Gaye’s Studio News

Playing with paper

8 February 2024

January was spent having a break from new paintings and playing with gelli printing and collage.

I did however have to finish and frame 5 new paintings for my new set of coastals now hung at City Doctors. Prompted by a few sales of coastal paintings late last year. These are realistic subjects and painted in oils with brushes for a change.  Two from older photos and two inspired by a plein air day at Marion Bay in November with the POGO group. I had painted a small one on location but wanted to scale up to 70 x 50 cm.   Scaling up and creating depth was the biggest challenge.  I added some seabirds to provide movement.  Here they are.

#1008 Marion Bay looking north

#1009 Marion Bay looking south

#1002  Freycinet from Swansea

#1001  Macquarie Heads light

Another one in this set is an adaption of #0736 The waves whisper with seabirds added. Much more action packed now.

Getting back to paper play. I spent a day making about 30 gelli prints on tissue paper.  Then cut, tore and glued some of them onto four long sheets of paper pre marked with some black ink.  Every 6 months or so I get the urge to do some printing. Inspired in this instance by a new book Gel plate printing for mixed media art by Robyn Mc Glendon and a recent blog by Sally Hirst.  Here are some of the stages.

At this point I decided to make them into eight 30 cm squares by taping off and continuing to add marks and some paint.

These are two that might be nearing completion.  There are many lovely marks and patterns but sometimes you have to sacrifice some for the greater good. It’s a gamble. Is there too much contrast or not enough?  Are they too busy?  I kept to a limited palette to try to focus on tone rather than colour. Interesting and absorbing exercise.  I learnt a lot.

February sees me embark on some abstracted still life paintings, playing with colour.  Into the unknown again. Exciting!!