Still on the escalator

The time seems to be going at warp speed at the moment, but I don't seem to be getting enough painting time.  Something has got to go.  I have cut down my exercises classes, but this week sees the start of my Artist Residency at Scarborough's Old Parcels Office, so that will give me the time needed to do some exploration, particularly on a large scale.

I didn't get in to the Open Exhibition I applied for, so here is one of the paintings I put forward.

'Solitude' acrylic on canvas 24 x 20 inch

I still think it's a good painting, and will be getting it framed to put on my wall.  If I can get it framed quickly enough, I could put it in to the Bridlington Art Society annual exhibition.

Still running up the down escalator

My flu/cold has left me tired and breathless, so it's slowed me right down.  I have had a lot to do over the last couple of weeks, with preparations for the Artist Residency at the Old Parcel's Office in Scarborough starting soon, plus entering work into the Woodend Open exhibition.  There are also two other exhibitions, one entry this week and one entry in three weeks.  I want to push myself to reach higher in my professional practise, so I don't want to give in.  All the exhibitions are via online applications, so at least I don't have to get the work framed and take it in, unless I am accepted!

I visited the OPO at Scarborough last Wednesday and its a great space, in fact a very great big space, so I am looking forward to it, it just means losing three afternoons a week, an hour travel, plus at least two hours actually working there.  I want to try and fit in another hour for research and sketching around Scarborough if possible.  Something has to give, and it's going to be my exercise classes.  Until I caught this flu/cold thing, I was doing 8-12 classes a week.  I can't keep that up unfortunately and get work done as well.  So I am planning on cutting down to 5 classes a week.

The second  exhibition is in Lincoln.  It sounds great, and I have a project that I have wanted to do for a long time, based around the fishing industry of Bridlington, the fall and rise of fishing in fact.  This exhibition doesn't actually take place until January 2017, but I'm not altogether sure how it actually works, so I need to give them a ring.

The third one is based in Bridlington, and doesn't have to be in until 10th July, but what I had planned is a complex piece of work, and I don't know if I will have time for it.  I may try to combine it with the OPO Scarborough.

As if that's not enough, I am trying to keep up with a 'drawing a day' practise, which is turning out to be more like 3-6 drawings a day.  I feel fired up to improve my drawing, and just need to go with that feeling whilst I can fit it in.

I'm not posting a picture this week as all the work I have around the studio is for the above exhibitions and I don't want to tempt fate by posting early.

 I apologize in advance - the spell checker isn't working on blogger, so there my be errors.

Colds and work

I started with what I thought was hay-fever on Friday, but it may be a cold as I still have it, even though it's now raining.  The rain usually clears the pollen from the air.

I went to Hull yesterday with a friend to check out a drawing class.  It's a 'back to basics' sort of class, but we both feel that this would be good for our practise.  We had a look at the BA work first and didn't feel that the organisation of it was very good, no labelling of either names of students or the course they had taken.  The fact that there was hardly anyone there is an indication of the feeling it generated.

We then went over to the FE side and found the place packed, the staff were completely different too, couldn't do enough for us, drinks, seats, brochures and arranged transport to the other site where we saw some extremely good work, all correctly labelled, and with a member of staff escorting visitors around and answering any questions - a perfect presentation.  We have left our contact details as we have been told that the tutor will ring us to discuss our needs and arrange an interview.  It all sounds promising.

I haven't managed very much painting this week unfortunately, and what I have done is for the Woodend Open Summer Exhibition which I don't want to post yet.

The picture above is work I have on my studio wall, work that isn't for sale.  They are all from my 'Coast' series of on going work.  The top two pieces are very simple stitched wax paper with found beach treasures, representing the ebb and flow of the tide.  The bottom two are mixed media paintings, representing the fishing villages of North Yorkshire that cling to the cliffs, tiny communities holding fast against the massive force of the North Sea.

Working in different styles

I've been working on three paintings in the last week or so.  The subject is the same in each, but the style is different.  Or I should say the style is meant to be different.  It is very difficult to change your way of doing things, you get into the 'zone' and just revert to the old tried and tested way.

This painting was done using high chroma colours, in the style of the Scottish Colourists.  It's not quite finished, but I want to leave it for at least a week so I see it with fresh eyes, and can see what needs doing to finish it.

I'm also writing an article for Diane, Jacqui and I as a form of self-promotion.  It's been difficult to get together and get the necessary photographs done.  So difficult to take pictures of yourself working as you need a friend or a camera timer, and you can only really pretend to be working as you are aware of the camera, and the fact that you can't move much.

Studio sorted, but no time to use it

My studio is looking good, if as bit crammed, but I haven't had time to use it.  I've been out every day this week, either at the Gym or for art related reasons.

I am determined to spend the week-end working, I'm feeling a little stir crazy from not painting.

This is a piece that will be part of a hanging, can't say more about it at the moment, but all will be revealed later.

Studio reorganisation

I have spent a lot of time this week moving the studio around, general tidying up and making two workstations; one for oil paintings and one for acrylic or watercolour painting with the new easel I bought at ArtWaves exhibition last weekend. Until I start to use the areas, I don't know if its going to work, so I need to get painting.

I haven't actually managed to get much done actually painting, so this is just a beginning I'm posting.  I'm not sure where it's going to, not even sure if it's a seascape or landscape yet.

beginning, 20 x 20 inch

Another week has flown past

We finished at Burton Agnes on Tuesday.  Didn't do too bad, but the footfall is drastically down.

I wasn't feeling too great, a combination of the ongoing back problems, plus very tired, and then a sore throat and cough, presumably because I feel worn out.

I'm feeling much better now, and have started working in my 'Trees' workbook again, preparatory to the TSG summer school in July.

I have also ordered 6 canvasses for my artist residency at Scarborough Old Parcels Office, the complete work being 1m x 4m.  I have started planning out how this is going to work, but I am a bit worried that I won't get it all done during the time I have there.  Hopefully I will find time in the next couple of weeks to make a start on the research - walking, collecting, sketching over on the north side of Scarborough, starting at the Sealife centre.

I have also had a lovely time experimenting with pouring acrylics, and am very excited by the results.  It is messy and I think I need to get some of those plastic clogs to change into when I'm doing it as it's difficult not to walk into the puddled paint.  I have a plastic sheet down, but I'm thinking of putting sheets of paper underneath as these would be absorbent, and would make nice beginnings, or failing that, sketchbook pages.

Modiglianis piazza

The above is a collage painting started at Cober Hill.  It's quite large for me, 25 inch square.  I haven't had time to do any more to it, and I'm not sure I want to finish it, so it will be propped up against the studio wall for a while until I decide to either paint over it or work on it.