Recycling.

Hello and welcome to my Monday Blog

Finest Hour   Oils on board

I have always enjoyed making something from leftovers.

Painting old furniture to bring it up to date or finding a use for old discarded items.

This also happens in my studio.  I paint over old pictures and re-use frames.

Last week I was making a new painting and when I changed colours

 I scrubbed the leftover oils on a board.  No plan, just random marks.

By the time my new piece was nearly finished,

 the old board had lots of marks and smears.

It caught my eye as I was clearing up for the day.  Accidently, I had made

something out of nothing....I could see a kind of landscape there.

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A spare gilt frame was handy and the right size for the board.

It was one of those 'aha' moments.  I took it in the house

and hung it in my hall.  I gave it the title...'Finest Hour'

Here is a detail of the work...It shows how I smeared and rubbed the oils.

I used a paper palette and blotted the traces of colours here and there.

It may not seem much but I love it.

Accolade...

I was thrilled to receive an award for one of my paintings in the

Lincolnshire Artists' Society Annual Summer Exhibition.

It was the Opening on Saturday and my award is the

Hayward/Oyler Guest Opener's Award.

Here is my painting on the Gallery wall.

All in a Day   Oils on panel

The Exhibition is in Sam Scorer Gallery, Drury Lane, Lincoln

and continues until Sunday 1 July.

Open daily, 10am to 4pm.

Preparations

It is only a week until my own exhibition with artist friend Denise Hawthorne.

Most of my paintings are packed ready to go but I had some which still needed frames.

  I left it a bit late to have them made so I decided to buy some self-assembly online.

Yesterday I put the pieces around the canvas to see how they might look.

I stood one in my window...

This morning I knocked in the little gadgets to join it all together.

I have colour washed them so they look similar to the work.

We will be hanging our work next Monday and the Show opens Tuesday 3 July.

Here is the information...

We are having 'Meet the Artists Day' on Tuesday from 11am until 3pm.

On a roll...

Sunday in June  Oils and cold wax on canvas  40 x 80 cm.

My painting arm is working overtime.  This painting has been a work

in progress for a few weeks.  It is another of my layered oils and cold wax pieces.

I like the mix of pink and orange with blue and green to rest the eye.

Scratching and scraping I revealed the layers beneath.

A few scribbles completed the picture.

Time for lunch.

Until next Monday...

Thank you for visiting.

Another direction.

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Jubilant Fields   Oils and cold wax on box canvas 20 x 20 inches

Another week and more new work.

I am preparing 24 pieces for my show with another painter in July.

This body of work is a change from my paintings made over the past two years. 

The pieces are a step further away from reality but do have a reference to nature.

Moving in another direction is good for my progress.

Staying in a rut can hold back new ideas.

Even further...

Uncharted Territory   Oils and cold wax on canvas  24 x 24 inches

I like to have several paintings on the go in my studio.

Then I can move to another one if I am blocked by the first.

This gives me time to think about any issues which need resolving.

It also makes a good place to scrub any excess oil paint from my brushes.

These marks can become the start of a new painting.

This 'abstract' one has developed from random marks.

It has become an impression of a harbour...curving marks might be

suggestive of a bridge and the lower dark part could be water.

It's all in the mind but is quite intriguing.

Saturday Surprise

I was thrilled to see my painting was chosen to be on the front

of this Exhibition catalogue at the Ropewalk, Barton upon Humber.

Here is the painting on the gallery wall...

Before the Tide   Oils on board 

(pictured centre bottom)

Show Time

I shall be delivering my three paintings on 18th June to the

Sam Scorer Gallery, 5 Drury Lane, Lincoln.

The Lincolnshire Artists' Society Summer Show

 is from Tuesday 19th June until 1st July.

All in a Day

As it Happens

Tangled

If you are able to visit, the gallery is open daily from 10am until 4pm.

Nearly good enough to eat...

My tray of Sempervivums enjoying the sun.

Before I go..

Another mention of artist Nicholas Wilton's Blog about 

bringing art to life.  This week it is about changing direction.

It really fits with my own path at the moment.

His website is www.Art2Life.com if you wish to read it.

He was using a huge piece of thick canvas pinned to the wall and plans

to crumple it up, make cuts in it and all sorts of things...

I am now looking for where I can fasten a chunk of canvas in my studio.

Perhaps it could stay on the floor and I can work like Jackson Pollock.

Until next week...

Thank you for visiting

  

Making a start.

Hello and welcome to my Monday Blog

Waiting to be moved on...a 16 x 16 inch painting in my studio.

I had no idea where it would go but I made a start by

mixing some cream oils and a pale aqua.  I added some

cold wax to the paint and worked it into the mix.

The image below shows where I made the marks.

I think it is finished but I might add a dark area 

on the bottom right to balance the work.

Scraping the oils back and scribbling into the paint gives some interest and texture.

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More mark-making...

I wanted to add some drama to this 12 x 12 inch canvas.

The image below shows my marks made with Prussian blue

and Burnt Sienna.  A little cold wax medium was added.

Spreading the paint over the canvas I smoothed it out with my

bowl scraper and roller.  I scratched some marks in the wet paint.

The top part of the painting was left untouched although the

colour in the first image looks different...due to my camera setting.

The finished piece.  (A better photograph).

I like the dramatic 'weight' and the small patches of reflections.

Mark-making is now an automatic response for me.  

After 20 years of painting I have become familiar with oils and colour.

I love moving paint around and sculpting the oils with brush, knife and scrapers.

Start by Starting...

This week I watched a video by Nicholas Wilton of Art2Life 

on his Sunday Blog...about how he makes a start on a new piece of art.

For anyone finding it difficult to begin, his video gives some good advice.  

Each week he talks about an aspect of making art.

I subscribe to his blog online.  Here is the link to his website.

https://www.art2life.com

Until next week...

Thank you for visiting.

Freedom to choose.

Hello and welcome to my Monday Blog.

Nearly Dark   Oils and cold wax on panel and frame  26 x 21 inches.

A moody abstract study settling in my studio.

My five year old granddaughter likes this...she is a fine art critic.

She likes to paint with me in my studio.

Here is her exciting piece of work last week. 

 Framed and taken home to hang.

I love the free expression, colour choice and gestural brush strokes.

She asked if she could paint on a frame next time she visits.

That is awesome...I love her sense of adventure.

Shoulds and Oughts...

Last week I began thinking about where I wanted to go with my art.

Would I paint what other people want or stay true to myself?

It didn't take long to reach a decision.

I think it is important for me to paint from my 'soul'.

If this means upsetting a few people then I shall take that risk.

 Here is a quote by Damali Ayo 

posted online by artist Nicholas Wilton...

These words came onto my computer at just the right time.

Making art makes me feel happy.

If it makes someone else feel happy then I am extra happy,

 I know I cannot please everyone but they could re-cover their couch.

The big decision...

Painting frames.

Changing from black to a softer look.

These frames are drying in the studio.

They were black and although I quite liked them for these  paintings 

I decided to give them a new look.

The bottom one is a gunmetal oil colour mixed on my palette.

I used Phthalo Blue, Yellow Ochre, Venetian Red and Titanium White.

The top three are a mix of Phthalo Blue, Yellow Ochre and Titanium White.

This made a light blue/green but I think I like the grey more.

They will have a second coat of gunmetal when dry.

Some abstract work can look good in black but these abstracted

 land/seascapes possibly look softer this way.

It is all a matter of personal opinion.

Listening...

Another quote which made me stop and listen.

Have a happy week.

Thank you for visiting