The Jagged Edge of Blogdom

The Artists' Palette

2011-01-26T06:32:00.000-08:00

What does a painter mean by the palette? Of course, it’s not just the piece of wood or other flat material on which an artist mixes colours. ‘The palette’ also refers to the range of colours a particular artist uses.

There are hundreds of colours produced by artists’ colourmen, and beginning painters can become confused over what colours to use and for what purpose. I have to agree it is confusing. It’s important to use the right colour-range for yourself, as this is a huge part of what is known as an artist’s style, and the work produced can sometimes be identified by an artist’s choice of palette.

I have settled on my list of colours now, and that list is for the most part, just 7 colours. I use them almost exclusively, plus one or two specials.

For instance, when painting in oils, I use French Ultramarine, Burnt umber, Burnt Sienna, Chrome Yellow, Naples Yellow, a bright Emerald Green and Titanium white.

These seven colours give me a good range of hues and tints for landscapes. For instance, Naples Yellow, like an unbleached, titanium white, mixed with Ultramarine produces a lovely shade of blue for skies. Depending on the amounts of each colour the range goes from greys through to the blues. You might notice I don’t exactly use the primaries (red, blue and yellow) here, but variants of them. So my colours are based on the three primaries, plus a special green, and titanium white.

When I want a harsher ‘cast’ to a picture, I keep Prussian blue, to substitute for the ultramarine. Prussian blue for instance, gives a ‘steely’ tint; and a totally different atmosphere to certain other blues.

The watercolours I use are similar, except I rely on Cobalt blue for skies, and Cerulean Blue for that evening bluish-glow. I also liked a colour called Neutral Tint, over Payne’s Grey, which of course gives my paintings a different overall mood to pictures using Payne’s grey.

So the colours I choose for a painting depend on the mood I am trying to create.

So to simplify, here are the primaries I use.

Blues: French Ultramarine, Cobalt, Cerulean and Prussian.
Yellows: Raw Sienna, Yellow Ochre, New Gamboge Aureolin, and Chrome Yellow.
Reds: Indian Red, (Or Burnt Sienna) Alizarin Crimson, Scarlet Lake

For emergencies and special effects: Cadmium Red, Cadmium Orange and Sap Green.

Of course I don’t have all these colours on my palette at the same time. I content myself with the seven basics, made up of combinations of the three primaries as above.
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So experiment. Do a simple picture using the seven colours. Then switch the primaries around and paint the same scene again. I think you’ll see what I mean about setting mood and atmosphere using colour!

Good Luck

Choosing Supports for Oils and Acrylics’

2009-11-09T03:19:00.000-08:00

Many artists like the idea of painting with 'something to say'; i.e. with a message. I try to, but I don't feel it's obligatory. All the same, your statements will be more effective, and physically longer lasting if you take care over choosing a support for the painting.

So, what to paint on?

The decisions might seem obvious. Use watercolour paper for watercolour, and stretched canvas for oils. Seems simple enough, but then stretched canvas hasn’t been around forever. There was a time when artists mostly painted on wooden panels, poplar being considered as the best choice; which of course, it still is, if you wish to paint on wood.

For watercolour, it’s hard to beat a good quality, heavyweight watercolour paper. The surface texture will depend on your choice and what effects you seek.

For oil and acrylics, modern developments offer many alternatives. Some choices are inferior others not. Maybe a stretched canvas is superior to a canvas covered board, but not necessarily so. Much depends on the quality of the canvas, and the quality of the board. For instance, best quality linen, properly prepared, would be a better choice if it was glued to an acid-free board with a neutral adhesive. You then have the benefits of the linen coupled with the longevity of the board. There isn’t going to be any need for re-stretching later, and the board is less susceptible to damage. Certainly it isn’t going to suffer any ‘three-corner’ tears, from accidental knocks. On the minus side, in large sizes, most boards can be heavy.

There is another aspect. A canvas covered board is opaque. It won’t allow light to pass through. Hold up a stretched canvas against a strong light and look through from the back. You will see a dulled image in reverse, meaning that some light is getting through. With a board, all the light hitting the picture is reflected back at the viewer, resulting in a brighter image. If you wonder about this, put a painted canvas board and a painted canvas side by side in good light and you will see the difference. That still doesn’t alter the fact that to most people, an oil painting should be done on a stretched canvas, and most professional artists use canvases for their commercial work. I can’t argue with that.

What about painting with oils on other surfaces? I already mentioned wood, but it is possible to use oils on a good quality watercolour paper. In this case I mount the paper to MDF, or even stout cardboard, and then give the paper at least three coats of acrylic gesso. The paper won’t be harmed by the gesso, and the oil paint won’t get through to rot the paper. The resulting paintings, on a nice ‘toothy’ paper like Arches have a pleasing finish, although I wouldn’t use this method for major work. I also use MDF that has been primed with acrylic gesso, but usually only for preparatory sketches.

For acrylics the above methods make an ideal support. With acrylics, being what they are, there is no need to worry about them affecting good quality watercolour papers. So in this case you can dispense with the priming. This enables you to use the acrylics as you would use watercolour. Excellent for skies and misty background effects. The details can then be added, using the acrylic as a form of Gouache. This way you can achieve the oil-painted ‘look’, but without the unnecessary expense of canvases and boards, or the smell of turpentine!

Again though the finished painting can always be mounted to a board. As long as it is an acid-free board it won’t affect the picture. If you do mount the picture on a relatively thin board, (Mount-board is good for this) there’s no reason why the picture shouldn’t be framed behind glass. However, remember it’s in acrylic. Stuck to a board, it can also be varnished with acrylic varnish and framed in the same way you would frame an oil painting.

So, whether you consider canvas or board, let your preference and the purpose of the painting be the judge. If you are making preparatory paintings, why waste canvas? If you sell your work or paint commissions then discuss it with clients. For speculative sales and exhibitions, just be honest and state clearly what support you used. If someone really wants the painting and you have ‘played fair’ they will usually buy it, regardless of the support. I have sold preparatory oil sketches, because someone liked the effect. As we say, there is never any accounting for taste.

The final choice is down to the individual. I don’t claim to be an expert, but I have set out a few alternatives I play around with. Go ahead and experiment yourself. It’s fun. I know. I do this all the time.

Oil - The Queen of Mediums- 'Black Rock Sands'

2009-11-06T06:50:00.000-08:00

Maybe it was time for me to feel immune to rushes of excitement over my art. After all, having explored many avenues in my painting shouldn't I relax; fall back on what I knew and paint mostly to amuse myself? How wrong could one be?

The other day I happened to pick up a copy of a magazine I once subscribed to. On the whim, I bought it, and I found something in there that immediately spurred my ‘muse’.

I had never realised just how much attention the ‘art trade’ pays to watercolour painting. By comparison, oil painting (which I consider to be the Queen of art media) was getting to be a 'poor relation'. I have nothing against watercolour. I love to use the medium, but I believe that for vibrancy, impact and sheer scale, oil painting takes pole position.

Surprisingly, it is the easier of the two to use. It does take longer to dry, but this means you can come back hours later and make corrections. If you make a big mistake, you can scrape off the colour and repaint. And when it comes to framing there is no need for glazing, which means you can frame the pictures much more speedily. (Incidentally, when I frame an oil, I like a frame which is that bit special. I like to use a large section moulding. Nothing ostentatious, but even for modest sized oils, a bold frame sets your work apart.)

As for the smell of turpentine, well today there are water based oils. We can also use low-odour thinners. I don't mind the old fashioned way, and the smell of genuine turpentine is one of the things about oil painting that fires up my inspiration. So I am going bold with my oils and freeing up my brush.

I’ve seen the light… and I am having go at painting it.

A Work in Progress:

Black Rock Sands, North Wales.

Remedies for Mistakes Don't always Work

2009-10-08T08:41:00.000-07:00

Swollen River

and

Wet Fields - Gloucestershire

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I found a couple of watercolours in my browser today. The pictures had lost their way, and I wondered if I could rescue them, or maybe at least one. Well, I'll let you be the judge/s. I'm not 100% happy, so I am going to try both of them again, and see what comes of a fresh start.

In a way I think I am experimenting with mixed media here. I was inspired by Keith Tilley, to take it further.. So I checked out Ray Balkwill, the West Country Mixed-media man. I knew of Ray, of course, but suddenly I see a chink of light through the doorway to a slightly different style. I am leaning on that door, just a little, I hope!

Cheers folks and happy painting.

John

When things go wrong

2009-10-02T10:03:00.000-07:00

I am at the stage in life now that when things go wrong, I tend to sit back and not worry about it. Worry never made any problems go away and when things go wrong on the watercolour front, then worrying is particularly futile. Sometimes these mistakes can be corrected, or at least got around, but not always. There are times when the waste bin beckons. All the same, just pause a while before you throw something out. Leave it to one side and don't worry over it.

Take my 'disaster' a few weeks ago. A watercolour had gone 'pear-shaped' and I was left with a spoiled sheet of Arches, 140 lbs rough, on which there was a nice sky, but a botch of a job, that was supposed to be a ploughed field.

I didn't want to throw out that sky though, and I cut away the botch, leaving me with a wide, narrow sky. I put this into my 'Watercolour browser' for a while, and yesterday, I dragged it out, deciding to try my hand at Mixed-Media (something I don't often do. Out came the pastels, and the accompanying picture, 'Stand and Stare' is the result. I don't know if it was a success, but I like it. If nothing else it will fill a space in my studio.

I also discovered that with rough watercolour paper, using pastel, is a great way of producing sparkle on a flat-wash sea, (a late 'dry-brush' effect if you like). So next time your attempt at dry-brush goes wrong, let it dry, and then drag a small piece of light coloured pastel gently across the wash. Those impressionistic, sparkly dots will appear as if by magic. I think I will remember that trick and use it again. I might even plan for it.

Happy Painting folks.
John

'Stand and Stare' Watercolour and Pastel Approx. 14" x 9"

What happened to Craftcrowd dot com?

2009-04-18T01:21:00.000-07:00

I tried to go to Craftcrowd dot com today to update my page, but I couldn't find any trace of the site at all. I found one reference that said it was 'unquantified' and that it wasn't getting enough visitors. It's a little sad, as I had been absent myself due to health problems. I had made some good friends on the site too. Of course, like most such sites we kept in touch through the site itself, rather than through personal emails, so it seems I will lose touch with most of the people I knew.
I am a little glum about that and if anyone knows what happened, or knows me from the site, please leave me a message?
Thank you.
John

'Painting's Progress'

2009-04-16T04:27:00.000-07:00

I wanted to try a landscape but in 'Portrait' format. I think it will work out okay. The canvas was primed with a transparent primer and this allows the natural 'hessian' color of the weave to show through. In places, even through the paint layers too, although that isn't so important to me, as having a toned background on which to work.

This might give some idea of how I like to work in oils. Doing things this way gives me options for moving things around. For instance I think the figures might look better slightly to the left. I don't know yet, but in about a fortnight, I hope to have this done.

The canvas is approximately 20 inches by 18 inches and the picture won't be ready for varnishing for up to two years.

Sunset at Shell Island, North Wales.

2009-03-02T09:10:00.000-08:00

This is nothing spectacular, but most photographers who visit Shell Island will try to get a sunset. This place usually obliges, but for me, it wasn't quite so glorious as it might have been. But it's peaceful enough to please me!

'The Final Drop' - Krimmel Falls - Austria. August 2003.

2009-03-01T03:35:00.000-08:00

This is the final drop of the three levels, which are 380 metres in all. These falls rise in the Krimmel Ache Glacier and for most of the Winter months, so little sunlight reaches them, they are usually frozen. I chose the easier ascent to this fall, but it was the more risky. Just a few metres ahead of me there was a short, but sheer drop into the freezing water. The noise was deafening, but extremely exhilarating. I would definitely go again! The figures on the hill, at the left will give some sense of scale.

The 'Spill' from Krimmel Falls, Austria - August 2003

2009-03-01T03:31:00.000-08:00

Most photographers like to see 'blurred' or 'wedding-veil' moving water. I prefer to freeze it in its tracks. This is an icy cold stretch of the first 'spill', from Krimmel Falls and it's a stretch of water you wouldn't want to fall into, even in August, the month this picture was taken.

'Down The Tube.' (Selfridges - Birmingham) 10th Sept 2003

2009-02-16T10:15:00.000-08:00

The Cobb - Lyme Regis

2009-02-16T10:01:00.001-08:00

"All Hands - Clean Ship." Near Fradley, Staffordshire. Ist Nov. 2007

2009-02-16T09:52:00.000-08:00

The 'Slug' in Birmingham

2009-02-15T01:40:00.000-08:00

Cader Idris from Barmouth

2009-02-01T05:27:00.001-08:00

My alter-ego, in the shape of 'Photographer'

2009-02-01T05:18:00.000-08:00

I set up this blog primarily to talk about painting and to share some of my artwork. There's no reason why I can't post my own photographs I would hope, so I am putting up a few shots of the Welsh Mountains, near to the Holiday-resorts of Barmouth and Fairbourne, in North Wales. I hope you enjoy them. I haven't watermarked them, so if you do like any of them, please feel free to use as wall-papers etc. As long as you aren't selling them, without my permission I am happy.

For the technically minded... These were taken with a Nikon 5400 compact camera, with its standard Nikor lens.

Enjoy

John

Aftermath - Gloucestershire 2007

2008-11-02T05:16:00.000-08:00

No one can describe the anguish and the heartbreak that comes from having to watch a swollen river destroy your home. (In this case the River Severn) Thankfully, it didn't happen to me and it's doubtful it ever would, as I live 650 feet above sea level. This was by chance rather than choice, so I did feel that there but for the fates went I. Many people travelled to see the 'aftermath' of these floods. I was obliged to travel through the area on business and I was struck by the moist atmosphere and the still-leaden skies, muting the greens and seeping into my clothing. I couldn't stay to paint, but I did do a few sketches to take home. This is the result - my response to the misery that many people were feeling. I am sure they knew that life goes on, as this lone wanderer illustrates.

Sea and Sky (Water-colour and gouache) Quarter Imperial size

2008-09-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

A new work and one in which I strayed away from 'pure' watercolour. I used designer's white for the foam and gulls, so this picture could be described as mixed-media. It is painted on Arches (Rough) 130lbwaterclour paper. (Approx. 14" x 11" - 35 cm x 27.5 cm)

How I work with my watercolours

2008-09-16T01:15:00.000-07:00

When I am painting I mix up a good amount of each primary colour before I start. Then as I go, I use a fresh bowl for mixing colours together. I clean the brush before I dip into a fresh colour. I am not over-fussy, but I do believe that keeping a clean brush helps my washes look cleaner. Then again, my eyes aren't the best in the world!

I use tissue by the yard and while painting, I clean the palette by soaking up any mixed colour I don't think I'll use. So I buy kitchen-roll; it's bigger and much more absorbent. I wash the bowls out when I finish and being ceramic, they come up sparkling! These particular bowls are dishwasher and microwave safe, but I'm not discussing cooking!

Tube colours squeezed into the small, 'multi-palette' don't always get used right away, so I cover it with cling-film when I stop work and the colours stay reasonably soft for the next session.

When I am working plein-air, I sometimes use a new colour that I read about. I.e. 'filth', as Ted Wesson called it. I find that in the corners of my sketch-box!

Happy Painting.
John

My new system for colour mixing in the studio.

2008-09-15T11:13:00.000-07:00

Over the years I have used all manner of plates, saucers and other containers for mixing watercolour. I find the plastic palettes good enough, but most of them stain and for this reason I prefer white ceramic palettes. They don't stain and the finish itself doesn't turn to an ivory colour. Plates and saucers were fine, but tended to be shallow and of too large a diameter and I had to be careful when 'sloshing' the colour around; which I tend to do. Since I started using even bigger brushes and the large 'mops', I have found that I need to mix even larger quantities of colour, especially in the studio.

For sketching plein-air, I am using a Winsor & Newton sketch box, with four mixing wells and 20 full pans of colour. This is not too bad, but I do prefer to use tube colour. So I have ordered myself a new box; with 16 empty pans, into which I can squeeze out tube paint. Unfortunately I am going to have to wait for this until January 2009.

In the studio though I have settled on two sizes of porcelain, 'rice-bowls' for mixing my colour, depending on the size of wash I am laying. I think this is a much better arrangement. I'm not saying it is THE way to go, but I am finding it is working well and it's giving me bags of mixed colour to go at when laying big washes. The following images will explain; I hope.

If you want to try this, be my guest. The bowls were obtained online, from one of the UK's High Street department stores, found in most Cities. I bought 12 of each size, and the total cost was around £25.00. Considering the old tiny palettes I had were around £9.00 each, (I have two) I think these bowls are just the job. I must be careful not to smash any!

Close up.

2008-09-15T11:09:00.000-07:00

To the right, my watercolour sketch box. The rule in front of the bowls will give an idea of size. The larger bowls are 12cm across and the small, 'dipping-bowls' are 9 cm. I find this set up ideal and also I can eat rice from the bowls if I wish!

A Fresh System for mixing watercolour in the studio.

2008-09-15T10:41:00.000-07:00

The bowls are along the top of course. The 'flower-shaped' palette was one that had found its way into my 'stuff' and I hadn't much use for it originally. Now it's just the job to take colour squeezed from my tubes. Cling-film stretched over it keeps the colour fresh too. On the right of the board is my old palette; also porcelain, but tiny in comparison. Two of these cost me almost as much as the rice bowls.

Plein-air painting... See The Shapes - See TheTones.

2008-09-08T06:01:00.000-07:00

I realised quite suddenly, why I had trouble painting ‘plein-air’. It wasn’t the bad weather, or the scenes I chose to paint that put me off outdoor painting, but my inability to see the subject in a painterly fashion. In short, I was looking at the subject itself, and trying to 'copy' it. This was my big mistake.

I was finally told, by a fellow artist, who was better than me; and still is, "When you want to paint a landscape; say a mountain and a river; don't look at the mountain and the river. Look for the shapes and the tones; because that's what you are really painting. Just shapes and tones." He went on. "Look for the shapes of the mountain against the sky; the shape of the river as it wends its way. See the shapes, and then compare the tones one against the other. Later, much later, you add the highlights and details." He was right and it became so much easier, almost overnight.

I look at a scene I want to paint and I squint, breaking it all down into shapes and tones. That's all I can see through half-closed eyes.. Once I map those on the canvas or paper, I can paint away and as already said, add the details and highlights as I go. Of course it isn’t quite that easy; there is a little more to it… Like practice? However, that simplistic approach helps. So if you are having trouble with plein-air painting.

See the shapes; see the tones.

And good luck with you painting ventures.

I just found an author who is new to me.

2008-08-23T14:44:00.000-07:00

The other day I was wandering through the noble halls of "Amazonia". As usual I was looking for something to take me out of myself, or at the least persuade me to suspend my disbelief for a few blessed hours. I came across the work of R.J.Ellory. In light of that statement, what I am about to say might seem strange, because I didn't buy any of his books; yet.

Why not? Because all the reviews on Amazon, were so glowing, my innate suspicion dragged itself from slumber. (I was a Police Officer in a former life, so it's a given that whenever something sounds too good to be true then it usually is.) Also, whenever I buy a much vaunted book it does in fact let me down, maybe 90% of the time. This is so whether the praise comes from professional critics (Is there any such thing?) or amateur reader reviews.

These reviews aren't of much use in forming an idea of whether or not a book would suit me, because the readers, being kindly souls, don't give much plot-detail away and their views are as multi-edged as a rip-saw; at least as far as an author is concerned. (I never understood why Amazon encourage these reviews, which must pour the occasional bucket of ice-water on a likely, hot-purchaser! ) The end-game is that we have to use guesswork with readers' reviews; and they are probably more subjective than a publisher's blurb. To find a more balanced and reliable view, I decided on some judicious surfing ; as opposed to the aimless website-hopping I do; an excuse to procrastinate and avoid getting on with my chores. At 69, I should worry?

I digress... What I have read so far has persuaded me to go out to Waterstones, (is there anywhere else I wonder?) search the shelves for Mr. Ellory's books and do some real-time browsing. So watch this space friends. Also, if you have a literary bent, of the thriller - mystery variety then follow the link I placed in my links section to R.J. Ellory's blog. You should find it interesting.

Thanks for visiting and I'll see you soon.
Take care folks.

Winter Dress - Oil on canvas - 30" x 20"

2008-06-29T02:45:00.001-07:00

The Sentinel - Oil on Canvas - 30" x 20"

2008-06-29T02:39:00.001-07:00

Autumn Fire - Oil on Canvas Board - 20" x 16"

2008-06-29T02:38:00.001-07:00

Stepper Point, Polzeath, Cornwall - Pastel - 15" x 12"

2008-06-29T02:36:00.000-07:00

Nr. Buscot Weir, Oxon - Watercolour - 18" x 10"

2008-06-29T02:35:00.001-07:00

Water Wood - Watercolour - 16" x 12"

2008-06-29T02:34:00.001-07:00

Evening Walk - Watercolour - 18" x 10"

2008-06-29T02:32:00.001-07:00

Estuary Cottage - Watercolour - 22" x 18"

2008-06-29T02:31:00.001-07:00

Calm Moorings - Watercolour - 12" x 9"

2008-06-29T02:29:00.002-07:00

Across the Lake - Watercolour - 13" x 10"

2008-06-29T02:29:00.001-07:00

Autumn Rain - Watercolour - 13" x 10"

2008-06-29T02:27:00.001-07:00

The Red Coat - Watercolour - 14" x 9"

2008-06-29T02:23:00.001-07:00

Snowdust - Watercolour and Gouache - 12" x 8"

2008-06-29T02:02:00.000-07:00

Off Home - Watercolour - 15" x 10"

2008-06-29T02:01:00.000-07:00

Snowfields - Derbyshire - Watercolour - 20" x 12"

2008-06-29T02:00:00.001-07:00

This is a watercolour I worked from an idea by Geoff Kersey, the Derbyshire artist. My acknowledgments to Geoff Kersey.

The Way I Work

2008-06-28T05:54:00.000-07:00

I tend to flow between oil, acrylic and watercolour, with the occasional pastel for good measure.

I don't often paint 'Plein Air', although I do sketch outdoors and take photographs as source material. (I am sure that had the camera been available to the likes of Constable and Turner, they would have used it.)

The best of the game starts when I get back to my studio (shed), and start sketching out what I want to say, given the thoughts I had when I collected my material. It's so pleasantly surprising when something entirely different suggests itself and I end up using maybe just one tree from a photograph, to produce something so far removed from the original, locals wouldn't recognise the place and I dare not entitle the work, for the place I was at.

What do I paint on?

My favourite support for oils and acrylic is stretched linen canvas. I stretch my own raw canvas, size it and prime with lead-based primer, for oils and acrylic primer if I am using acrylics. I tint the primer with oil paint, to a colour that suits the subject I am going to paint; this is because there is a slight under-glow from the grounding, that does affect the look of the finished work. I have considered using marble-dust as a texturing medium, but I can't seem to source any in the UK. Instead I use a decorator's filling powder, and mix it with the primer. Especially if I am preparing a panel of 6mm MDF for a pastel. Much less expensive than proper 'pastel-primer'.

Other supports for oil and acrylic are primed MDF; ready-made artists' panels and even watercolour paper, suitably primed and glued to a firm ground. (The heavier weight the better here.) I have tried plywood panels, but not with so much success I fear. I much prefer solid wood, if I am going in this direction. .

What kind of paint do I use? Without advertising, I will just say I use artists' quality colours. They are more vibrant, they cover better and the pigments are richer altogether. That isn't to say I decry students' quality colours. I don't. I use them at times, mainly because I still have some left from the days when I started!

For watercolours I use the heaviest paper I can find, and I tend towards Arches (Pronounced 'Aaahsh' - the first part of a sneeze! That's what I am told, but I don't know for sure. As it is French it's probably true. ) I also like Fabriano; once again in as heavy a weight as I can get. Particularly, I like the ivory colour of this paper, coupled with its interesting and irregular texture. Ideal for loose watercolours. I also use Saunders Waterford and Whatman's papers. Unfortunately, I find Whatman acts like blotting-paper, soaking up colour much more quickly than the other papers I use. So, Whatman isn't a first choice as it doesn't suit my technique. (Wet into wet mostly.)

Brushes are sables and the modern sable-synthetic mix. I keep a set of long-handled sables for oil and acrylic work and my mahl stick is a piece of dowel, with a stuffed linen head on it. I saved here, as I made it myself!

So that is the practical side of my approach to painting... Make of it what you will!

Another WIP.

2008-06-28T04:26:00.000-07:00

This time, I have gone for a pure acrylic picture. It's painted on a stretched, linen canvas of 16" 12", so it's a smaller work and I went straight on to the manufacturer's priming. Acrylic paint doesn't bleed through so easily as the solvents in oil paint, so I feel safe here. Again, the flash has produced some glittering effect that isn't in the actual picture. More to follow on this one, which is making my creative mind fizz.

2008-06-28T04:18:00.000-07:00

A further stage in the development of the 'WIP' . The first application of oil has gone on and is now drying on the easel.

The background is being built up and should anyone think I am using 'metallic' oils, then the glitter effect is merely back-flash from the camera. The yellow I used for the partially hidden sun and its refections isn't right to my eyes, so I think I shall be going for Naples yellow when I can next get onto the painting.

The horizon isn't straight, I know, but that's the beauty of oils. I can redress it later, when I give the sea more treatment for depth of field and colour.

I want to do a few more similar painting, but I must gather my own sketches and photographs to interpret; even work 'plein air'. So, I am looking forward to visiting the coast again. I served in the Royal Navy for ten years, and it's been so long since I actually saw the waves. I really believe I am pining for my 'Mistress', the Cruel Sea!

A Work in Progress

2008-06-28T03:55:00.000-07:00

I am not an art student as such and I don't usually 'copy' other artists, or other photographers. Student or not, I am still learning all the time. So I feel there are occasions when copying teaches me something. This is a case in point. A work that I am undertaking, in order to force my hand and to change my artistic direction.

It is inspired by the work of Tina Morgan, who lives and works in the delightful West Country of England. Among other subject matter, Tina paints the most appealing, back-lit (contre jour) beach scenes that I have come across of late. She works in a fairly loose, impressionistic manner; although a viewer can see at a glance what her pictures represent; and ( to me), what she is trying to say.

If I succeed in producing a picture that even approaches her standard, then I'll be satisfied that I can change my artistic direction. So here is the first stage of a beach scene. This is an acrylic under-painting, painted on Arches 300lb watercolour paper, primed with acrylic primer and mounted onto 6mm thickness MDF. (Medium Density Fibreboard) The overall size is 22 inches by 16 inches.
I found the Arches, rough watercolour paper to be robust enough to stand up to hogs hair brushes and a fairly vigorous 'attack'. At the same time, the surface of the paper shows through the thinner under-painting and adds to the overall effect. Much better than painting a thick coat of primer, leaving brush-marks, which never look convincing, especially in smaller sized pictures. The picture here is to be finished in oils.

Back to Painting?

2008-03-09T01:58:00.000-08:00

I have been kicking my heels with my writing... I haven't given up, but I was persuaded to go back to my painting ways... I work in oil, watercolour, pastel and acrylic - not much of acrylic lately. No particular reason, although I find the colours somewhat garish.

I even started to build a web-site, but the task appears to be beyond me. Unless it's my nerve that's failing me. After all, at 69, I should be putting my feet up; yet I can't abide idleness.

Still this blogging idea bugs me; mystifies me... I just can't see how it's of any use. I see others doing great, yet I can't find out how to link with them. I comment on others' blogs, but I never get any return visits, to build up an online circle of blog-pals. Do I need to learn how to market myself?

Well, I am going to try, and I'll find out how to throw pictures at this blog too. Eventually.

So be seeing you all.

Still Slogging; and blogging...

2006-01-18T02:57:00.000-08:00

Honest! I am still slogging along with the 'Great British Novel'. The GBN? Who am I kidding? I wouldn't care if it was a laundry list, if someone wanted to publish it. Oh heck... that isn't true really.. I would care and I do care that those readers out there get the best I can produce.

I sometimes wonder if that's what holds me back. Am I holding back from finishing anything for fear of success? I am told that is a common dither among unpublished writers. (. The unpublished bit isn't strictly true.) I have had short-stories published over the years, but nothing between hardcovers. So is fear of success my excuse? Is that why I collect so many first chapters; or in the slightly better times, half-developed novels?

But as I said the last time I blogged, blogging might get in the way, so I should be getting on with my book I suppose. After all, if I can admit in public to the fear of success, then what have I to fear about possible rejection?

Come on man.... get on with it...

Happy reading folks

I Hate Holidays

2006-01-02T07:15:00.000-08:00

Yeah I really do hate Holidays. Mind you, I am retired so every day is a holiday. Isn't it?

So I was led to believe, but the truth of the matter is different. I am wondering how I found the time to go to work.

Now, I have discovered what work really is. Work is all that stuff around the house that I never had time for when I was 'at work'. Nor to be frank, did I have the money; at least not enough to do all those things I never had time for, how I would like to have done them. I.e., properly. Now I do have time, and not much more money, I still can't do those things; properly.

I could have found time to have a go over this holiday, but because, at this time of year, the British workers are enjoying their well-earned two weeks holiday, I can't disturb those in my neighbourhood, by starting up woodwork machinery. Yes, I think Holidays get in the way.

So what other work can I find? I can glue my posterior to a chair, in front of the PC and write.
At least I could do, until I started blogging. I wonder how much of my precious time this will consume?

Ah well, back to the grindstone. Chapter Three beckons. Or should I do things about face and start with the last Chapter? After all, isn't that how all good Mysteries are done?

Take care everyone and a Happy New Year.

Until next time.