A Leap of Faith

10/13/2026

Hi Everybody,

Have you ever taken a leap of faith?

Last weekend I met up with a brave group of people who abandoned their comfort zones for me.

We spent a day together in Nelson to learn how to record enough info in quick 20 minute sketches to complete a painting from later.

To make things trickier, the subject matter that I chose was industrial - they were faced with towering piles of coloured shipping containers, huge oil tanks, cranes, rusty boats …

Most of them were used to painting from photos, some were used to completing a painting on site. I think they were a bit taken aback , but everyone settled down to sketch and I was amazed at how they all saw different things. One person spotted an opportunistic tree that had taken root between areas of concrete, someone else was attracted to a pile of road cones and yes, somebody even painted the portaloo ! They braved showers of rain and passersby.

After an hour or so we headed back indoors to compose some paintings from what they’d sketched.

That’s where the fun really began, not looking at photos , just relying on the info that they’d drawn and the notes they made. Artistic license came into play , with things being left out , moved around and sometimes, different elements combined into one painting.

This kind of sketching is great when you’re travelling or pushed for time, or the subject changes quickly.

The main things to remember?

Take minimal gear - one brush, pencil , tiny water container and a small palette
Work with limited colours so you don’t have to think about which one to choose!
Use a viewfinder to simplify the scene
Think about what caught your eye - a colour combo? Shadows? Something interesting going on?
Leave out anything that doesn’t matter
Scribble notes on your sketch light direction, colours, sounds and smells- whatever will take your mind back to that spot.
There are subjects all around you- stop and look , zoom in, zoom out , look around what’s behind you.
And most of all - leave your comfort zone at home

I was delighted with how they all coped with the challenge and everyone produced some great paintings by the end of the session.

Thanks for trusting me ,people, and I hope that you enjoyed the challenge as much as I did!

Other news?

My 2027 calendars have arrived and are ready to post out.

The 13 month calendar features paintings from NZ and Australia, costs $28 plus postage - ($6.20 NZ , $5.80 to Australia/Pacific and $8.00 to the rest of the world.) Please get in touch if you’d like to order one.

Enjoy the spring weather!

Warmly , Jan

Jan Thomson

New Zealand Artist & Tutor

Visit Korimako Studio-Gallery