Friday, 25 December 2009

My model Rachel is a very striking and beautiful woman, who draws attention wherever she goes.

One challenge when drawing her therefore is to capture this sensuality, in pencil and pastel.

Drawing can be such an abstract process, and there is a great deal to think about - such as the position, proportion and structure of a figure. It is important that, in dealing with all of this, one doesn't forget about the lyricism of the line - and how this can evoke the beauty of the subject.

[Happy Christmas to all my readers. Thanks for visiting and taking the time to read, view and comment.]

Monday, 21 December 2009

Here is a photograph of the painting of the river Stour which I finished yesterday, leaning against the wall outside my studio.

The top photograph shows it alongside some others which are currently in my studio. Shortly after I took the photograph early this afternoon, three of the paintings shown were collected by the Cadogan Contemporary Gallery, for their Christmas Exhibition.

Sunday, 20 December 2009

I was back on the banks of the river Stour, near Bryanston again today - as I have been nearly every day this week.

Although we haven't had the deep snow seen in other parts of the country it has been bitterly cold, with light snow showers and freezing drizzle.

The canvas I've been working on is relatively large, and it takes time to simply cover in paint - let alone to make continual decisions about the direction and development of the painting.

I finished the painting today, and I'll post a picture of it once I've had a chance to photograph it. As usual I'm working right up until dark, so I didn't have a chance to do that when I ended the session.

Sunday, 8 November 2009

I recently re-discovered this painting of the studio space at the Medlock campus in Manchester - where I did my first degree in Fine Art from 1986-89.

The first thing I noticed about the painting was its construction. I still make, stretch and prepare my own canvases. But the difference is that I now have my own staple-gun, which would have been a rare and expensive item for an art student in those days. I used a hammer and tacks to secure the canvas - as you can see from the photograph above.

This painting was originally hung at my mother's house in Normandy, and much admired, but then put into storage and forgotten when she returned to England.

I was thrilled to see it again, though briefly: it has just found a buyer, and is being shipped to the United States.

I will write more later this week about the memories of Manchester, and my days as a student there, that the painting has awakened.

I love the drama, the movement, and the warm brown colours. Titian captures pure beauty and strength in his women - and it is a huge privilege to be able to see his paintings for free in London over 500 years after they were painted.

Thursday, 15 October 2009

I was painting on a beach on the east side of Tresco this afternoon, at Blockhouse Point.

The light was dramatic.

I was pleased to find a large piece of driftwood on the beach, which I dragged into position where I wanted to work. I dug away the sand on one side of it, piling it across to ensure I had a good height to lean the canvas on.

Monday, 12 October 2009

The island is so wonderful to paint that I got straight out there the moment I arrived.

However, with evenings drawing in so quickly I don't have as much daylight to resolve the painting.

Both photographs were taken in the evening, as the light faded quickly. The top photograph shows me painting on Sunday evening, when the weather was quite cloudy and overcast. Today was much clearer and brighter - as shown in the photograph below.

Note the plastic bags over my painting boots. The long grass is very wet in the evenings, and I don't want my boots to get too wet as I'll be wearing them all week.

I've painted the same view yesterday and today, looking east towards St Martins. It's interesting for me to compare the two paintings.

Tomorrow I start work on a larger canvas, before visiting Bryher for the evening.

Wednesday, 23 September 2009

I was very fortunate to have a whole day with a friend who worked very hard indeed at sitting for me as my model.

She was very tolerant, and patient with my sometimes rather abrupt direction. In my enthusiasm I sometimes put models in poses which are not always easy to hold, but this did not faze her.

For this session I worked on lots of quick charcoal studies. Next time she sits for me I'll use pencils, which will demand a different approach. I had a really enjoyable and productive day, and I'm really looking forward to drawing her again in November.

These drawings are part of a series I'm working on in preparation for an exhibition I'm planning on the theme of breast cancer and women who've been affected by it. I'll write more about this in the coming weeks.