Still Life collage

Felt like doing some collage today, so I got out all my papers that I have coloured and patterned, prepped up some boards and got started.

It's very compulsive, once you start adding papers to boards to form backgrounds, and I ended up making eight of various sizes.  I managed to stop myself, and get on actually designing a Still Life collage on one of the prepared boards.  

Still Life Collage, mixed media acrylic, 9 x 9 inch

I also use transparent papers, a technique learnt from Jane Davies in her Extreme Composition class.  These are so useful for adding pattern without adding colour.  I like to use Tissuetex, sometimes called Lens Tissue, or Abaca Tissue.  This is a very strong tissue, which when glued down is almost invisible.  I use markers, pencils and pens to scribble, write or stamp onto the tissues.  

I also use catering greaseproof paper in the same way, the catering type being thinner than normal.  I like the fact that the greaseproof wrinkles when wet, giving texture to the work.  Thank you Jane Davies.

I have worked into the piece when it was dry, with charcoal and water-soluble pencil.

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!

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.

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

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

Extreme Composition, lesson 3 again

Another composition from the Jane Davies online workshop

colour field painting 12 x 10

Extreme Composition,lesson 3

Following on from previous posts, this piece is from the Jane Davies online workshop, Extreme Composition.  Lesson three was on colour field painting.

colour-field painting 12 x 12

Marc Rothko being a well-known colour-field painter.  This is where the colour IS the whole focus of the painting.

Extreme Composition, lesson one

I felt I should add a piece of work from lesson one, which was about line, and this is it.  I feel some tension in these lines.

Line, 10 x 12

Only a few more days to go to the end of the first month, it seems to have gone remarkably quickly.  I have managed, excepting for a few days last week, to keep to a studio routine of two hours morning and two hours in the afternoon, most days. , I haven't managed to work out where the textile work fits into this regime yet.

I work upstairs in a bedroom, when stitching or working on the embellisher.  Perhaps because the studio is 'in my eye' every time I go from the living room to the kitchen, and also the desktop computer is in the studio, so I go in frequently to use it and see work laying about.

Extreme composition, two

Another painting from the Extreme Composition workshop with Jane Davies.  This came in Lesson two, of six lessons as did the first piece.

Stack one, 10 x 12

Stacks are something I have played about with in the past.  I love to see actual pebbles stacked up, and a painting of them gives the same slightly insecure or apprehensive feeling.  This is good, it makes you look again.

Extreme composition

I have been taking part in an online workshop by Jane Davies, on Extreme Composition.  It's a very good workshop, and is making me work hard both mentally and physically.

I thought I would post an occasional painting from that workshop here as it does come under the heading of experimentation and development.

Extreme one 10 x 12

This painting came under the heading of 'two shapes and a line'.  Line is something I find difficult to add to a painting, merely because it is something I haven't really done before.  I think it does add to the painting, and needs to be experimented with more.