Gaye’s Studio News

Inspired by a creek bed

26 July 2022

A recent plein air sketching day with POGO Tasmania provided some inspiration for two new works. The day was cool, cloudy and damp but not windy in the little valley of Chauncy Vale. Wind is the most difficult aspect of outdoor painting for me.

We hired a large hut with a woodheater for the day; a welcome retreat for lunch and a chat. A few of us chose to sit near a creek bed. Using a stick and ink, I loosely sketched the rocky creek bed. Loved the variety of shapes of the stones and pebbles.

I put my first completed sketch on a flat log under a little bridge to keep it dry. Alas water dripped onto it from above and some of the ink ran. A happy mistake.

The second one was focused on a smaller area.

I looked at the sketches for a few weeks, wondering how I could create a painting from them. Then without referring to the photo I sketched two similar images on two sheets of sealed paper. Stronger outlines and some colour were added. On the first I overdid this and the second looked more appealing.

Looking back at the original source photo I saw that the rock shapes I had drawn were too similar in shape and size, so more variety was added. Raw or overdone? What do I want? Still working on them. These are the latest versions.

Exhibiting

Am I crazy? Last week I accepted an opportunity to put a collection of work in another medical practice this time in my suburb of Sandy Bay. I thought I could add it to my rotating displays in three other practices. When I went to check it out it was an amazing space. It needed bigger paintings. Rethink! Logistical challenge! I have managed to work out a system and have one set of 13 paintings ready to go for 1 August. Apart from the joy of seeing my work on public display I free up storage space in my studio. I love painting and paint almost every day.

Coming up this Friday 29 July for 9 days is the Art Society of Tasmania’s Annual exhibition in the Long Gallery at Salamanca. I have two works to go. They are Me and my shadow and Stellar winds; both 80x80cm.

I enjoyed my recent little landscapes and they look quite good framed up ready for Sandy Bay Doctors. I am working on four more. More about those next time.

The winner of my competition open to subscribers who read my news can’t be announced as promised in this news due to a glitch with my website. It is a choice of a small original painting mounted in a mat board and ready to frame, valued at over $100. I will be in touch.