Last week started with music and seeing what happens when I consciously work to music. I started with classical for the first session then turned to ABC Jazz for the second session. I very quickly become oblivious to the sound and became totally absorbed in laying on paint and marks.
Stage 1Maybe final stage
At the same time I was working on these acrylic 30 cm squares, I started reworking some older 50cm square paintings I no longer liked. I love the lovely rose madder colour. It is very transparent and almost luminous. My theme is shapes, mainly ovals. I used masks and stencils to create these. I like where the first one is going but the second is still definitely a work in progress. There are many many layers.
Over the past weeks I have been focussing on planning for the next twelve months as well as setting up a weekly planning system. This should stop me becoming overwhelmed with all the things I want to do and avoiding the things that aren’t so much fun. My studies over the past months have made me realise I like to learn and study and experiment. I have spent at lot of time looking at other artists whose work I like and analysing what it is I like and don’t like. I like to figure out techniques that might be used to create certain effects. Learning to manipulate your media is half the battle.
I have set myself the goal of starting two new paintings a week and so far so good. Following on in my shapes theme(which might become a series) I commenced the under painting for two 60cm ones. I will build up an interesting underlayer then use masks and stencils to build up a structure. There are three layers here already; crayon drawing, brayer(roller) white layer, then silicon wedge application of white.
Another challenge I have given myself is to develop collage based work. I started two in mainly black, yellow and white using plain black paper and tissue as well as gel printed tissue papers from last year. The next step with be to add acrylic paint and then more drawing and/or collage. See where they go. At the moment they are too busy and have too strong tonal contrast. I found that although I only intended to spend a few hours on these it took that long just to get into the swing of things. Lesson learned is that I usually give up too soon. Fun.
Coming up in February is the Waterways exhibition in the Long Gallery at Salamanca Arts Centre. I will be on duty there on Friday 5 and Sunday 14 from 1.30- 5.00. Drop in for a guided tour. Should be a great show. The following week is the Kingborough Art Prize exhibition at Kingston. Again another high quality art exhibition.
Stay tuned to see more of my successes and failures.
