Slow Down and Look

I am a full-time artist working at home in Stonehaven, N.E. Scotland: selling work as a painter, writer and maker both online and through local exhibitions.

I am trained but prefer to remain UNTAMED, Unframed, Unconstrained and Unconventional. Here you will see art in progress: you can buy my finished paintings etc through the gallery link on the right ~ Bern Ross

Sunday 2 December 2012

Another Dimension

If I had the space and materials (plus energy and time too?) I'd be a sculptor as well as a painter and writer. Not much to expect of myself, eh? This nagging urge made me buy some 'new clay': the sort that doesn't need firing in a kiln.

I enjoyed getting messy with it again but the small amount in my hands and lack of facilities I'd been able to use, both at college and when sharing it with children in playgroups, made it feel quite pathetic. As with painting, I can only do large!

But years ago I successfully created reclining figurines from my life-drawings so this is what I set out to do.

While the rest of the model fell away, the new clay not strong enough to hold small limbs together, I was rather proud of this leg, so it stands alone on a plinth.

Shake A Leg

Friday 16 November 2012

The Joy of Painting-Buddies

On the phone she said, "Can you pop round? I'm swithering."

Yes, I was swithering too. We were each undecided about which two of our paintings to put in an exhibition: she with three abstracted landscapes behind glass and me with two framed life studies plus an abstracted sea/landscape. Thankfully my impartial view when I 'popped round' was enough to help her decide which two paintings to take; and later when I showed her my dilemma she helped me in the same way. Discussing titles made a big difference too.

I am so lucky to have several artist friends with whom I can swap ideas, share disappointments and best of all, discuss the best way forward.

These two paintings were the focus of this discussion and they are now queuing up for the Winter Exhibition at The Meffan Gallery in Forfar. They want 'new and exciting work' and compared to many conventional pictures, I think these come somewhere close - and so do the paintings of  my friend who helped.


 This first one is entitled 'The White Gate' and is a heavily textured oil painting. I leave you to look and ponder.


This painting is entitled 'A Model for Matisse' and is now framed in black with a recess, which accentuates it rather well. It's also an oil painting with some heavy texture in places.

Taking our work to The Meffan was quite a stressful event as it's a long way to drive when you're getting over the 'flu but doing it together made it fun. The exhibition opens on 23rd November and the hanging team have a big job on their hands: there are some marvelous and extraordinary pieces of artwork to go up - if last year is anything to go by - and somewhere along the line there is some judging to do for prizes.

Help with decisions and titles, quality support, a good giggle and coffee at a strategic moment. Good.

Wednesday 15 August 2012

Instead of brush strokes or scraping paint onto the surface, I've been experimenting with thickened trails of the medium to get soft lines to emulate the therapeutic feel of sea water. These waves are just part of a larger painting (simple, abstracted) about 20" x 16" on standard canvas.

Detail from 'On a Clear Day'


Friday 8 June 2012

Some new work hanging



These four paintings - seascapes - are created on mdf panels (24" x 7" approx.) and are on display at Mearns Arthouse in Stonehaven along with three other pieces of my work.

These were a new excursion into mixed media (acrylic based textures, this time) on a very firm and flat base that felt very different to working on canvas that I'm used to. 

Sorry the photos are ragged at the edges - the cropping would've taken me ages!

Monday 30 April 2012

Exhibition

These two paintings are displayed at the Milton Art Gallery, Crathes nr Banchory. It's a beautiful little arts and craft village and the exhibition is a good one - the KDAF - Kincardine and Deeside Arts Forum; and I like the way it has been hung this year.


Tuesday 17 April 2012

This Morning's Life Drawings

https://picasaweb.google.com/117317598469372222202/20120417

Well if you're lucky you might find photos of them on that link but I'm fast losing the will to live regarding this blog site and photos - they don't seem to appear for me!

There should be 6 different drawings there :)

Thursday 29 March 2012

Pastel Painting

This is just a quick pastel picture - well diptych - of the northern end of Stonehaven Bay, which I did in between waiting for some oil paintings to dry... and turning my studio upside down to make space for a plan chest. More on that to follow!

Wednesday 22 February 2012

Friday 10 February 2012

Loosening Up Two



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Loosening Up



After spending some time on the detailed work of two commissioned pieces (*very* special), I let loose on colour and whatever I could find in the studio to create these.
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Tuesday 31 January 2012

I Wish...


I've just relaunched this beautiful little book. It's only £5 and it's for anyone who wishes they could paint, or draw, or create things like an artist or wants to nurture talent in their children or grandchildren.

And for those who wish they were more inspired, motivated and could climb out of their creative block.

See it on my gallery where you can buy it quickly too, with no delivery problems! (It is much smaller than 1MB).

Written and designed by yours truly, with sumptuous illustrations...

Sunday 22 January 2012

My Biggest Canvas Yet




Using a roller and my new printer roller for the pink contrast, I've been experimenting on a large canvas with my favourite 'five brush strokes' figure. Alas, it didn't really work out on the large scale (but I had fun finding out) and I'm now happily covering it with textures and colours galore to turn the painting into something I really like.
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Saturday 7 January 2012

Seated Nude

This isn't finished but I like the way it's coming along so I'm letting the oils harden in readiness to give it the fine, final touches.
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Wednesday 4 January 2012

Library Display

Here is a photo of my library display which I'll be taking down today. (Sorry about the reflections of houses across the road.)

It was a surprise opportunity as I saw the window was empty and went in to ask ... a few hours later I received a phonecall to say I could use it for the whole of December.

As far as I know, at least one of these pictures has sold. :-)
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