Katherine Tyrrell is a British contemporary artist who is also a writer and teacher. |
Katherine Tyrrell - Contemporary Artist
The foundations of how I make my art are threefold.
- I'm committed to the value of drawing and sketching and working from life and 'en plein air' where possible
- the power, complexities and subtleties of colour and pattern fascinate me
- dry media, specifically soft pastels and coloured pencils, are best for the type of mark-making using broken colour that I enjoy most
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| Patterns in landscapes, light and colour I like colours, patterns and puzzles. Things which stimulate my eye include:
- the way light changes both colour and form
- patterns in shapes - both large and small
- patterns in landscapes
- scale - how the large can look small and the small can look large
- places which make me happy - in the country, art galleries and restaurants
One word which ties a lot of my themes together is "landscapes" - these can be | 
Katherine Tyrrell in Greenwich Park.
River Thames with the City of London and East London in background
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Although much of my work in the past has been rooted in loose realism, I'm increasingly interested in abstracting the patterns and shapes I come across in the natural world at either end of the scale
I prefer to draw using dry media and enjoy using hatching, scumbling and erasure as techniques to develop areas of broken colour which mix optically to provide new colours.
My drawings and sketches have attracted much praise for my draftsmanship and use of colour. One example is Charley Parker's review on his blog Lines and Colors - see Katherine Tyrrell. (For other reviews - see below) |
Working from Life
I very much enjoy working from life and in public places - as you can see from my sketchbook pages. Much of my figurative work is either initially developed or completed in front of the subject. All my drawings of people are from life and I very much enjoy observing and recording the way people relate with one another in different places. |
Art Societies and Art Groups
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Exhibitions
I have had work accepted into juried annual exhibitions of national art societies and group exhibitions in the UK, the USA and Canada. I'm now limiting entries to exhibitions to the Society of Botanical Artists.
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Sales My work is in private collections in the UK, Australia and the USA. The following are also available for purchase by arrangement: - Original paintings and drawings
- fine art prints
- Images in transparency, printed or electronic form
- Licensing rights for publication of either drawings or articles
| Please contact Katherine for further information and a price list
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 Commissions
In 2007, the Cumberland Pencil Company (Derwent Pencils) commissioned Katherine to produce a drawing of Ashness Bridge - an image which has long associations with their Artist's Pencils.
This was featured in their 2008 catalogue and on their website. | I'm happy to discuss commissioned work.
Please contact Katherine for further information. All initial discussions are via e-mail.
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Katherine Tyrrell - Teacher
I'm a qualified teacher but I also continue to be a student who loves learning about art and sharing that learning
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I'm a qualified teacher with a degree in education from Cambridge University and an MBA from the London Business School. I believe that all those with a talent and/or interest in art will benefit from some guidance and although I don't have a degree in fine art I have studied widely and enjoy passing on what I've learned.
Learning:
My two degrees and two professional qualifications have nothing whatsoever to do with art. However once I'd achieved them and got my career underway I worked hard in my spare time to fit in workshops with a number professional artists in the UK (Paul Riley, Paul Millichip, Peter Welton, Jackie Simmonds, Jeremy Le Grice and Wynn Jones) and latterly in the USA (Sally Strand, Dianna Ponting). I've also attended part-time courses and am an alumnus of Central St Martins College of Art and the Prince's Drawing School in London.
Sharing and Guiding:
I've extensive professional experience of leading workshops and guiding people through a learning process. I've also led an online class in sketching and other online projects plus written articles about sketching. A lot of guidance I now provide is through my publications. Plus I use the Internet to access art, learn about artists and different approaches to art.
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|  Katherine Tyrrell - Writer I very much enjoy writing about art and sharing information about art in a number of different ways.
The value of Making A Mark (see below) is externally validated and has ranked as #3 in the UK since 2010 - see Making A Mark remains #3 in top 25 art blogs in UK. It's also in the top 15 of a list of the World's Top 75 Art Blogs by blog rank. |
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Making A Mark
(July 2012 - c4,050 regular visitors and nearly 1.6 MILLION visitors to date)
My main art blog is frequently referenced by other art bloggers and leading galleries. It focuses on information for artists and art lovers - including
- reviews of art exhibitions and art competitions
- sharing knowledge and learning through art projects about art basics (eg Composition and Colour) and notable artists
- interviews with contemporary artists;
- tips about art business, art careers and blogging about art
- how I create create drawings using pastels, pencils and/or pen and ink
 | You can subscribe to either or both blogs - see the blog's right hand column for further details
Subscribe via e-mail to Making A Mark
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Travels with a sketchbook -
(500+ subscribers and c.175,000+ unique visitors since July 2006)
Featured in and recommended by The Times newspaper
My sketchbook blog showcases sketchbook work and explanations as to process.
I'm also a correspondent for Urban Sketchers , Urban Sketchers London and a co-author of Four Go Painting in Provence
| Subscribe via e-mail to Travels with a Sketchbook in......
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Making A Mark Reviews
(200+ subscribers - since April 2009)
a consumer's guide to quality and value in art books, art supplies and services to artists.
 | Subscribe via email to Making A Mark Reviews
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The Art of the Landscape
(c.350+ subscribers - since January 2010)
Promotes learning about the development of landscape drawing and painting - by exploring, sharing and doing. I'm also a correspondent for Watermarks - a small community of artists who make art from water.
| Subscribe via email to Art of the Landscape
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Resources for Artists -
My suite of information sites - Resources for Artists - include sites relating to various art media, various art genre and subject matter, books for artists and the art business
- plus this website provides information about the art materials that I use
- and advice about how to sketch'
| Making A Mark - Resources for Artists.
Art materials and resources
How to Sketch |
Resources for Art Lovers
This is a second suite of information sites providing information about individual artists, art museums and art history
| Resources for Art Lovers |
Making A Mark Publications
The Making A Mark Guides relate to various art activities - concerning both practice and business - and are being developed on a regular basis. | available via Making A Mark Publications |
Other publications / Reviews - Media coverage has included
| Mixed Parrot Tulips
Coloured Pencil 11.5" x 15.75"
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