In the SERPs

No, not State Earnings Related Pension Scheme for those of us in the UK but Search Engine Results PageS. As my previous post explained, I have made a new website. It is barely 3 weeks old but today I received my first visit from someone who found the site by doing a Google search. For those who don't know, getting a new site indexed and listed by the big search engines can be a very long process. To have had a result in just 3 weeks from conception is something I'm very, very happy with.

I've followed through on my idea to promote the painting of homes. I'm unsure whether to call it "Home Portraits" or "Architectural Portraits". The latter is a mouth full but does open up the service for offices and other non-residential buildings. I'm running with "Architectural" for now, but may well change it as the site develops. This photo is of my latest "Architectural Portrait".

Many of my paintings still have to be displayed on the new site. I'm currently trying to get the format, design, layouts right. Once it's all laid out and working I will start uploading my work by the bucketful.

A Moth to a Butterfly

Artists must all start as beginners and they must all end up as experienced (unless they quit along the way). Whether we like the art of an experienced artist has nothing to do with how long he or she has been painting. It is entirely to do with whether or not we like the image that has been produced. It occurs to me that there is no fixed line between the beginner and the experienced artist. One has been painting a short while and the other a long while ... but the point at which a beginner metamorphosises into someone with experience is vague and undefined.

Though I promote myself as a beginner, very recently I was approached through my web site by someone wishing to purchase one of my paintings. This has had a huge impact on me, so much so that I have realised I cannot call myself a beginner any longer. An artist with much still to learn maybe, but not a beginner.

To cement this notion I have decided to shed my 'beginner' coat and fly out into the big wide world as 'an artist'. This is a difficult transition for someone such as me who holds a low opinion of his own work, but it is a step I feel I must take at this time.

Accordingly, I have purchased a new domain to give me a platform from which to present my work to the viewing audience. Initially called "Art by JWJ", the domain name is www.JWJarts.com. Though I will display for sale a selection of my work, I am also keen to pursue one aspect of my painting that I especially enjoy ... painting buildings. So one of the first services I shall offer is that of painting peoples homes for them.

The new web site is nothing more than a holding page at the moment but I have a complete design, layout and features in my head just waiting to be coded. How long will it take for Google to find my new site? How long before a search for "watercolour of my home" finds my site at No.1? How long before I get my first enquiry, and my first sale? Who knows? Maybe those things will never happen but if I don't give it a go, I'll never know.

Year round flowers.

Throughout the last 12 months, as and when time has permitted I have taken photo's of some of the flowers in my garden. I've posted a selection to my web site on a page called "A Year in My Garden". I'm very pleased with some of the photo's but several are not as good as I would have liked. Still, they demonstrate very well the diverse range of garden plants and the main point that I was trying to make which is that it is not too difficult to ensure that there is a flower in bloom every day throughout the entire year.

Though my December shots are none existant except for the conifers, I have to tell you that the Mahonia shown in October and November remained in flower right through December and is only now loosing it's last remaining flowers.

A whole new year has begun with the faithful Snowdrops, but this year they were pushing through the soil in mid-December and the first of the flowers were beginning to show for Xmas. I intend to take lots more photo's this year and put the best of them on my web page. Here we go again .... can't wait. :-)

Support for Beginners

Regulars to my blog will be aware that my art forum runs a periodic Picture Puzzle. This is where a picture is sliced up into a dozen squares and a variety of artists are each given one to copy. The dozen newly painted segments are then reassembled to create a unique composite painting.

A while ago, one of my forum members attended a masterclass being run by Fiona Pearts and Terry Harrison. During that course, the member talked about our forum and what it is trying to do by way of encouraging beginners. As a consequence of that discussion, both Fiona and Terry kindly gave their permission for us to use any of their pictures as material for our various projects. Having a 'proper' painting to copy rather than the usual home-produced photograph lifts the puzzle to a new level.
We are all very grateful to Fiona and Terry for their generous permissions.

The current project uses a painting by Terry Harrison called "Winters Day" and is shown here. Come back often and watch it taking shape.

Castle Door

Time is getting the better of me and I'm not posting anywhere near as often as I'd like to. Regrettably, this also means that I'm not getting any time for painting or drawing. Some time ago I returned from a holiday in Wales, with a camera bursting with photo's to be painted. Recently I returned from a week in Yorkshire, similarly laden with images to be transposed to canvas. Mind you, I did make time for this 'quickie'. It is an old wooden door in the wall of the ruined Knaresborough Castle. That is a fine old building. Completely in ruins, but beautifully kept with manicured lawns and some beautiful surroundings. The views out across the valley to the viaduct crossing the River Nidd, are nothing less than spectacular. It was the sort of place where you just can't put your camera down for a second.

Are you an Artist?

If so, my forum for Art beginners needs YOU!!! In my mid-fifties I unexpectedly discovered a modest ability with regards to drawing and painting. That's another story that I won't bore you with here. But my new found 'skill' (using the word very loosely) caused me to wonder how many others had latent skills that weren't being used. I created my web site and a forum for beginners, like me, who wanted somewhere to show their efforts and get helpful and supportive feedback. That initial goal proved fairly succesful but I think we are suffering with a bit of a catch 22 problem. It's a forum for beginners, and so has nothing to interest experts. On the other hand, the beginners get little feedback because there are no experts. That is where YOU can help. If you fancy offering help, advice and guidance to beginners then you could make a big difference in my forum. We run drawing and painting projects to test our skills and drag us into trying new things, and we display our efforts altogether on a single web page. This allows us to learn by comparing our efforts with those of our friends. (See this recent Painting Project). As a small group of novices we do quite well, but I can see how much better we could do if we had some experts amongst us. I feel that more beginners would join if there were experts on hand to teach us, and more experts would join if there was more going on. The forum is like a snowball poised at the top of a hill .... if we could get it rolling it would gather momentum and size quite quickly. Come and join us, and give the snowball the push it needs. Art Forum for Beginners

Anyone can paint!!!

It is true. Anyone who can use a pen to write their name has the skill necessary to make shapes on paper. To what extent we can make those shapes into recogniseable images is another matter. But the mistake a lot of people make is in believing that painting is only enjoyable if an image is recreated to near perfect proportions. That is nonsense. Regardless of the quality of the final result, there is a huge amount of pleasure, enjoyment and self satisfaction to be found in the making of a painting.

My own first painting efforts were awful but, as you will see by following that link, I learned a great deal from each of them. I also discovered that feedback and encouragement from others made a huge difference both to my progress and my enjoyment. Like everything in life, we do tend to enjoy things more when we're sharing them.

And this is where a Beginners Art Forum can pay such dividends. My forum consists of just a few beginners and novices with no true experts. I have spent time in art forums consisting of hundreds of active members, all of whom are extremely competent, and it can be a very intimidating experience for the beginner. Now this isn't the fault of the forum or its members. Most of them are extremely friendly people. But it is very hard for a raw beginner to proudly show off their latest masterpiece when everyone around them is already extremely competent and all-knowing. To show off your latest endeavour amongst a very small group of people of similar standard is far less intimidating and far more enjoyable and encouraging.

To inspire. That is one of the objectives of my forum. We have ongoing painting and drawing projects designed to encourage you to learn by comparing your own efforts with that of others. And fun projects such as our Picture Puzzle which are not to be taken too seriously at all. What do you mean, you wouldn't be able to paint a square for the puzzle? Bet you could!!! Some of the squares in that puzzle have been created by non-painters who joined in just for the fun of it. Honestly.

So if you've ever fancied having a go at painting, please consider joining the forum. Though we are not experts, we help each other along very nicely and there is not one member who won't tell you how much progress they have made just by being able to share and join in with others of similar standard. Encouragement, enthusiasm and enjoyment are there in abundance in a non-threatening, non-intimidating, warm and friendly environment.

If you want to know more before registering then please use the Contact Form on my main site.

Painting is a relaxing, enjoyable and rewarding pastime regardless of how good the end result. Have-a-go today.

No longer babies

Well, here they are, caught basking in the orange glow of the setting sun. They sit together in my Pear tree, comfortable in their 'togetherness'. Are they brothers, sisters or one of each? LOL ... although I have to admit, whenever I look at them I can't help but think "Laurel and Hardy". Whatever they are, they have been a joy to watch and I feel most privileged to have been able to observe their start in life.

Leaving the Nest

JOY OF JOYS!!!

I looked in on the nest this morning and saw .... MUM!!! Then something moved a couple of yards away, and that's when I saw the youngster. Trying to walk along a branch, moving his wings much as tight rope walker uses his arms to keep his balance. I didn't want to get to close for fear of scaring him, and climbing my usual tree would have surely done that. The blasted sun was behind him, which made photo's difficult but, thanks to Spot Metering, I managed this passable photo of the young Pigeon contemplating the height of his perch, and the hardness of the ground below.

The movie, though small and dark, shows the awkward and clumsy manner he moves around, much like a human baby taking it's first steps. Tentative mini-flights from one branch to another, with tricky landings that almost have him toppling head first off the branch. I also love the way he sits on the branch 'twitching' his shoulders up and down almost as if practicing to fly in his mind.

I could have watched for hours but I was already late to the office, so had no choice but to leave mum and her youngster to their adventures. No doubt there'll be no sign of them when I get home this evening. I would have loved to have stayed long enough to try and record his first flight, but it wasn't to be. It's been a fascinating few weeks watching this chappy grow from an egg and I feel very privileged. I intend to make a web page on my site about the Wood Pigeons to which I shall add more pictures and video

Only One

It's almost over now. This evening I looked out and the nest looked emptier than usual. Though it was nearly dark I grabbed my camera and went aloft. Sure enough, there is only one baby now. Looking very sad and lonely (though I suspect that's just me attaching a human emotion to a bird).

As he/she looked out forlornly over my neighbours garden, I fired off a few shots. The result is far from good as I had to use maximum aperture (f4.5 on full zoom) and maximum film speed (ISO3200). Still, it is one of those shots I'd like to have regardless of it's quality.