paintings prints and stuff

The paintings are progressing but unphotographable at the moment as the paint is wet. I'll update the blog when I can take some pics. I've been checking on the website of one of my favourite painters, who also paints my favourite part of the world. I lived in Cornwall when I was young and the hedges were one of the loveliest things - especially in May when they are ablaze with flowers. KJ has now done a series of work on the hedges, with a really interesting write up. http://www.kurtjackson.co.uk/Kurt_jackson_exhibition_the_cornish_hedge.htm it's well worth looking at.

Several canvasses are now mid-way but these are almost finished first the poppy This is very similar to the research sketches but on a larger scale. Then an abstract from flowers. These are both on canvas, the poppy is about 18 inches square and the abstract is about 20/22 inches square. then a mixed media piece on paper - it's in this frame to stop the pastel on it smudging but it needs a bigger frame to 'breathe'. I like working on paper like this as it enables me to add more drawing and a wider variety of media. It isn't quite finished. The trouble is that I really don't like glass in front of work as it distances you from the work and the shine, and mere presence of it, spoil the velvety textures and marks. There are several other canvasses in progress but not really at a photographable stage. I also plan to do some more mixed media pieces on paper, a couple of much larger canvasses to finish and some smaller pieces.

This week I went to a talk by an artist who'd won a prize at a prestigious pastel show in London. It was organised by the local Pastel Society. The members are very good and many are professional. The talk was disappointing, The artist was a very good illustrator but didn't have the insight or imagination to move beyond that. The light and form were good - but he had a 'style' which ls and he continues to produce similar paintings again and again and ag again, never experimenting or learning, moving forward. He assured us in one breath that he was lucky as what he liked to paint sold. When we suggested that we preferred his work at the loose sketchy stage, before he tightened it up he admitted he'd tried showing that but it hadn't sold. so .... he is allowing the market at particular galleries to dictate his work and instead of trying the looser work in another place he just gave up :( I do appreciate the talent he has but it seems so sad that it

I managed to work a bit more on the poppy canvas yesterday. It's nearly there. There's a bit more thinking and resolving to do first. I also managed to start a few more canvasses so that I can work backwards and forwards between them as I wait for paint to dry. This one has been done in Alkyd Oils - I like them for small canvasses because of their quick drying properties and the fact that they handle just as well as 'normal' oils. The tubes are too small to use them on larger canvasses though - I'd have to squeeze virtually the whole tube out at once - or sometimes more than one tube :( I've also been playing with the new camera :) I love it!

I put thos macro flowers into photoshop to see how some worked in black and white. Black and white photos can have such a beautiful quality with the right images. I think that it really enhances the shot of the lavatera - using 'levels' and 'brightness and contrast' to give the image more punch it creates a far more interesting result :)