Jean Haines - Paint Yourself Calm: Colourful, Creative Mindfulness Through Watercolour

Other books by Jean Haines

If you want to improve your painting with more inspiration and ideas, then try these titles.

Jean Haines World of Watercolour

978-1-78221-039-9

Easy-to-follow and inspiring guidance, along with innovative and accessible in-depth exercises.

Jean Haines Colour & Light in Watercolour

New edition

978-1-78221-261-4

An insight into the materials and techniques Jean uses to inject colour and light into her stunningly beautiful, award-winning watercolour paintings.

Jean Haines Atmospheric Watercolours

978-1-84448-674-8

Whatever your artistic ability, this book will take you on an inspirational painting journey.

PAINT YOURSELF CALM

COLOURFUL, CREATIVE MINDFULNESS THROUGH WATERCOLOUR

JEAN HAINES

First published in 2016

Search Press Limited

Wellwood, North Farm Road,

Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN2 3DR

Illustrations and text copyright Jean Haines 2016

Photographs by Roddy Paine at Roddy Paine Photographic

Studios. Additional photographs authors own.

Photographs and design copyright Search Press Ltd 2016

All rights reserved. No part of this book, text, photographs or illustrations may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means by print, photoprint, microfilm, microfiche, photocopier, internet or in any way known or as yet unknown, or stored in a retrieval system, without written permission obtained beforehand from Search Press.

Print: 978-1-78221-282-9

eBook: 978-1-78126-506-2

The Publishers and author can accept no responsibility for any consequences arising from the information, advice or instructions given in this publication.

Suppliers

If you have difficulty in obtaining any of the materials and equipment mentioned in this book, then please visit the Search Press website for details of suppliers:

www.searchpress.com

To John

My footprints in the sand.

For helping me with this publication I owe great thanks to so many people. Firstly, to everyone who has encouraged me on my art journey, including all of my wonderful friends and artists who attend my workshops. Each word of support from all over the world has meant so much to me.

Huge grateful thanks go to my incredible publishers, Search Press, especially Caroline de la Bdoyre for seeing within me this exciting new book. Tremendous thanks go to my editor Edward Ralph for his patience and skill in the project of bringing this book to fruition, and to Juan Hayward, whose talented ideas for design seem endless.

Roddy Paine of Roddy Paine Photographic Studios created the most stunning images, capturing each brushstroke with superb timing. I work so fast that his skill is always a thrill to witness in action.

Daniel Smith Art Supplies kindly donated the gems and glorious colours used within this books pages. Im thrilled they like my work and am even more thrilled as an artist to use their stunning products.

I have the never-ending support of my wonderful husband John, who really does offer me words of wisdom when needed. Without him I would be lost.

Id like to mention the best feline art critic ever, dear Buster, who has acted as an amazing companion while I have spent so much time in writing.

But before I close, the most important person I need to thank, the one who plays the biggest role in this new book, is you, the reader. Because without you, there would be no point in writing.

Thank you.

Release

A simple colour flow piece created during a calming painting session.

Authors welcome

Over the years I have learnt that painting is therapeutic. It calms the soul.

Life often has a way of leading us in new directions without us knowing. Call it fate, destiny or luck, but here I am, having written a new book which is aimed in a totally new direction from anything I have written before and I have been guided here by followers of my art, writing and watercolour workshops. Along the way in my career, something magical has been happening besides the skill of painting in watercolour and sharing my passion for this fabulous medium. This new book came about almost by itself. It was not necessarily a single idea so much as being pushed into writing it by an incredible chain of events and by meeting amazing people, from all over the world, who unwittingly aided my reaching this destination as an author.

My previous books have been step-by-step instructional books on how to paint in watercolour. As I have been writing them, something else has gradually been happening. The feedback I receive about the way I write has been fascinating; several readers felt my art books would sit well in the self-help section of a library or bookshop. Why? Because they are feel good books. Painting from them is an enjoyable experience and I receive messages from readers letting me know how I am changing their lives, not just the way they paint.They are more relaxed and happily overcoming lifes obstacles through their new-found love of creating.

I enjoy painting. Actually, that is an understatement. I dont just enjoy it, I adore it and it has changed my life for the better. Through teaching workshops internationally, I meet people who let me know my work is helping them in so many ways. I will go into this in more detail in the chapters of this new and very different type of publication for me.

One thing I do know and wish to share is that when I paint, I feel different. Whatever has been happening in my life, I can change my mood or feel calm simply by moving a brush. Over the years I have learnt that painting is therapeutic. It calms the soul.

This book is about just that: how to paint yourself calm. How will this affect you and your life? Lets find out by turning the page!