Very much enjoying this smaller piece (12 x 9″) on Ampersand board again, which gives a smooth, controlled finish. Not sure how it would work on a larger work as you would lose that control but for smaller paintings it is a great surface to work on. I apologise in advance that this young woman will be smoking a cigarette ( to be put in at a later stage when underpainting is completed ). I was myself a cigarette smoker for years, and I am well aware of the health risks, hence giving up a long time ago. However, I do think it makes for a good composition and I feel the same about placing a glass of wine into a painting every so often; sometimes it just completes the piece. I haven’t decided on a title yet, but I feel this woman is thinking quite deeply about something; she is weighing up the pros and cons of something important to her and she has come out to the hallway to be on her own, have a quiet cigarette and just…….. reflect. The colours in the dress will be much more vibrant and jewel bright as time goes on and I…
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I love starting a new painting, always so exciting working out the composition and the colours. Sometimes I think I should leave a work at its first stages, as there is that loose impressionistic look to it which can be very appealing. However, the perfectionist in me then weighs in and I have to be very careful not to end up with a too ‘tight’ finished piece. Wish me luck. The model I worked for this time came and worked with me one evening alongside a wonderful potter/sculptor who had some great ideas about styling and lighting. We used his home as the backdrop to the photos and between the three of us came up with some fabulous images. My model just seemed to know which poses to settle into and turned up with beautiful dresses and accessories. I am delighted with the results as you will hopefully see in the next series of paintings beginning with this one. I went to see the ‘Beyond Caravaggio’ exhibition in London recently and yet again was overwhelmed by his use of chiaroscuro, the lights and darks in the paintings and this is what I am aiming to achieve myself. A long haul…
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This was an interesting painting to complete as I wanted to keep a slightly impresssionistic feel to the work but also wanted to work up the detail on the two figures, particularly the lemon yellow dress. If I had detailed the background too much I think that a) it would take attention away from the couple in the foreground and b) the work would become too tight and ‘chocolate box’ in appearance. I am happy with the finished painting. Next week I begin a series of paintings using photos I took recently of one of my favourite models in a new setting. I am hugely excited about this and can’t wait to get started. Keep a check on the Blog for updates. I am looking forward to getting back to interiors again. Great White Art gallery in Bristol (www.greatwhiteart.com) just completed a two week exhibition on Pop Art and several of my Line Art acrylic paintings were featured. If you are in Bristol do drop by and have a look. They are a sister gallery of Clifton Fine Art gallery three doors up on Perry Road (BS1 5BG). I have just sent out my latest Newsletter with news about two upcoming…
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