The simple answer is, I need to sort out my studio, buy more paint and brushes, and try out some new stuff. We are coming up to the cold months, and I usually try to work in my inner studio, very small but can be kept warm, unlike the rest of studio, which gets freezing. I am thinking that I will spend a fair amount of time drawing, and planning new work and strategy for 2016, always good to plan ahead.
Category: Uncategorised
Commission Complete
The commission of 2 panels each 4′ long x 2′ wide is complete, clients and artist happy with end result, and a huge relief, of the final outcome. It is a massive responsibility to undertake a commission that you know means a great deal to both parties.
I have found it an interesting process, and because the new work was inspired by a previous piece of mine, it was strange to see how my interpretation had progressed, and changed, I found that I could not re inhabit the same space I was in previously, and that my style had subtly altered.
It only remains for the work to be hung in the clients home, and I will be posting pics of the panels in situe, cant wait.
Coming to the end of a Commission
I am on the final track, after lots of ups and downs, and it is quite scary to think that you will be losing something that you have obsessed about for a period of time. This body of work has grown from raw materials, wood, screws, glue, primer, pigment, varnish, dutch metal(schlag). I have repainted my under painting and gilding twice, lots of time waiting for process to dry, and worst of all, leaving to get your eyes reset from looking at the work too long. The panels are now in my sitting room, so that I can get new perspective on them. Still finessing and touching up. Image is quite dull but gives an idea.
Commission Progress
Continued with under painting of panels, using acrylic paints, this is just the first part of my process, and it is important to get a good balance of colour bearing in mind that it will all be completely gilded over.
Gilding completed today, will leave overnight and then distress both panels tomorrow, as timing will be critical.
Coming towards the culmination of these panels, I always enjoy this part as it is a coming together of all the processes. By now the panels are quite heavy and really take some man handling around, sometimes wonder why I don’t just paint on canvas, but then I guess I wouldn’t enjoy it half so much, and for me, texture and relief is my passion.
Field Work & Multi Tasking
My panels have now had all their layers of gesso completed, and set, and need to be sanded down ready for the next stage, but 1st I need to batten the back of the panels to ensure the strength of the panels as they are quite heavy now. Ideally I should have done this as 1st job, but has to be done now before the final stages of painting gilding and distressing.
I have been taking advantage of fine weather to collect specimens for my Jars. This time of year their are lots of fruits, berries and seeds that are interesting shapes.
Fresh from the kiln
I have filled the kiln with flowers leaves and seaweed, dipped in porcelain paper clay slip and air dried, it is always a bit of a lottery what will survive, and this is the first time I’ve tried seaweed, bladder-wrack to be precise.
most of the bladder-wrack survived, along with other pieces. These pieces are very fragile as they are only dipped once, if I dip twice I lose definition, which I want to keep. The fragility is also a metaphor for the fragility of life, and here I think of the coral reefs that are dead or dying, that have all their colour and life leached out of them, also the bleached bones and fossils, survivors of artifacts that lived once.
Inspiration
Today I have completed another layer on panels, and I am close to completing this phase, all that’s required now is for layers to completely dry out, and then I can commence with under-painting.
I have just taken out of the kiln some flowers and leaves that have been dipped in porcelain slip, it is always interesting to see what has survived and what hasn’t, and sometimes the unusual not quite’s are more interesting.
…………….. just out of the kiln, and survived burnout
Hard Slog
Its a rainy Tuesday morning, and its a hard slog today, building up layers, and concentrating on getting textures and levels just right. These panels although inspired by a previous work, will of necessity be different, as each time you approach a piece, there are many things that come into play, including, the mood you’re in that day, how easy it is to pick up the flow of work, any interruptions, and even the weather. Over all i’m pleased with how things have gone today, so check out the images.
These images show the panels with layers of texture being slowly built up, the brown is sand embedded into the still wet gesso. The first image shows the split between the two panels. This part of the build up requires a lot of faith, as the exciting part is adding colour, but if this isn’t right, then the panels wont work out.
Naming the work
Work continues with commission, but I have decided to give it a working title, much easier on the ear, I am calling it “Chosen Lands”. Why?, because it is based on a panel called “Terrain”, and chosen because it has been selected by clients for their home, nothing very complicated, but it has a resonance beyond the obvious, something about choice, and home, and ownership. Appropriate really. I am working the panels side by side, as I need them to flow from one to the other, almost as if they are reaching out to join, (another metaphor?) I also want them to be able to stand alone, be similar yet separate, thereby giving more options.
1st image, close up of layers 2nd image you can see the two panels side by side.
I have had to move out of inner studio, to larger space until I have got all layers fixed, fun and games.
Group Exhibitions
I belong to an exhibiting group Called Lincoln Artists Society, we have regular exhibitions to showcase our members work, but trying to choose what I am going to submit to selection panel, is always a quandary for me. Do I choose my particular favorite of the moment? or do I go for something that is going to stand up for its self among a plethora of diverse styles, shapes, colours, sizes? Do I choose 2D? or go for 3D. When people buy works, they choose pieces that are sympathetic to each other, or within the bounds of a certain style that they like, but a mixed exhibition is a huge battleground of differing styles, techniques, of bold, and quiet, modern, post modern, and on and on…………. What did I decide? I hedged my bets, and submitted 2 x 3D assemblages, and 2 x 2D assemblages.
The result was 1 panel selected and 2 assemblages.