Two posts in one day

I was really annoyed that I missed blogging on Monday, so I am posting again today to make up for it.

This piece is worked on a ground I made myself.  It started off as one of my abstract collages on board, I then applied a mix of pumice powder and acrylic medium to it, to give a key for the pastel.

I forgot to take a photo of the prepared board, so I will do another one tomorrow.  I enjoyed working on this surface, even though it was quite rough and wrinkled in places, it gives the pastel a fresco painting look which I like. The painting isn't finished, but I need to buy another fig before I can work on it any further.

Srtill Life painting

Seems I can't get away from Still Life paintings.  I wasn't very well today, but I had this painting half done, or rather more than half done, so I finished it today.

Still Life, Oil & oil bars, 16 x 10 inch

I worked on it today with Markel Oil Bars, which are oil paint in a solid stick.  I like to use these when I want a loose, textured look.

I've painted this still life several times, the first time from observation, but subsequent paintings done from the first painting.  I like to try out different techniques, styles and materials with the same subject.

Still life drawing

Just for a change I did a still life drawing today.  Feeling very tired, not sure why, so no painting again.

Still Life drawing 4 x 8 inch

Still Life No. 9

I had already made a start on this Still Life Collage, so decided to finish it, then put away my collage papers.  I am still not sure what I am going to do tomorrow but I might get out my oil paints again.  I'll just wait and see.

Still Life Collage, acrylic mixed media, 9 x 11 inch

Still Life No. 7, plus two more 100artworks

Another small Still Life, as I am trying to catch up with the Jane Davies online workshop 'Sketchbook Practise'.

Still Life No. 7, acrylic, 6 x 6 inch

And here are No.'s 7 & 8 of the 100 Artworks challenge

100 Artworks Challenge No. 7, acrylic, 5½ inch square

100 Artworks Challenge, acrylic, 5½ inch square, palette knife

Still Life No. 6 plus two more 100artworks

I didn't have too much time today, so worked on a small Still Life.  It's good to change scale sometimes as it makes you think again about composition, and the scale of mark making.

Still Life No. 6, acrylic, 6 x 6 inch

I also managed to do a couple more of the 100 Artworks challenge in the Landscape Series.

100 Artworks, No. 5, acrylic 5½ inch square

100 Artworks No.6, acrylic, 5½ inch square

Still Life collage No.5 and No.3 & 4 of the 100 Artworks Challenge

Yet another still life collage, I haven't got tired of doing these yet, and am still loving them.  I have 3 or 4 prepared boards still to use, so expect more of them.

Still Life collage, acrylic, 10 x 14 inch

And here are two more for the 100 Artworks Challenge

100 Artworks Challenge, No.3, acrylic mixed media 5½ inch square

100 Artworks Challenge No. 4 acrylic mixed media 5½ inch square

I am so enjoying doing these small acrylics, giving me a chance to experiment with no pressure.  they only take between 15 and 30 minutes, so if it doesn't work I haven't lost much time, and the materials are pennies.

Thanks to Kellee Wynne for coming up with the challenge.  On her blog today she talks about taking it a step further, making it 10 x 100 Artworks, and I think it's a great idea.  I want to do still life for my next 100!

Still Life Collage No.4

I am so enjoying working with these still life collages.  Each one is an exploration of composition, colour and tone. 

Still Life No. 4, acrylic mixed media, 6 x 7 inch

And here is my second painting in the 100 Artworks Challenge, organised by Kellee Wynne, see yesterday for link.

100 Artworks No.2, acrylic 5½ inch square

I've also worked on about a dozen mark making pages for the sketchbook Practise online workshop with Jane Davies, but will post them over on that blog as they aren't very exciting.

Had a good day today, but I'm tired out.

Still Life Collage No.3

I am much happier with this one, I think the balance of light and dark, warm and cool, has worked.  The objects are also balanced small and large, angular and curved.

Still Life No.3, acrylic mixed media, 9 x 10 inch

Later today I will be adding another artwork.  I have joined the '100 Artworks Challenge' started by Kellee Wynne

You can read all about it here:The 100 Artworks Challenge by Kellee Wynne  The idea is to create 100 pieces of artwork within these loose guidelines:

• One size (small works or large if you dare!)
• One substrate (paper, canvas, etc)
• One subject (landscape, still life, imaginary, abstract, etc)
• One set of materials (printmaking, acrylic, mixed media, etc.)
• Work every week, but without a deadline
• Share your work

To explore one thing and improving that by repetition. I have decided to go with 'Landscapes'  I think at the moment I am going with very loose landscapes, but I will see where it takes me.

I am starting on heavy 'all media' paper by Seawhites, cut to 5½ inch (14cm)  square.  I want to explore other formats later so this will change to include landscape and portrait rectangles, including extreme formats in these.

I have made myself a 'list' of ideas to explore such as complementary colours, analogous colours, neutrals, high and low key colours.  I am also going to experiment with the backgrounds, including gesso, absorbent medium, light molding paste, and collage.

I will also try to experiment with mark making, including the tools, round brush, flat brush, palette knife, fingers, credit card, stamps, scratching tools etc.

Lastly I want to look at compositional formats such as cruciform, diagonal, S curve, low horizon, high horizon etc.  So no pressure!

And if that isn't enough, I also start Jane Davies 'Sketchbook Practise online workshop today, which will last for the next six weeks, and I know that I will be producing loads of work for that.  So I may not get much sleep over the next couple of months.

Here is the first of my 100 Artworks Challenge

100Artworks No.1, acrylic, 5½ inch square

Still life collage No. 2

Here is the second in the series of Still Life collages.  I am not quite so happy about this one.  I think it needs a little something else, but will leave it on the wall for a while to see where to go with it.

Still Life Collage, acrylic mixed media,  9 x 10inch

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.

still here

The weekend away was cancelled so after I put away all the stuff I was taking, I got out the charcoal and white Conte and did some drawing.

Still Life, charcoal & Conte, 9 x 12

I first drew this still life last year, from observation.  I worked this piece from a photograph I took at the time. It isn't as good as the original, but that piece was sold.

Still Life, after image

I spent the day at a workshop held by Driffield Art Society, lead by Paul Blackwell and Anne Thornehill.  The subject I (and most of the other attendees) chose was a white still life, light with a red light.

Paul explained about after image, and how a red light will actually give the shadows a green tint, and this was a fact.  We also noticed, as the day went on, that we saw more and more colour in the WHITE still life.  The sun came out and purple and yellow were added to the green and red.  Altogether a very good exercise, which I will be repeating when I find coloured bulbs for my lamp.

Still Life, acrylic,  14 x 15 inch

I still need to finish this piece, the top of the vase needs resolving, and the mid tones need strengthening, but it's a painting I really enjoyed.

The colour hasn't quite come out correctly in this photo, probably because I took it when the light was fading.  The orange at the left of the vase is more pinky.

Still life, stitched

I managed to get the still life I showed yesterday stitched.  I'm not sure if I am going to leave it as is, or add more paint and/or mark making.  I will probably print out the photo onto watercolour paper and experiment with it that way.   I wish I had left the pears with only a little stitching, as they leap forward now, and I don't want to add a lot more stitching to the rest of the picture.

Printing onto watercolour paper (or thin canvas) is something I have done for a few years now, and is very freeing, as if things go wrong I can always print out another copy to work on.  I also play about with the photo's of my work in Photoshop, changing the colours and tones, cropping and even stretching or adding artistic filters.

Stitched Still Life, acrylic, collage, stitch, 8 x 8 inch

I have also including a quick collage I made using transparent papers.  I like to use up any surplus acrylic paints or inks with transparent papers that I can then use in collage.  I use thin greaseproof (deli paper), catering tissue which is like the paper they wrap bread in at the bakery, and dressmakers tissue.

Still Life collage 8 x 9 inch

The pears are greaseproof paper, which wrinkles when wet and leaves these lovely marks when you paint it with very liquid colour.  The only problem with making collage papers in this way is I find it difficult to stop, and have mounds of them.

Still Life on canvas

I hurt my shoulder last night, so haven't managed to do much today.  The picture below is of a part worked still life.  It still has a long way to go, firstly with machine stitching, then maybe paint or pencil.  It will also need a good press!

Still Life, mixed media  8 x 8 inch

Still Life

I started this still life with the idea that I would do it in the style of Mary Fedden.  Unfortunately it just ran away and ended in my own quirky style, so it ended up more after Van Gogh than Fedden.  I seem unable to leave a hard line.  I was also looking at a book about Anne Redpath when I had my lunch, so the teapot is more in her style.  I must try and stick to a plan!

Still Life, acrylic,  12 x 16 inch

I'm not happy with the background on the right, and am going to make it much darker.  I also need to tidy it up generally.   The composition is too strong on the left and is unbalanced, so I hope the dark background on the right will help this.

I love the fruit bowl, I found it in a charity shop, which is where I find most of my still life props.

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

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.