Alex by Yvonne Chapman Brooks

Yvonne’s Artwork

0466 467 153
0466 467 153

Blog

Happy New Year

Happy new year to you all, I hope 2026 is a great year for you. This last year has been very productive, with commissions  and artwork for Art prizes, I have been kept busy. I am currently working on a textile piece for the Cossack Art Awards this year, I have painted in Watercolour and Acrylic  in the past for this  Art Award, and decided this year to try something a little different. When it is finished I will publish the steps and finished work for you.  Meanwhile, let’s take a look back at some of the work I have produced in the last 12 months.  “I have your back” was a large Acrylic and Oil on Canvas for the Pinjarra  Rotary Art Award, depicting 2 of my friends horses, Llewella and Persia. The owner of these horses bought the painting which hangs beautifully in their home.   the Incognito Art sale was a wonderful exhibition and sale to be part of, and all in a good cause, with thousands of art works on sale. Over $200,000 was raised for programs that support artists working with disabilities.  I painted 3 paintings in watercolour, all three sold in the first week.   I painted some gorgeous Greyhounds in 2025 too, including Griffin,  Nouri, Leo, Chickey and Bandit,  Mike,  Morrison, CJ, Herb and Charlotte. The final one for the year was Daisy as Santa’s little helper, for this years Christmas card design.    “Peaceful slumber” was my portrait of Shadow and Charlotte,  in one of their usual poses.  They are a huge presence at my feet while I paint.  There is definitely no missing them.  “White horse“ was a painting for Vineyard 28 Cellar door. A lovely boutique winery in Harvey WA, where my work can be seen on their cellar walls. I have also designed their logo and a couple of wine labels for them.  If you like award winning Italian variety wine, Vineyard 28 is definitely worth a visit. Mishka was a stunning white Samoyed with the request for a bright pink background. Charlotte, “Butter wouldn’t melt”. A study for a Paint your pet workshop, I try to demonstrate with a white subject and a black subject to show how the watercolours work, and what colours can be used.  “The Old Swan Brewery, Perth WA” was a different commission, Acrylic on canvas  for an Anniversary present,  a memory of where they were married.  The client wanted bright colours, something I could definitely offer, and this painting was certainly colourful.   “Stand alone” was another colourful Acrylic for the Kondinin Art Award. I had fun working with the bright colours in the Acrylic medium. Usually with Acrylic works I tend to go natural colours.  “Griffin“ was a small portrait in water based oils on canvas. I love the background colouring on this one, it sets off Griffin’s colouring perfectly “Luna” an Acrylic commission of a well loved girl Luna.  Four Greyhounds Summer, Blake, Sox and Ravens from a regular client of mine, wo is building up quite an impressive collection of my work.  Finally,  one cat, Chook,  made it to my easelAll have been an absolute pleasure to paint.  So I wonder what 2026 will bring?  And finally, in memory of “My Little Bird, Daisy”  always in my heart. 

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I have your back

“I have your back.” I don’t  get to paint horses very often unfortunately, but when I saw my friends photograph of her two horses, Llewella and Persia, it shouted out to be painted. There is a local art prize exhibition in June so I decided to paint this as one of my entries.  It is a large painting (910mm x 760mm) and I decided on mixed media, for me,  is Oils (water-based) and Acrylic.  The two work well together as they are both water based products, and the acrylic used as a base for blocking in saves time and is a fraction cheaper.  I use the oils as my top layers and love the way I can layer them with brush and palette knife. The do take longer to dry but there is a fast drying medium that can be mixed with it which does help to speed up the process.  Using a grid I drew the image using a 2b pencil onto the primed canvas. I like to prime my canvasses with a good quality gesso, even though the are pre primed, I find the paint seems to adhere better and more evenly. Once sketched I paint in my background using the acrylic paint. Here I have used Dioxazine purple, Indigo and Blue Violet, with a touch of Titanium White. The first horse, Llewella is blocked in using Dioxazine purple, Indigo, Blue Black, Cobalt Blue light, Magenta, and Titanium White.  I try to get as much main detail in at this stage, but the more subtle shading and blending will be in the next couple of layers.  It is hard not to do too much at this stage, the temptation to produce a finished image quickly has to be reigned in. I finds it easier to make changes when the whole painting is blocked in.  Even if at this stage the painting looks great, I always seem to change things.  I have now blocked in Persia and this is where the gorgeous warmer tones come into play, they contrast beautifully with the cool tones of Llewella. I realise that the background needs some warmth over Persia so introduce some Magenta Oil paint with the purple. The oils are evident by their sheen in the photograph.  I now begin to finish Llewella using the oil paints, making much smoother  blending on her body. I do have to be careful not to let the paint get “muddy,” so I spread the painting out over a few days,  using the fast drying medium does helps to reduce this. Now I can focus on Persia, enhancing the beautiful warm colours. I use Lemon Yellow, Cadmium Yellow Mid, Orange, Magenta, Dioxazine purple and Titanium White in my oils, over similar acrylic colours.  (The orange and Dioxazine Purple make some beautiful browns.) The beauty I find of working with the water-based oils are their buttery texture, they blend so beautifully. The other advantage is no smell and easy soap and water clean up. The drying time is about 2 to 4 weeks, longer if I use the palette knife and thick layers. Unfortunately they don’t have the large range of colours as the mineral oil paints do.   When finished, I use the same varnish as I do for my acrylics, 2 coats of Atelier gloss varnish.   Almost finished, and I have introduced some cool tones with the cobalt blue light into Persia’s’ mane, plus some warm highlights. A touch of white on the shine in her back and the painting is finished.  I have thoroughly enjoyed painting this, I need to paint more horses I think!

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