for three days. But I hope all this effort was well worth doing.  Now I've reached the point of no return, the actual printing process has finally started and I can do nothing more than wait for the result. I will post more details when the book is released just before Easter.

Awards

Through time my paintings have won several prizes and awards but for the first time in my life my writing has also received recognition. Firstly I was given an honorable mention in a writing contest organized by the international Sistership Magazine based in Australia. The contest was eligible for women only and the theme was Facing your fears. Not only was it a writing contest but Sistership also published a book called Facing Fear Head On. The book consists of an anthology of short stories about fear written by 46 women on the water, from all over the world.
I felt it a great privilege that my essay “ What If” was included in the book. It is now available on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Facing-Fear-Head-Stories-Women-ebook/dp/B07HFTQ7JM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1544103864&sr=8-1&keywords=facing+fear+head+on

 In November I also received an honorable mention for an article called “Report from a sailing widow” I had written for the Swedish sailing magazine Odysse. Their motivation was: “A well written story about the authors development from passive passenger to competent captain on her boat Aquarella.”


Then, in this months Odysse magazine there was yet another of my watercolours reproduced to illustrate an article about the recent "medicane" in Greece. 

The latest full length video is now released!

I know I have promised this several times but here it is, actually finished at last!
This is the video I have been working on for months. Now called Sailing Through Watercolours the 71 minute film closely follows my work as I paint four different watercolours. Three of the paintings were done in the heat of the summer on board my boat in Greece and one in the middle of winter on a frozen beach in Sweden.
This is my fourth film produced for Pulsar Productions in Australia. They source the best art instruction DVDs and films from all over the world and it is a great honour to work with them. The full length video can be bought to watch online and download via Vimeo as VOD ( video on Demand) or as a DVD disc.
http://www.pulsarproductions.com/

The trailer for the film can be seen here:

Trailer

The cover for the DVD which is produced in both PAL and NTSC versions

At sea, on land and in the air.

The watercolours I painted in the four months I stayed on board "Aquarella"
during the summer of 2018

Painting under the sunshade in the cockpit

rowing over to a nearby wreck to paint from my dinghy.
Screenshot from a video taken with the
GoPro from half way up Aquarellas mast.

Working on a watercolour in the cabin

Creating works of art on a rocking boat isn't easy. Some days are more difficult than others, but the inspiration I find so near at hand is hard to beat. In a strong wind when the boat is constantly rocking it is difficult to keep a steady hand for the detailed work. I often choose to do something else then and wait until everything calms down. Sometimes there's a dead calm until suddenly a motorboat charges by at full speed and violently rocks the boat in it's wake. I swear then but it doesn't help.

Enjoying the company of friends on board.
Two giggling girls; me and  Katinka.

But I have not only been painting watercolours this summer. As I mentioned before, I am writing a book about painting the sea. This has been a gigantic project which is still unfinished but I am getting there. I have had the kind help of friends; The successful Swedish author Katinka Bille who came aboard and gave me a lot of good advice about my project.
Then my friend Sarah Atkins, who is an English teacher from the UK, has taken on the task of proof reading the whole manuscript, which is no easy job. So I hope to be able to publish the book in the not so distant future.
Another project I have been working on, in between painting and writing, is producing a new video about my work. I filmed with a Mavic pro drone, a GoPro, a Canon EOS5D, my ipad, iphone and a small Sony cybershot with a good zeiss lens. But it isn't the filming that takes time, it's the editing. I am still working on that....

Rusty Wreck

A selfie I took from my dinghy
while I photographed the wreck

The finished painting Rusty Wreck © Elizabeth Tyler 2018

I studied a similar plaited rope to get the pattern right.
The rope on the wreck was miscoloured,
frayed and worn but the plaiting was the same. 

A few years ago I painted another watercolour of this rusty wreck and felt it was very inspiring. I wanted to do more then but never got back to it. From the buoy my boat is moored to now (Poros, Greece) it´s not very far away so I thought I would give it another try.
I anchored up at what I considered a safe distance from the wreck but couldn’t see the details I wanted from there so I took my dinghy over to get some close up shots with my camera.
With the help of these and the fresh memory of  the subject I could begin painting under the sunshade over my cockpit.

Steps 1,2 and 3.
At first I masked the area where the ropes would be.
A rough idea of the different colours was then painted wet into wet.
In step two I simulated the rusty hull with dots, blobs and shavings from a watercolour pencil.
In step three I pulled the masking of and started the tedious work with the ropes

True Colours

 Back at my mooring buoy in Poros, Greece I have spent days working on a new watercolour. 

I wanted to do something different this time and walked around the shoreline looking for subject matter. Just as I was about to give up I stumbled upon this scene. A guy in a camper van had hung out his washing between the trees at the waters edge. In the background was an old boat moored to a tiny jetty. The wind played with the washing giving it life and the sun enhanced the bright colours of the clothes and foliage.

I made a sketch and decided to mask all the washing in order to work freely with the background. The sketch was in fact quite detailed as I didn’t want to forget anything. This was done en plein air (on location) but I took photographs to continue with it back at my boat. It turned out I used the wrong masking fluid ( it was written in Russian) So I ripped the whole sketch up in anger and started right from the beginning!

The sketch with masked and taped
 the outlines of the washing

The first colours of the foliage were added

ultramarine and cobalt blue were used for the sea
and shadows between the leaves give the scene some depth

I added burnt sienna to the tree trunk and foreground

Now it was time to remove the mask

As a base colour for the boat and
some of the washing I used magenta red

Finally the last details of the washing were painted  and the grass in the foreground was added.