Gaye’s Studio News

Episode 41

Wednesday 9 June 2021

My purple, teal and magenta painting I was working on last post is nearing completion. I do love the colours and will use them again.

Delphiniums is also becoming resolved. Similar colour palette. Same size, 50cm square.

My studio is messier that ever with so many things on the go, there is no time to stop. I couldn’t resist buying a little $20 trolly at our $ Store called Shiploads. I have put all my acrylic paints and media in it freeing up another surface(well it was free for a short time). Husband observed that there is little floor or surface space left and he is right. Might be time for a 6 monthly rationalisation.

I sold a 30cm abstracted floral still life on Bluethumb. The down side was presenting, packaging and posting which seemed to take up a whole afternoon. I hope the buyer loves it though. I signed up to another online art store called Art Lovers. It is an Australian site focused on the collector/buyer and provides lots of tips to help people consider and decide on what to purchase. Very informative.

This week I started two projects: one is a rerun of the short free online taster course I did this time last year called Find Your Joy and the other project is about faces. The course involves 4 challenges aimed at freeing up your approach and process. The first was about making lots of different marks using a non familiar palette with a 30 minute time limit. As usual I did two of every thing.

I usually go back in and add more layers but this time I am holding back and accepting them for what they are. The next exercise was to paint a familiar subject but using media that is not usual for you. Because I use many different media, I found it hard to decide what to do. I chose oils sticks which I use often but only to make marks on a painting, not as the sole media. Experimenting with two brands, the first is using soft and creamy R&F oil sticks in a range of colours and the second with Sennelier in a variety of reds and a touch of blue. I used my fingers to blend edges, something I find myself doing more and more nowadays.

Again, normally I would add more layers but I am enjoying the freshness of these.

The final exercise was to paint an ugly painting. Last year I had trouble deciding what to do but decided on a self portrait in hideous colours. It was indeed ugly. This made me think about what is an ugly painting. I have lots of paintings that I am not in love with or even dislike(which I usually add another layer and obliterate). I increasingly find that we are all drawn to different things. So what may be ugly to one person might really appeal to another. I know making mud on the surface can be ugly but I didnt want to do that; too easy I thought! So rather that choosing a particular subject I chose two colours I don’t much like and did another loose intuitive one. Surprisingly I like it! Will I have to try again???

My other current project is an attempt at painting faces for an Art Society of Tasmania themed exhibition next month titled About face. Acrylics are the chosen media although as always I become frustrated with them as they dry darker and dull compared with the wet paint. I am trying to distort the images, especially the eyes rather than create an accurate likeness. So its all from the imagination. This is where they are at. They are A4 size.

Just a bit of fun! Its good sometimes to break away and do something completely different.