Joe Dowden - Latest News

News
30th July 2010
New Book
Joe has been commissioned by Search Press to write a new book about water to help both amateur and professional painters. Joe has nearly completed his Venice book for Search Press following a source material trip to Venice. This latest water book will cover his newest methods for painting Maritime and Landscape waterscenes. It will include English river scenes from the Kentish and East Sussex Weald, the Ashdown Forest and the New Forest, marine painting of the Mediterranean off Gibraltar, UK Lake District Scenes, and probably Venetian and Croatian scenes. Joe is also seeking material from the USA, particularly the Appalachians. Many techniques will be covered. The book will define some of the thinking behind Joe's work including his latest methods of composition and giving a painting real strength.

	27th January 2010
	New Articles in Paint Magazine
	Joe will be writing in Paint Magazine, the journal of the SAA, in March 2010. Joe does a step by step watercolour painting of a mountain. Joe has been drawing and painting rocks and mountains since his first on site sketches of Dartmoor Tors as a child. He has a large section on Mountains, rocks and crags in his book “The Landscape Painters Essential Handbook” published by North Light, and also published by David & Charles in the UK. This most recent article will demonstrate painting texture and the role of masking fluid. The Meon at Warnford

25th November 2009
New Series of Articles	The River Meon (A demonstration painting for painters at Watershed Studio)
Joe will be writing a monthly feature in Artists and Illustrators magazine starting in March 2010. Joe's work has been followed throughout the world, (for example by professional illustrators in the USA and young aspiring fine artists in Russia). Artists and Illustrators magazine has provided an opportunity for Joe to communicate with the British Art community. This represents a return to Artists and Illustrators magazine for Joe, after his many previous articles. The articles will explore the relationships between light, space and texture, and more importantly, show how Joes's paintings are put together.

	3rd July 2009
A View from Rialto (A demonstration painting for painters on a recent painting holiday)	New Books Joe has signed up for two more books with Search Press. "Ready to Paint Venice" will be out in April 2010, and will be followed later by "Joe's Top Tips". When "Ready to Paint Venice" comes out there will be three TV programs based on projects in the book, and Ready to Paint Venice DVD's will be available. What are your favourite Venice scenes. For the Joe's Top Tips, what would you like to know how to paint? Contact Joe via the Contact page of this website.

3rd July 2009
Joe's TV Schedule for July/August 2009
Joe presents watercolour painting TV on The Painting and Drawing Channel (Sky 166 & Freesat 402). Programme running times are close to actual time spent painting. These projects were selected from his recent book the Landscape Painters Essential Handbook, and then painted from scratch in front of the cameras. Click here for full schedule. Joe first presented for television in February 2001 with BBC UK/Style. Website: The Painting & Drawing Channel

	15th June 2009
To book, or obtain further information, contact Joe via the Contact page or, view the Courses /Events pages.	New Painting Courses for 2009 May 26th - May 28th 2009 “Soaring Crags and Shallow Rivers – Watercolour in the Peak” at Pear Tree Farm in the Peak District. June 9th/10th 2009 & November 13th/14th 2009 2 Day Watercolour Courses at Watershed Studios, Essex August 9th to August 14th 2009 'Whispering Reeds & Watery Landscapes in Watercolour' at Broadlands Art Centre August 17th to August 21st 2009 "Water, Light and Reflections in Watercolour" at Cheddar Gallery October 22nd to October 29th 2009 Croatia Painting Holiday. Flights from Gatwick.

1st June 2009
Findon Sheep Fair Joe has a stand at the world famous Findon Sheep Fair on - Saturday the 12th September 2009 Joe will be demonstrating watercolour painting all day. A fair in Findon traces its origins as far back as 1261. This developed into a sheep auction. By the 20th century up to fifteen thousand sheep were being driven across open country to Steyning railway station some miles away. The railway shut in the 1960’s, the Southdown breed was largely superseded and the rural economy changed. Despite the end of the auctions, sheep still feature in the fair, and although there is regret locally at the end of the sheep sales, the fair itself, stalls, and surrounding activities are now a vast concern covering a large open area at Nepcote Green next to Findon itself.

Click image below for a larger version.	30th June 2008
	New Article in July Paint Magazine - "Painting the Breeze" To see how this painting was done, refer to the latest issue of “Paint” magazine, July 2008, pages 2 and 3. (Paint magazine is the journal of the SAA – Society for All Artists). To join the SAA click here. (Opens in New Window) To attend Joe’s next available course click here. For details of Joes workshops or other courses click here. This watercolour was painted as a step by step demonstration for Paint magazine, soon after Joe completed a similar work while demonstrating for Lovely’s Art Shop in Margate.

21st April 2008
New Paintings at Elford Fine Art Joe has added new paintings to his collection at Elford in April 2008. Included is this watercolour painting of a Littlehampton based Falmouth Quay Punt returning to its home port". Website: www.elfordfineart.co.uk

	21st February 2008
Joe added new marine paintings, to his collection travelling with British Modern Masters, in April 2008. This new venture from Fine Art UK has now had several busy road shows.	New Venture for 2008 - British Modern Masters Joe is now exhibiting in "British Modern Masters", a roadshow which is aimed at taking the best of original British artwork to prestigious venues throughout the UK. For access and ease of viewing the best work by 40 painters, either travel now to the next venue or wait for the show to come to a place near you. The image here and the one on the Exhibitions page, are both for sale at the first of the venues shown here. Joe's work will be represented throughout the tour and sold work will be replaced with new paintings. February 23/24. Bath Assembly Rooms. March 29/30. Oxford Town Hall. April 19/20. Kings School - Worcester. May 10/11. York Guild Hall. June. To be announced. Affordable Art Fair - Birmingham. July 26/27. Stratford Civic Hall. August 16. Worcester Guild Hall. September 13/14. Cardiff City Hall. October 18. Council House - Birmingham. November 15/16. Cheltenham Town Hall.

2nd February 2008
Elford Fine Art Elford started representing Joe in Britain's West Country in October 2005, after his long absence from the Gallery scene. This has proved to be a successful partnership, with this Tavistock based fine art dealer contributing great local knowledge of the surrounding Devon landscape, resulting in the creation and sale of many new paintings. Most of this work provided over the last 2 years has been sold. Joe is now painting new works for sale, the first of these (an example of which is shown to the right) go on show from March 2008. During his absence Joe exhibited at his one man shows, corporate sponsored exhibitions and at venues such as the Mall Galleries.

	2nd February 2008
	New DVD released March 2008. Improve Your Twilight Waterscapes. Joe Francis Dowden shows how to paint a sunset beach on a twilight evening. Straightforward ways of creating soft focus reflections and silhouettes of people, some with single brushstrokes. Includes a Gum Arabic technique. The painting is filmed almost in real-time - 20 minutes. The second of the two projects is a rowing boat on a lake in the moments before dusk, covered with brevity and a simple palette. This DVD is the second to cover projects in Joe’s recent book, “The Landscape Painters Essential Handbook”. For details of the book, “The Landscape Painters Essential Handbook”, click here.

1st February 2008
New Book Joe's book, The Landscape Painters Essential Handbook was launched in October 2007 at his Albury exhibition. It contains 50 landscape paintings, the majority designed as "front line" gallery paintings rather than sketchy demonstrations, most of which were featured in the exhibition. The landscapes are international in flavour, with many countries represented - the largest amount of work Joe has published in one book, and the largest number of pictures. "It has been a gigantic project, one that will keep most watercolour painters busy for years. It is suitable for the complete beginner, but professional artists and illustrators are finding things they can use. Thanks very much, David & Charles. Its been great to write this book." Full details of the book can be found here. A paperback edition of "The Landscape Painters Essential Handbook" will be out soon.

	30th January 2008
	Fine Art UK Joe is now exhibiting a large selection of Work at Fine Art UK, Ledbury, near Hereford. Opening Hours: Tues - Sat 9.30am - 5pm and Sun 10am - 4pm OPEN 6 DAYS A WEEK Contact Details: 36 The Homend \| Ledbury \| HR8 1BT Tel: 01531 632 557 Out of Hours Tel: 07887 543444 Website: www.fineartuk.net

2nd September 2007
New DVD Released September Joe's new DVD - "The Landscape Painters Essential Handbook - The DVD" was released in September. It will be available from shops, the SAA and Teaching Art. The DVD covers four projects from the book: - Waterfall. - Puddles. - Blossom. - Sunset over low tide. and allows 24 minutes for each project. Much of it was shot in virtual real-time. The longest start to finish time for a project was about forty minutes, and the others, including this waterfall, were filmed in about half an hour, so all the action is captured virtually in real time. The DVD features simple techniques, new to TV and the publishing world.

	2nd September 2007
	Field Trips Joe is currently working on paintings based on reference material gathered in England in 2007 and 2008. These feature landscape and seascape scenes from the Derbyshire Peak District, the Lake District, the Lizard peninsula, the New Forest, the Dubrovnik region of Croatia, the Surrey Hills and South Downs of Southern England. The watercolour painting shown here (Sold) is of the Meon Valley of Southern England.