Recent Paintings by Jane Gardiner

My most recent paintings - properly photographed by Lighthouse Photographics.

Self Portrait at 38 - Winter

Reflection - Self Portrait

In The Louvre

University Blue

The Guard Chair

The Gardiner Building

Another from the University Library series - this time still a WIP (I think).

The Gardiner building was not named after a relative (that I know about, anyway) and is the buildings behind the big brown one with the white stripes (which I think is the lab building - must have a proper name, anyone remember?). It is, of course, The Western as seen from Glasgow University library, and the first in the series that doesn't make entirely clear it is of a view through a window - although all the reflections may give the game away.

The geometry of these reflections in comparison with the intricacy of the view is what made me want to paint this one - zigzags, big shapes leading to small shapes, more orange and blue as well as the ubiquitous grey of a cityscape (especially Glasgow!)

Not quite finished yet, but a fair way along. Feedback would be useful, as I very much feel I am feeling my way with these paintings as I go along - there is very little similar out there and I can't decide whether that's good or bad.

Working In Series

This is my biggest painting to date, at 20 inches square.

It is another view from the eleventh floor at Glasgow University library, worked from photographs taken just as the sun was rising.

It combines three of my favourite things - Glasgow, libraries and just before sunrise - as well as letting me play with my inner abstract artist.

It is very much based around the opposition of blue and orange, using a lot of greys produced by a mix of the two as well as the occasional sneaky yellow umber. And it plays with the grid structure created by the shape of the canvas, the architecture seen through the windows as well as the windows themselves, and the furnishings inside the building - both seen directly and reflected.

There are therefore several distinct layers - the hills in the background, the University buildings, the window structure, the reflection of the floor below and the shelving of the eleventh floor as well as the barrier I'm standing behind both in reflection and edging into view on the right.

Complicated stuff - and would not have been possible if I hadn't painted this one first. And it, in turn, was based on an idea from the first 28 drawings in 2011.

Each painting in a series leads to the next - questions get thrown up, answers arrive that enable more ambitious workings, simpler ways of doing things become evident, colour can be played with as well as scale, technique, medium, you name it.

In landscape painting in particular both Sickert and Monet used pretty much the same drawing to really experiment with colour/mood/paint application - and in doing so created some of my favourite paintings. What better guides are there to follow - I'm a believer at looking at the why, the thinking process behind paintings I adore and letting that guide me in what I do.

A View Of The Studio

Or why I need a proper one.

Pretty cramped. The window is south facing, so provides quite variable light - especially at this time of year. Also, since the sun is so low it shines straight onto the screen.

As it is a room in my flat, I don't feel comfortable inviting models here. Once I did but the light was so bad my reference photographs were next to useless. Also, there is no room to arrange any kind of tableau - not even a blank wall for the model to stand against!

Never mind, something will come up eventually, and I will be able to put all these things I'm planning into action - not least, working from a model more often.

However, I will continue to work mainly from digital photographs for a while yet. My process is a changing thing but I work better if a painting is done in stages over days or even weeks, with me pondering problems as I go along. Having someone else there makes me bashful and less likely to go hang it, lets just paint over all that lovely bit of painting to try something else. Also, most of my paintings get to a stage where I stop looking at the reference material and just make it up. This is much much harder to do with a person in front of you.

The photo's I use are all taken by me and often manipulated before being used. They need to able to blown right up - part of painting has to be selection, which means there has to be enough information to choose from. Sketches (both drawn and painted) are also useful - and I have not yet attempted to paint someone that I have not painted from life in oils at some stage.

Also you can photograph what would be difficult or impossible to paint - smiles, certain postures and expressions, the view from the eleventh floor of a library . . .

View From Glasgow University Library

Some of you may remember I took part in 28 drawings later in 2011, which encouraged me to start using a sketchbook for the first time. I will be eternally gratefull to Victoria for starting it!

A couple of the drawings I did were of the view from the library og Glasgow University - my first landscapes. Since then, I have kept returning to the idea and finally I plucked up the courage to try it in oils. Not easy or fun. Those straight lines where a pain - it seems I should have drawn the thing out first, rather than breenging in with the paint like I normally do. I'll know next time.

Anyway, I am already at work on another two based on library views - I can see a whole series happening. This one is going on show at the Glasgow Art Club Show

Yellow Roses Painting

This is going to be a busy weekend, with not one, but three openings!

The first, on Friday night from 5 til 8, is at Art Exposure, where the above painting will be, along with a couple of small portrait paintings based on New York people. Most of the rest of the show will be small works under a hundred quid so should be quite inteseting. And, of course, the wine, canapes and chat is always good. There is a big, comfy sofa . . . .

On the same night is Virginia Gallery's christmas show. Being a little different, they have gone for a white theme - and I suspect at least a few of the works will be a little naughty. They also promise snow. Hopefully Jon Snow. I would like that.

The next day it is on to the RGI Kelly Gallery for their postcard exhibition - this year there will be small 5x7 inch works unframed for £250 as well as works up to 60cm in diameter. Promises to be very varied - my two little ones are both oils, one a painting done in the life room, the other a small landscape which is part of a new series that I am working on at the moment.

The big brother of the little landscape will be at the Glasgow Art Club Winner's Show from the 8th December - more on that later on!

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.

East River Ferry

On the last weekend, I went down to Wall St, sat for a little at the Elevated Acre watching the helicopters and then onto the East River Ferry - this was drawn while waiting for it to arrive.

As I did the full trip - up to East 34th St - it took a fair while - unfortunately more than enough time to get sunburn, despite my factor 50! Ferries are dangerous for that . . . must be the wind.

After such a relaxing morning, watching the sights go by, was an afternoon of shopping. (Several folks have been horrified to learn I only spent a couple of hours doing this - and never went into any of the departments stores. Just not enough time - or the ability to carry anything more home, after all the paint I bought!)

Another thing I didn't have enough time for was sketching like this, which is one of the major regrets of the trip. Ah well. Next time.

days 23 and 24 - Glasgow Wellington (without his hat)

On the 23rd day I got out and about into the centre of town. For lunch I had a coffee at Royal Exchange Square, with a good view of the Wellington statue - without the traffic cone on his head, which must be a rare event! To start with he did have pigeons, though, but by the time I was ready to paint them they had all flown off. Maybe next time. Having never tried to draw or paint a horse before (living or statue) I was not prepared for how really difficult it is. In life drawing it can be a little hit or miss whether the feet really look as if they stand on the floor - a problem multiplied by four. The next days posting was a little bit of a cheat - on fridays I work till 6pm, then go out for dinner with my husband ~(days 10 and 17). It had been a struggle to have drawings for those days (on day 17 I posted a painting that I had started the day before). So this week I did two drawings in town - the second the view from my car parked at George Square of the Glasgow Eye. Working with white watercolour and ink line feels rather satisfactory - another thing to explore further in the upcoming months (when it is a wee bitty warmer for sitting about outdoors on concrete!)

Day 19 - The University Library

Yesterday morning I went up bright and early to the 11th floor of the University Library. This is a place I went to a lot as a student (although my subject's floor was the much more boring 5) and it has been quite special going back over the last year - around this time last year during the 28 drawings challenge I rejoined the library. Since then I have been up and down those lifts many times - they look the same, smell the same, and I swear pretty much have the same people in them. The alarming thing for me is that enough time has passed that the new people could be my children.
Anyway. The views are also largely unchanged - the University itself is the same as ever. It is, I think, too much part of my life for me to judge whether it is good or bad. It just is. And all that gothic-ness is fun to draw. The art gallery - that you can see peeking out behind it - I will come out and say is a bit of a monstrosity. But like all good, properly built buildings, it is capable of keeping renewing itself time after time, and remains a magical place to visit. Except when the organ plays. I still hate that organ.
The science tower is new, the armadillo went up in my final year. The wind cranes out on the skyline are pretty recent, too.
The sun shining on a bitterly cold day, backlighting the University tower, has been around much longer than me.

George Square

Last weekend I went to the Glasgow Merchant City Festival - which was a bit of a first for me, as I have always previously avoided such things, being pretty deaf.
However, recent emails between myself and the lovely Nigel Cox has encouraged me to use photographs of strangers. In particular, I want to explore movement more by using reference material of dancers/trapeze artists/acrobats etc. It seems to me that line and wash is a perfect match for such subjects - and hopefully I will be posting proof of this sometime soon.
The whole thing was much more enjoyable than I expected - especially the dance - not sure why it had never occurred to me that dance does not really need the music to be enjoyed.
Anyway, before all the dancing started, I managed a couple of urban sketches, one of the George Square Lions and the other of the back end of the City Chambers.

To end the day, I went and saw Grim(m) Tales at the suggestion of Moira Buchanan and was suprised to see Anna, one of my models! (The show is brilliant and they are on during the Edinburgh Festival - I strongly recommend going and seeing them!)

First Landscape

My first ever landscape oil painting - hopefully, will be able to get out and about more this summer, and get a few more done - such a nice rest from the intricacies of faces (and don't have to worry about folks feelings!)