Some you win…
When needs must!
One can’t be too precious when one is skint.
Re-stretch
Sometimes paintings don’t work out - in my case, most of the time! And when short of cash and needing to stretch new canvases for emerging ideas, one has to be ruthless. Two large pieces above from the ‘Carte Vista’ series are now technically retired - taken off their wooden stretchers, rolled up and stored away. It’s a salient reminder that one must keep going with a painting and not spend too much time away as ideas invariably evolve and old, unfinished work is often left behind. The ‘Menagerie’ piece was somewhat over-painted on the lady’s face anyhow.
I learnt a lot of course and I enjoyed the challenge but it’s time to move on and they’ve already been re-stretched and primed for new work to begin.
I’ve used canvas (not French linen as it’s very expensive) and Rabbit Skin Glued them with two oil primer layers. Now dry and beautifully taut and smooth, and in the absence of Chinese Vermillion (highly toxic and crazily expensive), I’ve used Cadmium Red Light as a base for a new piece of work, ‘Chinese Tapestry’ which I’m already formulating ideas for. The other one I’m aiming to use as a second part of the Chinese diptych or as another tapestry, this time based on Saudi Arabia. Watch this space.
Small pieces on the easels
Smaller pieces on the easel
Some work in progress
‘Blue Marion’ (Oil on linen)
A continuation of my Psycho meets Disney theme (the illusion of the American Dream) sees a more painterly base layer image of Marion Crane (as opposed to the screen print-style of Psychobabble) as its starting point. A lot of work to get her up to speed before I manipulate, add to the surface and continue building the layers. Who know where it goes, but in my mind that’s always a good thing.
‘Angus’ sketch study (Oil on canvas board)
A slightly more traditional portrait of my sister’s erstwhile dog, Angus. A beautiful, muckle beast, Again, work to do but I want to keep the mark-making broad and retain some of the base layer.
‘Three Horses’ sketch study (Oil on linen)
Just starting to conduct a little visual research on the anatomy of a horse. It’s important I understand fully the musculoskeletal system before I embark on a very large piece (2.5m +) in the Summer. I’m hoping to get to the local Kempton Park to photograph racehorses in the next couple of months. I’m excited by the thought of crafting the beauty and strength of the animal along with my mark-making approach.