A range of art work by Gaye Oakes, Tasmania mainly abstract, seascapes, florals and still life
Episode 43
7 July 2021
This past week my palette is mainly rusts and reds. I explore more large gestural work, add autumn leaves to others and play with acrylics.
The past few years have seen me focus on the media of oil paint and cold wax. I love this for its gorgeous creamy texture which is applied with everything but brushes. It just feels great and lends itself to a history of layers. Oil sticks have become of more interest too me because I can use large gestural movements to create spontaneous marks and shapes. I have been exploring this medium and trying to keep the freshness of the initial stages alive. There is a tendency to get too detailed if I try to add recognisable objects into the work: even if it all come from in my mind.
This is one of two I had on the go in my last ‘news’. Its not finished because I think it is too busy so I need to simplify without over working. A challenge.
Leaves have become an obsession lately and I have been creating the following four works using hand made stencils and mostly transparent colours in magenta, brown pink and raw umber. Not yet finished and I am not happy with the second one. The first two are 50 cm and the last two just 30cm.
Moonlight 1
Moonlight 2
On my drawing wall are two new gestural works done mainly with oils sticks: one in neutral colours and black and the other in neutrals and orangey reds. I am really liking where these are going and waiting on a delivery of more R&F oils sticks before I do more. Maybe I will start another two. This is really addictive.
Barbed enclosure
Rock face
Coming up in the next 6 months are several community art exhibitions where I will be entering paintings; that could be 30 or more works to prepare. I will update my website with details soon.
As well as having work on display and for sale on my website, I now have paintings in two Australian online art galleries Bluethumb and Art Lovers, shops on Facebook and Instagram. This week I will put up 6 new paintings at the Rosny Doctors Medical Centre. A lot of work to keep track of.
I love to show and share my work but find the hard sell approach on social media recommended on most online art marketing sites difficult to deal with. It seems to be counter to the artistic process although I guess both are addictive.
I have certainly learned that to move your art forward you need to be spending a lot of time doing it; not thinking about it, reading about it but doing it. And doing it with a joyful playfulness. Which brings me to my play pieces in acrylics. Six pieces of paper joined and treated as one then separated.
The last two are stage 3 on two of the six. Fun to do but I am enjoyed my oil stick play more. What about you?
