Skull Painting

Well, it is Halloween.

Painted for the fun of it and because I wanted to try a few things out. It is bigger than my more usual work at 36x41cm and is the first painting in which I really work with the possibilities of using medium and lead white. It will be going on show at The Glasgow Art Club award winners show (saturday 8th December, more details when I know them.)

Also I have been thinking about the stories we tell ourselves and how they affect our understanding of the world. And how the magical is always with us - if we look for it.

It seems to me that there are a limited number of symbols that are used again and again in these tales - roses, skulls, keys, tall towers, deep forests etc - and it is fun for me to imagine that all these people and things are still with us. (I know the idea is in Fables Graphic Novels ).

My journey to New York has inspired all this, resulting (so far) in The Little Mermaid and these Skulls - they are based on the skulls on display at The Evolution Store and very much remind me of the Baba Yaga tale.

Fred Hatt over at his Drawing Life blog has posted a very interesting piece about previous skeleton/skull paintings which really illustrates the flexibility these kind of symbols have.

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.

Hanson Street Open Weekend 2012

It's that time of year again - the Hanson Street Open Studios!

This year I will only have the one little painting on show with the life drawing group - we normally have a live (clothed) model during the day in the big room in the right hand corner diagonally from the front door. Our work is shown on the walls of the room and is generally an eclectic mix - despite all being based on work done in the life room! Mine, for example, is a little oil painting sketch, done in about an hour and a half.

As there will be a cafe, I will be around most of both days, and will try and have the time between coffees to actually do some painting - although not in oils! Watercolour and ink will be my mediums, which will be quite a challenge as the model will be clothed and I therefore have to take into account different textures.

But I will also definitely take the time to explore other artist's studios - such as Linda O'Grady, Frank To, Joe Hendry and Moira Buchanan.

Also this week will be an opening of a mixed show at Art Exposure on Friday the 5th October from 5 til 8pm. I have a small selection of the oil painting life sketches as well as a teeny landscape and figurative work on show. My work has been selling well this year (both works at the RGI have sold already) so this is a good chance to see them before they move on to nice new homes and maybe even get one yourself.