Taking Risks and other studio musings...

Risk-taking is an essential part of my painting life.

Being prepared to risk it all and often destroying the work as I make it 

means there is a sense of adventure and often an element of surprise.

I call my process 'Destruction-Creation'

                

On the left is the first part of a new work in oils and the 

right side image is the painting on the second day.

Below is the third day and the work is drying on the easel.

You can see how the work has gone from an idea about 'woodland'

to a wild place, abstracted with a sense of drama.

I have taken away the idea of woodland letting my imagination

take control to make a painting with atmosphere rather than close reality.

Painting 2

A second piece is drying on the easel...

shiny wet oils.

This piece also began as a 'woodland' but after several scrapes and

rubbing down it morphed into an abstracted landscape.

Another example of destruction-creation.

I might darken the left side to balance the composition.

A different size...

Last week I bought some small canvases 8 x 8 inches to use as practice pieces.

I decided to underpaint them with acrylic and let them dry in a warm place.

These small works are part of an exercise in texture.

I shall use brush and knife to sculpt the oils.

The underpainting will probably disappear once I begin using the oils.

I am not governed by these colours or shapes. I like freedom.

Here is the first piece.

Now heavily texured with oils.

Garnet Moor   Oils on stretched canvas  8 x 8 inches

A close up image of 'Garnet Moor'
I will probably sit it in a narrow edge black float frame.

The tools of my trade.

Some of the colours I am using for these current paintings.

I like to use any soft 'muddy' hues as I work.

Next to a brighter hue a soft grey can make the brighter one 'pop'.

The palette is just a piece of hardboard or MDF.  It never gets scaped down. 

I like the sense of continuity especially when making a series of paintings.

When it gets too crusty I get another.

Old paintings can make a useful palette.

Until next Monday...

Thank you for visiting.