Jan Harbon, Artist and Illustrator

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It's Spring, that's official and it feels like it too!

Sunday, March 7, 2010, 12:10 PM

I've finished the amaryllis, and it's now with the clever Doug Hawkey, who can scan big paintings and do lots of other stuff too. (Very good printer for small runs, limited editions etc. See Links for contact).
So lots of snowdrops, crocus and blessed sunshine too. Long may it last, and I'm looking forward to a busy season of painting new flowers. Could even say excited really, which is quite pleasing in itself. March means the start of this year's workshops, so I'm looking forward to both a new 'crop' of students and return of those I've met before. So we can all be enthusiastic together then. Ain't painting great for that.

Two exhibitions coming up -

Society of Floral Painters at Compton Acres Poole - starting 11th March

secondly "Spring into Life" at the Gallery shown here. If anyone would like an invitation to the opening on Saturday 13th March 2.30 - 5.30pm, just contact me or the Gallery directly of course.

See events for both these exhibitions and workshop dates.

Gilbert White's House is looking fresh and pretty - the garden has lovely sweeps of snowdrops on the hill and in the enclosed garden. The tea parlour has opened it's doors, and we've hung the walls with my paintings and prints. I rather liked all the ancestral portraits that used to be there, but I do admit not everyone enjoyed their grumpy expressions. Hope the customers enjoy my paintings, which equally may not please, but are at least bright.
I shall start painting at the House at least one day a week soon, just as soon as I can get the current card designs underway. I have just started on the next one, and like 'Vegetable Plot', I will be doing a step by step painting on Facebook. Also veggy themed - 'Allotment' this time. Starting late Monday I should think. Aren't Mondays odd? Even though I try to tie up all the admin. on Sunday to leave the week free for painting, it doesn't ever seem to work that way. I'll cross my fingers. (Not my drawing hand of course). Probably part of that 'must I really commit to paper' scenario, beloved of us all. However, I did read something that cheered me up no end. "Painters (and writers) start the day with nothing and end end up with something." So that's a good feeling don't you think?

As for Gilbert, some years he's cheerful too -
"A smart frost, & very strong sunshine all day. The bees work very briskly on the Crocuss amidst the banks of snow. The snow melts only where the sun shines. The blackbirds begin to whistle" (4th March, 1765)

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there are 2 marathons here - mine and the important one...

Sunday, February 28, 2010, 10:33 AM

Yes, I'm engaged in another large painting - that feels as though it's going on forever...but I'm quite happy in my own little world with it. Red and white amaryllis. I asked Geoff if he thought I should do white as well as red, and he thinks it's appropriate in World Cup year. Well, that's a good reason then! No chance in this family of not knowing where my life's work is placed in the greater scheme of things! (He did follow up with a far more 'painterly' reason later - but I suspect that was merely a justification!).

dog 1

What is more humbling is my complete admiration for my daughter's commitment to her marathon training schedule. As I write this, I know she left home at 7am in the cold rain for a 20 mile run. She's been out in the snow and miserable weather every day this horrible winter, and I can't tell you how impressed I am.

Kate was always a sporty child, but never a natural 'runner', and like most people, work and other interests took over once she had left school. (er..sorry Kate, have to say about 14 years ago...).
What's always been constant is her concern for animals and their welfare.

Spurred on by her charity raising effort for the Blue Cross, she has her entry for the London Marathon on 25th April, and she's going to complete the event in style.

If you'd like to know more about Kate, the London Marathon, or more importantly really, about Blue Cross, follow the link. Thankyou! www.justgiving.com/Kate-Harbon
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London and thereabouts

Thursday, February 18, 2010, 03:54 PM

Bit late with the blog, and nothing really for the Facebook either at present. Been out such a lot - delivering, handing in, talking (lots of), and having a good time too...no painting though and the amaryllis are now looking a bit sad, as is the piece of paper with nothing more than the drawing on! Must get some colour on tomorrow.
Went to a meeting at the RHS this week, also visiting the February Winter show while I was there. Lovely snowdrops of course, but not ever such a lot of colour. Except of course for the NAFAS stand which was fabulous. This was the second day, and the anemones were still standing to attention. How do they do that?
So, these photos, left and right. Outside the Channel 4 building, as part of the Public Art Project started in 2009. This structure is by Stephanie Imbeau, you can see and read more about it on her website. Like all those Ch.4 'lead-in's they do before a programme, if you approach it any other way than directly, you can't see the '4', it's just an interesting shape. Fun, anyway. It's lit from inside as darkness falls, looks like balloons then from a distance.

Last week I met friend Margaret under the Dale Chihuly chandelier - just love it - at the V & A. I have a lovely Chihuly glass 'kiss', that was a present from friend Jan when she went to the Kew exhibition. I really think his work is stunning. Anyway, on a purely housewifely note (and I know, I'm not in a position to criticize), the chandelier in the V & A was really a bit dusty. Well, what are they going to do about that. And did they think of that when it was installed? (in 2000). As my mum said darkly and often about things I admired "mmm...dust collectors" Evidently they did not have someone of her ilk on the panel.
Anyway Margaret and I enjoyed the new medieval galleries - although we would have liked to see more bling scattered about - but that's just us.

We then decided to look at the temporary exhibition 'DECODE', which was obviously a great attraction to many, many art students that day. (Oh, I forgot, this is all after the very good lunch and before afternoon tea. Trust us to priortise) It was very entertaining with a lot of interactive exhibits. These 'rods' were called 'Dune', and were wonderfully reed-like. They swayed and lit as you passed, making a soft noise. I'd really like them in the garden... But there were so many good things. One, you just threw an imaginary pot of paint at the screen and colours splashed onto it. With several people painting at once, it soon built up into a kaleidoscope of colour. Brilliant.

Another (photo right), started off as a whole dandelion head, then by blowing (laser actually I think), a hairdryer, you could blow and swirl the seeds in the direction you chose. These of course, may not have been the cleverest installations - they were all fascinating - how would I know if one were more ground breaking than another? They all were to me! The website (also interactive) is www.ac.uk/decode/recode - hope you enjoy it. (You may find link broken, but follow instruction to find site).
Well, there you are. Before this exhibition I thought that I would have been seduced by photoshop were I an art student now. But no, I don't think I could ever have coped with the logic and maths of it. Because however skilled you might be at using photoshop, there must be a time that to be truly innovative and creative, you would have to understand what lays behind it. So I'm better off being me. That's a happy ending to today then?!

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red & yellow tulips

Sunday, February 7, 2010, 04:08 PM

This is meant to be a thumbnail - something is going wrong here, but at present I'll have to go with it as I haven't worked out what I've done wrong. It's bound to be something I have/haven't done. Why now? I've done this hundreds of times - that's computers for you, and pretty much that's painting for you too! Be good to have at least one of them a bit more predictable!
No, and I know it's not a painting of amaryllis either..... All week I hoped the buds would unfurl, but no, they are just coming onto being just

right for Monday, and I have something else I must be doing next week. Flowers are not predictable either it seems (They are for those tremendously talented nurserymen who get everything just right at the RHS shows - but that's another story). I have managed to get the amaryllis to pencil stage though. So......thought I'd do these tulips, who behaved themselves, instead. Cropped, they will be another addition to the new card range. So, something got done!
A new article out in this month's Flower Arranger - pink parrot tulips - finished picture shown on the right here. (Yep, thumbnail worked that time)
I'm always pleased with their reproduction and Amanda who does all the graphic design and layout for the magazine, is just brilliant. Makes all the difference to the way it "reads". Clever girl.
Been planting pansies today. Although the pots are not full of frozen earth, it did get a bit chilly. Hope the plants survive so I can paint them later. The Japanese pansies are still alive. Mmm... that's about the best I can say of them.
I have to get all the paintings ready to hand in to the SBA next Sunday. Don't rush to the calendar, they have to be there ages and ages before the exhibition. Here follows 7 days of agony, self-doubt and probably bad temper working out what to submit and making so-called positive changes to the paintings. I have learnt to try Geoff's patience sorely, by just wanting to make one more brush stroke AFTER he has put them all in frames. The man is a saint. He, however, has learnt to show me the job before it's all taped up, saying "are you SURE that's it????" (Implying there's no going back from now on.) The joys of exhibiting.........

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Vegetable Plot

Sunday, January 31, 2010, 02:46 PM

Well, I have enjoyed painting this! So much so that I think I'll move onto "Allotment" next...there's a few more vegetables and fruit I want to get in somewhere... Some years ago I did this card on the right with a couple of scarecrows on, I think they were mostly used as anniversary and valentine cards, and I went through quite a phase of different characters. Anyway, there will be a scarecrow in the new one I've decided.

But in the meantime, I'm halfway through a painting of red & yellow tulips, but, but, but, even that will be abandoned for the sake of some absolutely gorgeous amaryllis that are just unfolding. So that will be Monday's task, getting that underway. It serves to remind me about how I feel about Spring. I want it to come so much, and when it does I'm NEVER READY for it. And then the flowers come thick and fast, and it's so frustrating! This is the flower painters lament I think. Felt by us all. Prioritising, that must be the key......it's back to my favourite pastime then - making lists!
I did eventually get to spend sometime in the Gilbert White's veg patch. As expected, decay, but Wakes Weeders look as if they've been tidying up, so not nearly as wrecked as I would have thought after the snow. I was really in love with a slowly rotting cabbage, but I had to work in situ with the sketchbook as I can't imagine how awful it would have smelt indoors........
Gilbert grew a lot of cabbages - he must have been feeding the whole of Selborne.

"Hares driven by the severity of the weather, crop the pinks in the garden"
27th January, 1780 G.W.

Gosh, wish we had hares eating our pinks - don't feel quite the same about the rabbits doing it.........

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