Sidetracked

Well I have put away my strange dog for a little while because I needed to finish a different doggy by next week, hence I haven't posted for a week or so! This was a lot of fun trying to limit the colours I used and not have everything look like one big browny mess. This is Geoffrey aka 'The Watcher'. He measures 100cm x 70 cm on Elephant colourfix with Art Spectrum pastels...:)

looking back...

Ok this is kind of unnerving...while looking through old thumb drives etc I came across this piece that I did a few years back. Sometimes I think I have made progress and then something brings me back down to earth with a thud. Lesson to myself, don't get too lost in trying to progress as an artist, try to remember why you are painting. To me this image (now in the home of someone else) really made me stop and ask myself some questions. Back then I took risks, I painted from my heart and I feel I have lost that somewhat. In the pursuit of trying to produce work that is publicly accepted for exhibitions, sales etc I have forgotten the pure joy of  art for arts sake. Lately I have been trying to reconnect with that artist and I didn't even realise it! I really enjoyed seeing the old me for a second and remembering the joy I felt when I painted this piece, sweeping the strokes and letting my muse tell me where to go. I have stopped listening to my work and this has been a valuable lesson. Time to go through my old stuff and re-evaluate what is actually good and what is 'technically' good.

Strange new beginnings...

Don't know what, don't know why, don't really know where this piece is going to go but I had to kick myself out of my comfort zone (it's so nice there...). I have had this weird piece of maybe handmade paper sitting around for a while. Its luscious with texture and character (although I have probably obliterated most of that at the moment) and begging for attention. So I threw, brushed and sprayed Quink and burnt umber ink at it in more or less the form of a dog and now I have brushed clear pastel ground over the top...who knows what will transpire ( I hope its going someplace good!)...will keep you posted...;)

Aloha

For my brother who goes all the places I would like to and brings me photos to rub it in :) I must admit, it was a nice challenge to use all that green! And not my usual subject matter either...

'Aloha' 50cm x 70cm Sand Colourfix with soft pastel and alcohol underpainting.

The Adjustment Bureau

 

 

 

Well, I didn't want to go there, however after much debate with the resident art critics, it was decided. Shows how much a fresh set of eyes helps doesn't it? (that pun actually was unintentional, but it really works right?) Every time I looked at my doggy it looked a little off somewhere in his face and I don't just mean the mad colours. So after the engineers and mathmeticians of the household gave me indisputable evidence in the form of measurements I had no choice but to move the eyes...waaahhh. And not just one of them but both, and not just once but twice because I do not take advice easily! That led me to tweaking his muzzle, rubbing out a chick and replacing it etc etc etc. To cut a long story short, I think Cyril is now ready to meet his public...hopefully nobody laughs :) The first images in each set are before shots...