Gaye’s Studio News

25 November 2020

I am so amazed that I am doing Episode 25 and it’s 25 November. The year has flown by. I have worked on 110 paintings; many successful, some still unresolved. I tend to work in series or groups of 4 or 5 at any one time although looking around the studio there are at least 20 that are near completion. This past month or so it has been florals and oceans.

Life is intruding on my painting time. The late spring garden demands attention. Nets were put on the 20m long bed of raspberries just in time as I picked a bowl full yesterday. The wet mild spring has created abundance in the garden while looking great, has to be trimmed or it gets out of control. My summer interest as uniform co-ordinator for the Carlton Park Surf Club is also claiming my attention as the season starts up.

I have lists of ideas for art projects so will have to discipline myself to put in more time.

I wanted to work on my latest 60cm square oceans painting but so far I have only prepared the substrate in a mixture of burnt sienna and yellow ochre and completed a small study. This one I want to be darker in tone and show the power of an ocean wave.

I have been working on some colour exercises as well to develop further my understanding of colour. These are not meant to be finished paintings but I might continue and see if I can. Only small 20cm squares, all done together on one sheet of paper with masking tape to divide them. The first one is painted in acrylics using cool colours and the second is in warm colours. They are very busy, too busy to my liking. The next step is to add a little warm to the cool one and cool to the warm one. So still lots to do. One of these or a section of one might be the inspiration for a larger painting, Who knows??

I have focused mainly on the floral series this week, when I had had time to paint. There are 6 in the set in various sizes. They are nearing completion now. There is always a risk that one you start fiddling you mess them up. I want to keep the looseness and abstraction. The last one is the largest and the one I am most happy with.

I am thrilled to have sold Hidden depths this week to the lovely couple who had provided the title for it when seeing it on my blog. I had entered it in the Rotary Wrest Point art prize last week.

I am taking some fresh paintings to the Rosny Doctors surgery in Bligh Street this week. The first two are 50 cm square and the florals 30cms.

Have a great week everyone!