Figures on a beach

Acrylic on wood panel 12" x 12"

Don't mess with me

Acrylic on board 24" x 24"

I intended (with my editor's brain) for this painting to be done in the style of the portrait I did below (Woman on blue) but the paint brush simply did not want to cooperate so I let it go the way it wanted to. The digital pic has lost something of the character of the original which is a shame but isn't that usually the case.

Curved path

Acrylic on wood panel 12" x 12"

Shadows on the land

Acrylic on hardboard 12" x 12"

It started as another broken colour field exercise but it turned into a kind of surreal landscape.

Woman on blue

Acrylic on hardboard 24" x 24"

A few months ago we had a local artist come to the Studio sessions to give a talk and a critique for members of the Guild. He said two things which resonated with me. One was - be yourself, don't try to be someone else, it won't work. The second was, if you are used to working small, work big. Take something you did on a small scale and see how it works on a big one (it might not work, so is that telling you anything?). I liked both these suggestions and I am finding that working on a bigger scale pushes me hard to really not pull the wool over my own eyes. I can see in glaring format when I am being less than "serious" (remember McEnroe at Wimbledon?). As to being myself, I am many people. Like most of us I am multiple personalities. When I am alone, painting, I have the complex task of selection and it often depends on what mood I am in. Trying to work "intuitively" means leaving "planning" on the shelf.
I felt a sense of satisfaction working on this Woman. Maybe a bit more work on her right eye remains.
ps. I have re-posted the pic as I needed to more accurately show the colour in her face and the darkness of her hair. In doing so the photo editor has lost some of that bluey tinge in the background. Sometimes you can't win. Wish you could see the original.

Untitled I

Acrylic on hardboard 6" x 12"

Just practising with broken colour and glazing. This one reminded me of the earth in orbit and a small piece has broken off containing the germ of life and is winging its way to another planet. You can tell I have been reading Richard Dawkins can't you. By the way this painting can also be viewed vertically but with the earth at the top. It doesn't work for me the other way round.
(ps - or is it a huge jaffa orange being rolled along by invisible elves)

They came with bows in their hair - re-work

Acrylic on hardboard 8" x 8"

I started off my painting day this morning by doing a couple of exercises from Emily Ball's book "Drawing and painting people: a fresh approach". It limbered me up to attack yesterday's "bows" painting. The green was irritating me too much anyway. It wasn't long before a third, tall figure emerged. This hardboard panel has been re-worked so many times (it was many other things before the "bows")it is now developing a sculptural quality of its own with little nublicks of paint. It is beginning to resemble a real linen covered board.

They came with bows in their hair

This painting has now been re-worked. See entry for 18th April above



Mixed media on hardboard 8" x 8"

Not sure what to say. They've both got bows in their hair. What springs from one's imagination is a total mystery to me. I increased the contrast slightly on the pic which makes me think I might go back and work on the image some more.

Claire - back view

Charcoal pencil, pitt charcoal and conte. Approx 12" x 8" each

Claire was our model again last night. Each view took me around three quarters of an hour. I shifted position a bit between the two drawings but the back view was interesting and I didn't regret having a second shot at it.

Survivor

Acrylic on hardboard 12" x 12"

This is a rework of an earlier painting "A Northern girl" (March 27th). I wanted to introduce more tension and an almost psychological dimension. I like the way that veil of light over her face is a bit irritating. The title is a temporary one until I think of something better - if I do.

Boy in a bubble

Acrylic on canvas board 12" x 16"

I started this just before I went to Ethiopia but when I came back to it today I knew it had to be changed. I wanted to emphasise that sense of isolation we often feel for various reasons. When I have to go away for a week or a couple of weeks I do find that when I come back I feel a sense of urgency about taking more risks in my work. It never feels to me like any kind of inconvenience that I am not able to paint while I am away. I think the "artist" side of my brain keeps on working even if the painting side can't (if that makes sense).

Richard

Pitt charcoal on smooth cartridge paper approx 15" x 9"

Richard was our model on Monday evening's studio session. I tried to keep the drawing loose and free and felt the smooth surface helped. However, when I got home I realised that the paper had a different feel to each side and that I had in fact used the less smooth of the two sides, so next time I'll use the very smooth one.
It won't be for another week as I am off to Ethiopia again tonight but back next weekend.
See you soon.