Saturday, January 28, 2012

Inside information


Available for purchase from my website.

I've been looking more closely at cut surfaces of fruit and vegetables and find them quite interesting. Heirloom tomatoes in particular are full of colour and are quite beautiful. I've been setting up still life pieces today trying to find just the right one that will speak to me. A snowy, blowy day gives me no excuse not to get some painting done.

Meanwhile, this tomato slice was painted over the last couple of nights. Its oil on 8 x 8 gallery canvas.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Yearly planner



My life revolves around my daily planner.  If I didn't write things down, my life would be in chaos.  Meetings, appointments, art exhibitions, supply orders, birthdays, etc., etc. are all contained in a little book that stays with me close to hand at all times.

I don't think I'm the only one who is reliant on notes as reminders of events and the average daily planner is, let's face it, rather dull and boring.  I have created a 136 page planner that covers a year with space for writing in each day.   I've populated the planner with my art which slides you into each month and adds some colour.   Available through Blurb, with a full preview available, you can organize your year and add a little touch of colour to your planning.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

A zen decision


I think its time to create another ocean wave.  I'm trying to decide to go small, medium, large or extra large.  Decisions, decisions.  While I decide, I put a little paint on canvas in the form of a study of how I want the wave to look, more or less.  Yes, I do love my studies.  Sometimes they don't get past that, but its great to work out the bugs on a small surface before tackling something larger.  This is in oils on an old panel.  I'm working my way through reject paintings by recycling them in studies and impasto paintings and will need some new canvas panels soon!

I discovered Buddha Boards today via Myrna Wackov's blog post on drawing with a coffee stir stick.  She's inspired.  Her drawing in the post wasn't on a Buddha Board but it seems to be a great alternative to a 'zen' sketch book.   The zen of living in the moment, no past, no future lives up to its name in this board.  You use water and brush only on special paper.  The lines are like ink and wash but only last a few minutes then disappear completely.  You can only capture your sketch with a camera.  Its truly the green alternative to working out compositions and ideas.

I just ordered one.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Dream boat



Insomnia has its drawbacks but also its benefits.  Up at 4am this morning, I gravitated to the studio and once some coffee did its work, I decided to do some painting.

This is the grisaille start of a small boat.  The palette is mostly Caribbean Blue, Payne's Grey and white and in oils.  Its at the point where I need to let it dry for a few days before adding more paint.  Its 10" x 10" on canvas panel.

The colour and monotone reminds me of dreams.  Hazy and not quite formed and always a little unsettling, making you ask questions of why, where, and how.

Monday, January 23, 2012

January Sale

 In the Pink

I've made a number of pieces available on my website with some pretty hefty price discounts.  I need some space in the studio (and a new one eventually) and would love to see these go to good homes. 

The sale will be up until February 14th, so enough time to find a little nugget of art to please someone for Valentine's Day.

January Sale

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Paper Trail

 This piece is available for purchase from my website

Its feast or famine with me for concepts for new paintings.  Right now its feast and there's not enough time to get it all down on canvas.  However, this week I've been in abstract/colour mode.  I can't explain why.  Perhaps its the January weather of grey cold days that makes be want intense colour glowing.

This piece was inspired by some fragments of paper that had fallen onto the studio floor.  I used modelling paste on the upper section of the canvas panel and scrubbed in pigment.  I added oil paint, luscious thick dabs of paint to represent the fallen paper using a palette knife.  I love how the paint builds and how, when dragged over the paste, hits the high points only.