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Browsing Archive: January, 2013

Can’t Wait To Get Down To The RA Manet Exhibition!

Posted by Fiona Holt on Friday, January 25, 2013, In : Discover It 
Manet revolutionised portraiture at the end of the 19th Century by refusing to conform to the traditional method of modelling facial form.  Until he came along a portrait artist would cast a strong light upon their sitter (thus also creating strong shade) and then laboriously mix their skin tone, half tone, highlights, shadow edge, shadows and deep shadows (see the egg demo below that I give to my portrait classes).  This creates drama, which I personally love, but I’m still glad Manet came...

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FREE Quality Children's Educational Fiction

Posted by Fiona Holt on Sunday, January 20, 2013, In : 'SMART READS' Tips 
My educational storybook for kids 'What Do You Do In A Drawing Room?' will be free to download on Amazon Kindle on Thursday 24th and Friday 25th January, 2013.  Some of the world's most famous works of Art are woven into this fast-moving adventure novel that kids will love.  Enjoy!
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My Next Information Book...

Posted by Fiona Holt on Monday, January 14, 2013, In : 'SMART READS' Tips 
... will be 'Junior Claude Monet' for sure.  As well as being a popular artist, his painting titles provide an excellent opportunity to introduce young readers to some useful French vocabulary. I'm hoping to have it out there by Feb half term.  
(Degas will just have to wait!)

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The Significance of the Sunflowers

Posted by Fiona Holt on Tuesday, January 8, 2013, In : 'SMART READS' Tips 

It’s just been pointed out to me that it is not entirely intuitive in ‘What do you do in a Drawing Room’ that the garden is full of sunflowers for a reason.  Growing sunflowers is imperative for The Artist.   Without a constant supply of fresh sunflowers for Grandma’s hall he wouldn’t have been able to visit her, her hall has to look like the magic painting he uses to transport him there.  If the flowers start to weep he might end of in the compost heap instead (that’s a good idea...


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Free 'SMART READS for kids' Kindle books this weekend

Posted by Fiona Holt on Monday, January 7, 2013, In : 'SMART READS' Tips 
Just a quick post to let you all know that my Kindle book 'Junior Vincent van Gogh' will be available for free download from Amazon this coming weekend - the 11th, 12th and 13th January.  

Go straight there on Amazon.com

Go straight there on Amazon.co.uk

Go straight there on Amazon.ca


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A Selection from The Musée d’Orsay, Paris

Posted by Fiona Holt on Thursday, January 3, 2013, In : Discover It 
‘Jeune Fille en Robe Rouge sur Fond de Fleurs’ by Emile Lévy (in The Drawing and Pastel Gallery) highlights how effective a few basic rules of composition can be.  It’s a simple pose but I loved it.  For me it works because the ‘V’ shape neckline of the girl’s dress is mimicked in the stance of her hands which also form a ‘V ‘.  It’s called a ‘repeated motif’ and it’s also repeated in her hair which is an upside down ‘V’ directly above and mirroring the neckline o...
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It's Rolf Harris of course!

Posted by Fiona Holt on Tuesday, January 1, 2013, In : 'SMART READS' Tips 
Yes, the character of The Artist in ‘What do you do in a Drawing Room’ is modelled on Rolf Harris.  He was a huge part on my childhood (hardly surprising given my love of both competitive swimming and Art).  I love his Art and his lust for life and if I could have chosen an extra honorary grandfather he would have been a major contender (along with David Attenborough) so it was natural that I should model Leo’s long lost Grandfather on him.  I hope readers didn’t find it too corny?? I...
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Junior Vincent van Gogh by Fiona Holt
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