Paintings
This page:
Above left: Gozo, Malta- Watercolour
Top right: Corfu, Greece - Watercolour
Above right:
Yarra Glen – Oil
Opposite page:
Top: Point Nepean
Reserve – Oil
Bottom: Royal Exhibition
Building and Gardens,
Melbourne – WatercolourPROFILE
IN PURSUIT OF SIMPLICITY AND COLOUR
Cinque Terre, Palagano/Tuscany/Venice, Italy headed
by Malcolm Beattie and organised by Paesano
Tours; and Cambodia and Malta with Susan O’Brien.
There have also been many trips with friends within
Australia to the Flinders Ranges and many other
places. Her sporting activities have taken her to
Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, and Taiwan,
Japan, Manila and Guam representing Australia.
There have been many changes in art in Australia.
All aspects of painting much more acceptable. So
times have changed. The information on painting,
sketching and various mediums is far more
extensive. Textured, colourful and abstracts paintings
are now very popular.
Val’s main art interest is in landscape, streetscape
and seascape, watercolour and acrylic painting
on location. She uses oils and acrylics to produce
palette knife ef ects, giving the painting texture.
It takes time and patience to do watercolours and
sometimes many attempts. Chinese painting teaches
you to measure the amount of water needed on
each brush stroke. There are so many techniquesof wet on wet or wash over dry wash. These days
with so many travel programs on TV, the subjects are
endless as well as being able to enjoy the real thing
by travelling. The execution of a landscape scene is
to capture the essential elements without overdoing
the detail. Painting outside can teach a way to
enhance some details like shadows and rel ections.
When doing palette knife painting in oils, Val likes to
do an undercoat of acrylic design and then layer on
the oil. In the long run, it saves time. You can use oils
over acrylics but not vice versa. If using a medium for
oils such as a mixture of linseed oil and turps, a little
more oil should be added for each extra layer of oil
paint. However, she much prefers to do the painting in
one sitting. That is why it is important for her get the
composition and colour of the underpainting in acrylic
right before progressing further. Val prefers to use
acrylics in abstract designs. Acrylics dry quickly and
changes can be made fairly easily.
Val has received art awards at the Heidelberg
Artists Society and other art shows in Melbourne.
She is a member of the Heidelberg Artists Society