Abstract collage

As a change from the Still Life painting, I did a few abstract collages yesterday.  I love preparing the collage papers, using brush, roller, spray, stamp, scraper - in fact anything to make a mark.  I then go over the dry papers with more mark making using pen, pencil, crayon.

I like to use either catering greaseproof paper or tissue paper.  I order the cheapest I can find on EBay, and they are usually very thin, without too much surface sizing.  They take the colour very well and are thin enough to almost disappear when they are collaged down.  Sometimes the greaseproof wrinkles with the moisture, but I like the added texture, so don't worry about it.  I use Matt Acrylic Gel medium to glue down the papers.

Abstract collage on board, 12 x 16

 I can hardly believe I am at the end of month two.  This is the 59th painting I have posted since Christmas.  Of course I have done many more, particularly during the Jane Davies online course.

This year I had decided to do less exhibitions (we did 6 last year!) and concentrate on painting EVERY day, and taking as many courses as I could afford, and fit in.

I have signed up for Jane's Sketchbook Challenge online course starting on the 25th March (now full), and I have also signed up for her online course '100 Drawings on Cheap Paper'  which focuses on different elements each week, creating quantity, letting go of inner judgement.  This course doesn't start until September.  I missed the one in January as it was full and I don't want to miss it again!  If the last course is anything to go by I will end up making 20-40 a week, rather than 10, which is all to the good, if very tiring.  I have marked it on the calendar and will try to keep the ten weeks relatively free!

I am also doing several real time textile based courses, and trying to maintain my textile blog lynneportermaterialmatters.blogspot.  This has suffered so far because I was fully stretched doing this blog and the Jane Davies online course.  I intend to fit in at least one and preferably two blog posts a week in the future on the textile blog, and I will set aside one morning and one afternoon to work on samples in my 'dry' studio, which is actually our spare bedroom.    See the textile blog for more on this.


This blog will of course continue daily.

Still Life, rework of first painting

I have taken a photograph of the first still life in the series, altered it in Photoshop Elements, printed it out onto watercolour paper, and then re-worked it.  The photograph has come out a little bright.

I find this is a quick way to experiment with a painting, and if I find I really like the result, I will then go on and actually paint it on board.

Still Life No.1 reworked, acrylic, 10 x 12

 I have also taken another photograph of yesterday's painting.  The colours are more accurate now but it is a little brighter than the photograph shows, but if I alter the brightness, the colours are not true.  I think it maybe because there is a lot of scumbling one colour over another.

Still Life, version 3

I am enjoying this series, or sequence of paintings, and will be doing more in March.

Still Life version three

This is the work I hoped to post yesterday.  I still want to work on it a little more.  The photograph has come out with the wrong colours, so I need to take the photograph again in better light.  I am very pleased with the composition, and want to do more in this style.

Still Life, version three.  Acrylic and Conte pencil, 12 x 16 inch

Quick sketch aain

I haven't finished yesterday's painting, so here is a quick one I did last week.

Headland, oil, 8 x 8 inch

Playing catch up

Today I am playing catch up as I was away most of yesterday, so only a quick composition sketch in black and white acrylic.

Mono painting, cruciform composition 10 x 12 inch

Still Life, after Braque

This is the same still life as yesterday, but with influence from Georges Braque and Georgi Morani.  I wanted to get some tension into the work, hence the angles.  I left out the line of the backdrop deliberately, but may put it in later.

Still Life, acrylic 10 x 10 inch

Still life, muted colours

I hope this is the first in a series of work based on this still life.  The actual objects are matt white, but have a warm light shining on them.

Still Life, acrylic  10 x 10 inch

I have been looking again at the work of Ben Nicholson and the St. Ives group, and have been influenced by their colours.

Extreme composition, lesson 6, part three

Sadly, the last work in this great online course with Jane Davies.  I have enjoyed it so very much, and have learned a great deal, particularly mark making and layering with transparent papers.  I am already taking some of these elements into my work.

Part three was looking at modular work as part of working in a series.  That is, work which would be displayed together as a body of work.  Again we worked from a previous painting for our inspiration.

from lesson 2

Triptych modular pieces overall 34 x 9 inch

Extreme Composition, lesson 6, part 2

This part of the lesson was looking at Extreme formats, working in a series and using a painting from a previous lesson as our source and inspiration.  I choose a piece from lesson 4.  I should have done three pieces but ran out of time.

from lesson 4

Extreme format 24 x 8 inch

Extreme Composition lesson 6

This is the last lesson in the Extreme Composition course.  The six weeks with Jane Davies have been very good, very intense, but very informative.  It has been exciting seeing the other student's work, and their response to the lesson, as well as watching Jane's video's.

This lesson is about Proportion, Orientation and Format, taking them to Extremes.  It was also about working in a series, and working in Modular Format.  The first part of the lesson was an optional warm up exercise, in our own style, but using extreme formats.  Although I had only one day to paint, I decided to do this option.

The picture below is my first of the lesson, showing an extreme vertical format.

'Dawn breaking'. Acrylic, mixed media 24 x 8 inch

It's my 50th post today  I'm absolutely amazed and over the moon that I've managed to keep going for so long.  It's been very difficult some weeks to actually 'make' work, and some weeks have been so busy I have had to squeeze in painting.  Anyway, here's to the next 50 posts until I reach my century!

A quick oil pastel sketch

A quick oil pastel sketch, done from life.  The background was first painted with gesso and a little molding paste to give texture.

Extreme Composition, lesson 5

Another painting from lesson 5, random marks.  I will be posting the work from lesson 6 tomorrow.  That means that the course is over.  I have enjoyed it very much, although it has been very hard work.  I think I have probably made over 100 pieces of work in the six weeks, not including the paintings which I have posted in between the lessons.

Extreme Composition, lesson 5

Another piece from lesson 5, I think this one works better than yesterday.  I find it quite difficult to work on this size of paper.

lesson 5, 18 x 24 inch

Extreme Composition, lesson 5 random marks

In lesson 5 of the Extreme Composition online workshop with Jane Davies we began by making random marks all over the sheet, then isolated two areas with a viewfinder and developed them in different ways.  We then had to bring these two areas together into one whole painting, which was much harder than it sounds, and it sounds hard!

lesson 5,  18 x 24 inch

Half way through February already, and I am still managing to keep going.

Wolds Field

The photograph for this painting was taking nearby, on a cold winter day, the grasses were half dead, but were blown in the wind, looking like waves running down the hill.  The soil is reddish brown around here.

Wolds Field, 8 x 8, oil

Rannock Moor

If ever there was a place that was totally linked to the weather it's Rannock Moor.  The first time I went it was cold and overcast, and looked like something out of a horror story.  the second time,  when I took the photograph this painting was worked from, it was windy but sunny spells as they say.  I have been several times since, and the weather always alters the atmosphere of the moor.

Rannock Moor, oil 8 x 8

Extreme Composition, lesson 4, another one

And another sample from this online workshop

extreme composition, lesson 4

Extreme Composition class, lesson 4

Here is another sample from the Extreme Composition class with Jane Davies.

Extreme composition, lesson 4

Staithes, oil sketch

Another painting of Staithes, done from a sketch.  This is oil, with Markel Oil stick.

Staithes, oil, 14 x 10

Polperro, Cornwall

Worked from a photograph I took a few years ago.  A lovely place.

Polperro, oil, 12 X 16

Extreme Composition, lesson four, another piece of work

Another piece from lesson four of Jane Davies' Extreme Composition workshop.  Once again it is demonstrating using transparent tissue overlays.  There are less to see in this piece as I painted over some of them, but the black and turquoise marks bottom right and bottom left are on tissue.  

I used Tissutex conservation tissue, which is great as it has a very strong wet strength and is easy to paste down onto the painting.  I also used dressmaker's tissue which isn't too strong but has a nice finish.

Extreme Composition, lesson four

The workshop with Jane Davies continues.  Lesson four is about Extreme Variety.  This piece is to demonstrate using transparent materials in painting.  The black scribble is on the transparent tissue.

Extreme Composition Lesson four, a

I am so enjoying this workshop, but I am exhausted, it is so compelling that I am working on the course four days a week, probably 12-15 hours in total.  I am producing around 30-40 samples of work each lesson, and have a portfolio bursting with work.

On top of that of course I am also making paintings to put on this blog!   Art Matters

Seascape, after Turner

Another painting in the style of a master.  This was worked from a sketch of Flamborough Head, about a mile from where I live.

Flamborough Head, 14 x 16inch, oil, palette knife

Still Life, after Cezanne

Decided to do some paintings in the style of artists I admire.  Cezanne had to be first, I love his edgy brushstrokes.  This was worked from a still life I set up in the studio.

Still Life, 16 x 12, oil

Scottish abstract again

Another loose painting, based on a previous painting of Scottish cottages.  Worked on a collage base as yesterday's.

Scottish village, 10 x 12, acrylic

Scottish abstract

Based loosely on previous paintings of Scottish crofts.  Acrylic over collage base, plenty of acrylics inks allowed to drip and dribble to give some excitement.

The Manse, acrylic, 10 x 12

Venice, Grand Canal

Another view of Venice, painted from a photograph, on black gessoed substrate. working with scrubby, loose strokes.

Venice, Grand Canal, 10 x 14 inch, oil, 

 

February and a trip to Venice

I printed out some of the photographs my daughter took when she went to Venice last year.  Today's is the first of several paintings I hope to do of Venice.

Venice backwater, oil on board, 10 x 14

I hope to do a lot more experimentation during February, including different substrates.  This is painted  on a black gessoed board.