Discussing Scale

Just a little one today - at 8x10 inches. Recently I have been thinking quite a lot about scale and I have decided that I will mainly work at a maximum of life size - it just seems to work better for me, rather than the big heads popular at places like the BP portrait award.

Partly this is because that although I do work in (many) layers, what you see (especially skin) is generally done in one go - and that gets difficult beyond a certain size.

The paintings done in the life room are also "one-go" paintings and don't seem to work if any edge is longer than 12 inches. I suspect this will hold true of painting plein air too.

So currently I am investigating supports - how to get good, small surfaces in various proportions - and this seems much harder than you'd think, with most manufacturers producing a very limited range. However, I have found a source of small stretcher bars and am working on stretching and preparing my own small canvases. Boy does oil primer stink!

Oil Paintings In Progress

Been busy painting rather than typing as there are a few events coming up - The Glasgow Art Club's joint prizewinner show in December as well as the RGI Kelly and Art Exposure Galleries Christmas Shows.

So here are a few that have been begun - there are a few more finished works lurking about, as well, that will be photographed the next time there is a sunny day.

And Back Home . . . PAI 2012

If any of you are paying attention, you'll notice that this painting was posted back in December. However, this particular image is the product of Lighthouse Photography who has done a much better job than I have ever managed. Also, I believe it is currently on display at Paisley Art Institute 2012 exhibition.

Glasgow Art Show 2012

When I went to see Frances at Art Exposure at the weekend, she told me that my paintings were all wrapped up and ready to go to the Glasgow Art Show - most exciting! Unfortunately she wasn't sure if she would have space for them to hang or not (especially as she had just got a delivery of pretty big still-wet Paul Kennedy paintings, which looked pretty amazing. She also has a few Howson's to show.
It was a couple of years ago that I visited the old Glasgow Art Fair, which used to be held in George Square, and promised myself that one day I would be one of the artists showing. Now it's happening and hopefully this new show will be as interesting as the old fair. It is happening in the Grand Ballroom at the Thistle Hotel, corner of Renfrew and Sauchiehall Streets, and there are about 50 galleries showing - Art Exposure is opposite the bar, which is nice and handy. Hopefully some of you will make it along and if so, please tell me what you thought.

Not A Drawing - day 7

Most definitely not a drawing, although it did start as one - I draw on canvas with watercolour pencil, then paint in lights/darks with thinned paint before starting to paint in colour with paint from the tube. I only feel it has become a painting at that last stage - where we are with this one now.

Working with just the head and shoulders does seem to be fascinating me at the moment - there is so much to learn regarding composition (particularly liked the curves in this one, tried to get the sense of a spiral so including four dimensions - up, across, back and time i.e. movement), edges and comparative colour - especially the contrasting of warm/cold - which in this painting is mainly between ultramarine, burnt umber and the flesh tones.

The Smile

Two openings tonight - the first at Art Exposure, where this painting will be on show, along with 4 little 10x10cm paintings - I had taken them down to the gallery as possibles for the next show, but she liked them so much she decided to show them as they are - sans frames!

Over at Virginia Galleries is the opening for their #Man exhibition - I have a little life drawing and an urban landscape in the show - and I was the only one who did put in a cityscape! A few of my life drawings are upstairs in Luke and Jacks, which is "For Love, Life, Sex, Romance & Celebration". So don't go to either the shop or the gallery if you are easily offended.

So tonight is going to be a long, talky night, to which you are all welcome to come along - I'll be at Art exposure first, sometime after 6, then probably on up to Virginia Street. Then home for a rest, before starting a few new paintings tomorrow!

The Actress

This Friday I'll have another 4 paintings on show at Art Exposure Gallery, including this one. It is one of the paintings that I changed after I got back from Amsterdam and although I liked it before, I like it even better now.

What else is happening? My painting at the RGI sold, there are a couple of paintings and life drawings on show at The Virginia Galleries, and a drawing of this lady at The Scottish Drawing Competition in Paisley - which I haven't been able to go and see yet, unfortunately, but should make it in the next week. Knowing a few people who've put work in, I'm quite excited to see what they've entered.

Oh, and I've been busy painting. Which reminds me that I'll need to find the time to go and buy some more brushes!

RGI 2011

It's that time of year again - the annual RGI (Royal Glasgow Institute) show - this one is the 150th. This little picture (its only 10cm square) has been selected and I am proud as punch. The opening is a week today, when I'll get to see it in situ and get a good gander at everyone else's work - this one is particularly brilliant.

My painting was painted a few weeks ago, after visiting the rijksmuseum for the first time in over 20 years - they had this special exhibition on, comparing Degas's early self portraits with Rembrandt's work. It was a fascinating show and I must have spent at least an hour just sitting staring. There is something incomparable about seeing oil paintings in real life, and the Degas paintings I hadn't seen even in reproduction before. But what mainly fascinated me was how small they were, but how magnetic, and when I got home I really wanted to try and reproduce the effect.

There is something about small that enraptures me and I will be painting at least a few more of these little works. There are few painters in Glasgow that seem to work small which I think is a shame - there does seem to be a real pressure to work big and although that has its own attractions for me I don't think it is the only way to paint and it is not the only way to make a painting worthwhile.

(will now go and get off my soapbox)

Neocolor 2

This is my first trial of a neocolor crayon that I picked up when in the art store the other day . . . Recently I have been thinking a lot about drawing and process - partly as it seems to me to be the next thing to learn and partly because it is frustrating to spend hours in the life class and have little to show for it.
So, I am thinking that either I need to start selling my drawings (Etsy) or be able to use them to make paintings.
The average class has a variety of timed poses - the quick ones seem to lend themselves to outline drawing, with maybe a colour addition for tone. Longer can be used for oil sketching (but need at least 30minutes!).
So, that's sorted. But what do I do with them next? put them in a pile? re-interpret them in different colours/medium etcetera? use them as a basis for a painting?
Presently do all three - this particular drawing is based on both a drawing and a photo I did when the lovely Anna was modelling for me recently. I painted her when she was here as well, and in due course there should be oil paintings appearing, quite possibly with one using the same pose.

Artworks Scotland

This tuesday, Artworks Scotland were filming at All the Young Nudes, so we were there from 5:30pm onwards - pretty knackering. Unfortunately I found out the bad way that the banister I was leaning my board against was just too high for my shoulder (as in, cramp, pain, hand going numb . . . ). Bah. Oh, and I managed to set fire to my hair . . .

Still, I met the lovely Anna Lehr, who was modeling. Hopefully at some point I will be able to do an oil of her - such a great face, as well as great posture.

The shoulder problems are what has lead me to watercolour and ink - they are small, and portable - no big sweeping arm movements for me presently - so it's not been all bad. The surgery is planned for next week, so wish me luck (and don't expect any posts/flickr updates for a bit!)