BOOK YOUR GOZO PAINTING HOLIDAY

PAINTING HOLIDAY ON THE MEDITERRANEAN ISLAND OF GOZO. 

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http://doralden.wix.com/painting-holiday#!home/mainPage 

The course consists of a hands on approach with drawing and watercolour demonstrations by Maltese artist Doranne Alden Caruana.  Doranne who is a professional teacher of art, and also a professional artist for the last 30 years and has participated in over 40 exhibitions both locally and overseas. Her work can also be viewed on www.wix.com/doralden/doranne-alden. Accommodation available at Ta Xmun Farmhouse which is the artist's summer residence - experience living in a true Gozitan 350 year old restored farmhouse. Just click on the link above to find out more....

Painting Holidays - Gozo - June 2012

OUR GOZO PAINTING WEEKEND

This year, the beginning of June started out in such a lovely and memorable way - that is with an especially happy painting weekend in Gozo with my troupe of art students. The group was made up of 6 of us and began on Saturday morning running through to Sunday evening. Though getting to Gozo was not as straight forward as expected (as unfortunately 2 of the group members just missed getting onto the same 9am boat with the rest of us) in the end we all met up at my house in Zebbug and were soon painting in earnest.

Of course the fact that we all 'clicked' so well and shared so many lessons over the previous months also helped the group to bond more easily. After wondering through the house for a while, the group soon settled down in their selected spot and quickly began painting. Light music from the CD player floated from inside the house and our enthusiasm and fun of it all grew as the two days progressed. Indeed the whole group was soon planning to have the next painting holiday as soon as possible. (September perhaps??)

Still life and quaint angles were the subject of our 2 day trip - but besides this we also did manage to eat and drink well, chat, laugh and tease too.

                      So when our lunch break arrived at one pm it was well organised and anticipated - pitching in together was easy and preparing food and drink and laying out all the goodies went like clockwork. After all we came prepared with such a variety of fresh veg and fruit and wine.

 

When evening came we went out to see a concise but masterly  art exhibition by Debbie Caruana Dingli in Rabat and then went off to eat some seafood at Marsalforn - on returning to the house we were up till after one in the morning playing cards and joking - so for most of us sleeping came easily when we finally dragged ourselves reluctantly off to bed ... Next morning saw us painting early and enjoying the day so much that those who had planned to leave earlier couldn't resist cancelling plans at home and staying on late into the afternoon with the rest of the group.

A lovely surprise came in the end to commemorate the weekend - my beloved students secretly prepared a little painting of their favourite corner all on the same watercolour sheet and left my space (top centre) free for me to put in my own little painting - The plan is now for this wonderful memento to find a home in my house so that every time I look at it I can smile and remember one of my happiest weekends at Ta Xmun Farmhouse. 

http://doralden.wix.com/painting-holiday#!home/mainPage

http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/rentals/zebbug/26163

This week - Small Art from the Heart Project

Our Small Art from the Heart project - I am proud to say that

my students each generously drew something for the project entitled -SMALL ART FROM THE HEART - last week. We gathered a good number to send off to Michigan in aid of the shelter for battered children based over there. You can read more about this project on the following link -https://www.facebook.com/SmallArtFromTheHeart

My students working hard during the the lesson last week - Bravo to you all 

- Images are the copyright of Doranne Alden Caruana and written permission was given by each parent to publish them.

Doranne Alden Caruana

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ORIGINAL ART BAG 

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DORANNE ALDEN CARUANA

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Doranne Alden Caruana: 

Click "Collect Me" to help me win a gallery show in New York City and a $10,000 cash grant : Self - A Creative Competition

By the way this painting can be viewed at the Spring Art Show at VGB in Valletta at the moment.

What's happening this month...

ARTISTS WANTED 

Just to remind you that my work will be

• showing during the Billboard Premier in Times Square on June 18th and also has been given
• a Guaranteed showing at the Artists Wanted VIP party featuring Questlove of the Roots

 So if you happen to be in New York in Times Square on June 18th you may catch a glimpse of my paintings as you go by - the artwork to be featured during this event can also be viewed on the link below.

http://dorannealden.artistswanted.org/atts2012

So for now for some catching up - 

The painting I worked on while at Msida Rest on 29th April 2012.

Next item on my agenda was on 29th April in aid of the OPEN DAY EVENT @ the Msida Bastions Rest in aid of DIN L'ART HELWA - the photos here are just to give you an impression of my day out there.

Msida Rest - Floriana

HORTICULTURAL SHOW 2012 @ SAN ANTON GARDENS - 5TH MAY 2012

My next catch up item which I put on last month's agenda was my day out at the Horticultural Show - where I spent the day painting quietly in the grounds of the baroque San Anton Gardens.

Here are the paintings I worked on while I was there.

 

While painting several peacocks passed by and so I grabbed the chance to put one in the painting above.

Finally the next item worth mentioning is a project entitled 'Small Art from the Heart' which is being organised by Sherri Russell from Michigan in the USA. Sherri approached me a few weeks ago about donating some 'Trade Cards' which would be then sold in aid of a fund raising project for the protection of abused children. Naturally I happily and readily agreed and have now duly send in my contribution - paintings above - 

You can read more about this project and also donating something of your own work if you are interested, by visiting the link below - https://www.facebook.com/SmallArtFromTheHeart

Some of my work using Ecoline Liquid Watercolour - Doranne Alden Caruana

A selection of various media which I have begun to introduce to mixing
along with Ecoline Liquid Watercolours

Ecoline Liquid Watercolours by Talens

Teaching art to my students is something
I have come to enjoy so much

Before I get started I would like to share a few of my paintings which I worked on recently. They are all in Ecoline Liquid Watercolours and painted either from still life subjects which I set up at home or from the photographs I took of the still life from a different angle. I should point out that I usually also photograph these set ups to check on the values and balance of the colours also for composition and lighting.

Here are the first instalments of photographed still life set ups and the resulting paintings.

Maltese Tomatoes is a painting that came about because I was dared to paint 'more
difficult and challenging tomatoes than their EU counterparts'. This painting eventually got published in the portfolio
section of 'Artists & Illustrator's Magazine' last October 2012. 

Set up in my dining room I have come to
appreciate back lighting for a subject
more than overhead lighting to
create a strong contrast while
painting.

Written and compiled by the artist - Doranne Alden Caruana

For more info - www.wix.com/doralden/doranne-alden