Just as an athlete warms up before competing, an artist also needs to get the mind into gear and to set the creative juices flowing. So, each morning began as Keith starts his day, in his own studio: listening to uplifting music, studying the work of admired artists and sketching to ‘get the eye in’. From there the group dived in to colour mixing, seeing light and tone, painting techniques, photography, social media and professional art equipment and the importance of detailed preparation for painting. Getting details right makes all the difference.

Hampshire based artist Tom Yendell OBE, recently elected President of the International Board of Artists, also put in an appearance to lend support to Keith’s workshop and to talk to the artists. Tom spoke honestly to the artists, with the main takeaway of his message being – our artists' lives can be a solitary one, but being a part of the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists family, no one has to make that journey alone.

Artist comments from the workshop:

Rosie Moriarty-Simmonds OBE

“The artists workshop was an inspirational, informative and enjoyable couple of days. We talked about different painting techniques and shared information about useful art gadgets and we also had a ‘show and tell’ review of the paintings we had just completed. We also thoroughly enjoyed spending time with each other and I would wholeheartedly encourage other artists to get involved in future events.”

Jeanne Poyser

“As an admirer of Keith’s art and his work ethic, the sessions were an exciting opportunity to learn more about painting techniques, share ideas and develop new skills. I left the workshop feeling well supported, motivated and confident to try new techniques. Keith and Cindy were fabulous hosts and both put in an enormous effort in opening up their home to us.”

Bazza West

“What I got from the inspirational time at Keith’s was the amount of work he puts into the ideas for his paintings, through charcoal sketches, before he finally puts the paint onto the canvas. It was also interesting to see the different tools he uses that I hadn’t seen before. A great experience and a brilliant time spent with Keith and Cindy.”

Every artist left the two-day event with a special certificate marking their completion of the workshop and, more importantly, fresh creative inspiration to take back to their own studios and to draw on for their future painting. A truly fitting way to mark this special 70th anniversary year of the MFPA and the family spirit that has underpinned its success since it was formed.