Cathryn Jeff
Demonstration - "Applying Acrylic Techniques in Woodland & Landscapes"
Tuesday 10th February 2026, 2.00 - 4.00pm in the Pavilion
Cathryn delivered a confident demonstration to one of our biggest turnouts ever - 42 people!
Without any drawing (except for a feint horizon line), Cathryn used a natural "gappy" sponge to pick up pre-mixed hues of neat acrylic paint to dab onto the canvas, taking care to rotate and angle the sponge frequently to spread the paint rapidly over the required area. At first this was blue for sky (top centre) then green for a leafy woodland. The rough sponge made a very believable mass of leaves in various shades (light to dark and green to yellow) and very quickly.
A similar technique was then used for the bluebells on an area of white canvas which had not been painted before. Although acrylic could have been used on top of the leaves, Cathryn preferred a light background so that the flower colour would stand out and be more vivid. She then painted the tree trunks with the edge of a plastic card (about 1 to 2 cm wide) with neat paint dabbing at the canvas to get broken lines. A trunk needs to be built up gradually with a light/dark side and a middle layer to break it up - effectively a paint "sandwich". Ensure that the dark side is away from the light source.
Cathryn completed the picture using a brush to paint detail were required, moderate and blend any over-dark or over-light areas, and to add the shadows of the trees. As a final touch, she used a loaded brush (paint and water) to spatter various coloured droplets onto the picture (finger on bristles or sharp flick of the brush handle). For this woodland scene with light and dark areas, these paint droplets gave the picture a natural and interesting effect. A great demonstration!
In answer to a question about the "bubble" effect on some of Cathryn's pictures, she described Acrylic Pour (consistency of double cream) with a little water and then drop in a small amount of silicon oil. Try it and see what happens! There are many examples and techniques online.
Martyn W
Some photos taken during the demonstration:
Without any drawing (except for a feint horizon line), Cathryn used a natural "gappy" sponge to pick up pre-mixed hues of neat acrylic paint to dab onto the canvas, taking care to rotate and angle the sponge frequently to spread the paint rapidly over the required area. At first this was blue for sky (top centre) then green for a leafy woodland. The rough sponge made a very believable mass of leaves in various shades (light to dark and green to yellow) and very quickly.
A similar technique was then used for the bluebells on an area of white canvas which had not been painted before. Although acrylic could have been used on top of the leaves, Cathryn preferred a light background so that the flower colour would stand out and be more vivid. She then painted the tree trunks with the edge of a plastic card (about 1 to 2 cm wide) with neat paint dabbing at the canvas to get broken lines. A trunk needs to be built up gradually with a light/dark side and a middle layer to break it up - effectively a paint "sandwich". Ensure that the dark side is away from the light source.
Cathryn completed the picture using a brush to paint detail were required, moderate and blend any over-dark or over-light areas, and to add the shadows of the trees. As a final touch, she used a loaded brush (paint and water) to spatter various coloured droplets onto the picture (finger on bristles or sharp flick of the brush handle). For this woodland scene with light and dark areas, these paint droplets gave the picture a natural and interesting effect. A great demonstration!
In answer to a question about the "bubble" effect on some of Cathryn's pictures, she described Acrylic Pour (consistency of double cream) with a little water and then drop in a small amount of silicon oil. Try it and see what happens! There are many examples and techniques online.
Martyn W
Some photos taken during the demonstration:
From Cathryn's website:
Following A level art, Banbury Art College and a degree at the Surrey Institute of Art & Design in Farnham, I worked as a Packaging Designer for over 10 years. Although it was creative in a different way, I felt the need to pick up a paintbrush again in my spare time. The creativity and excitement instantly flowed back and I knew then that being a full-time artist was my goal, so I took the plunge!
I am inspired by the beautiful ever-changing local countryside and seascapes from my travels. Nature is such a wonderful source of inspiration. The light, shade, tones, colours and textures mixed in with my imagination mean I never run out of ideas.
The application of the medium is an exciting experience for me. I actually relish when things don’t go to plan as my determination kicks in and often, from experience, that’s when the ‘good stuff’ happens!
I try different techniques to create interesting marks such as splashes, dripping, masking, dry brushing, fluid paint and textures. I get that ‘buzz’ when unintentional successful marks appear through my processes.
Painting is good for your soul - everyone should try it!
See more of Cathryn's work here