9 Skies

When I opened out the huge canvas with all the different skies painted on it, the sight was quite breathtaking. I wanted to hang it up outside! There were some visitors here at the time and they pointed to the skies they liked best, then changed their minds ... it was great fun.

For the moment it will be tucked away but at a later date I might try adding the silhouettes they cry out for - a bird here, a steeple there - but for the moment I'm happy to have just experimented and be able to use the results in skies for my paintings in the here and now.

A Memorable Quote

"God works through the artist to open His children's eyes" ~ Cyril Hamersma

Sky 5

Skies are delicate, subtle, gentle, translucent, iridescent. Acrylic paint does cope with them but a heavy, gritty support to paint on really is not conducive to conveying the soft brilliance that moves above us all the time.



This sky was never going to be what I wanted it to be but it was a useful experience to create it. I decided to stop here rather than add more paint as we can all see what sort of sky I'm after.

Sky 4

I had a headache yesterday UNTIL I did some painting and within minutes it had gone away, as if washed out of my bloodstream.



This sky was urgent and necessary, to restore my faith in my painting after yesterday's naive output (and other work hampered by many interruptions). It hasn't completely worked as a sky but was a very useful experiment.

I also started another experiment on a small canvas which I might show you when all the stages are photographed.

New visitors might like to note that if you follow my blog and comment (say hello!) I will send you a free e-book entitled "I Wish I Could Be Artistic". It's very liberating and good fun.

Sky 3 - Some you Win....

...some you lose. Sky 3 isn't much to look at but it was magnificent in the sky! Clear blue, very simple; with a pale grey, pink-lined cloud hovering gently like a balloon.



It was my day off and I was so lucky with the weather. I drove down the coast to visit some of the other artists' Open Studios. I knew I couldn't do justice for this simple sky but experimented on the rough canvas surface with some pastels followed by fixative, then acrylic paint.

Looks like it was done by a three year year old but that's nothing to be ashamed of!

Sky 2

NEOS visitors are arriving in a steady flow so that I'm able to talk to them individually, which is good. I'm also getting plenty of breaks in between, giving me time to get on with painting and today's sky was a lovely, messy experiment. The lady who turned up while my hands were still mucky from this one said, "Oh that's lovely," - meaning the painting, not my messy hands.




Although the photos don't look too good, this exercise is a great experience in experimenting to find effects that I might use more seriously on 'proper' paintings at a later date.

Paint a Sky a Day

I've run out of canvases & boards and run out of space until I sell a few paintings so my project for the nine days here in the studio for NEOS is to paint a Sky a Day. It was recommended by the 19th Century artist Sir Alfred East Sir Alfred East and I'm doing it in 9 separate rectangles on a mural-sized canvas screen I made ( a while ago) to hang from the staircase. Every work of art is an experiment and each of these will be no exception!



The constraints I felt immediately are: working on non-stretched canvas means the creases will dictate some of the texture; it's hard work covering it as it's more absorbent (less well primed than professional canvases); cumbersome to handle and even more prone to the problems I have in my room with the light - too much or too little.

And I thought this would be a GENTLE challenge.

Signs and invitations

It uses a different part of the brain to have to think about signs and advertising instead of actually creating artwork, although both are creative skills. My stronger half, i.e.,my husband, put his mind to my Open Studio challenge and has created a sign to go outside the house. I can put posters and pictures on it to entice people in, and change the display as often as I like. It is waterproofed and can be put in place each day and taken down again but is firm enough to withstand all weathers.

Look out for my sign! I am No. 179 in the NEOS (North East Open Studios) brochure where you'll find my opening times.

Dancing with Colour

I am delighted to have a new follower who is so likeminded she could be my sister - doh! she IS my sister. I am proud to refer you to Impasto Studio and, especially if you're an artist, pick up her hints on working with paint. Like me, she learned a lot from the wise and prolific Hamersma.

Fran Hillman is a talented and committed artist in her own right and is the co-author/artist at www.thetreasuretree.co.uk , an interactive, animated teaching resource. Great fun for adults too! (And beautiful.)

Sold

Sold these two - Lovely.

Every Day, Any day

Inspiration for a painting - given the time and freedom of expression...



Silly how it looks dark, but that's where the skill of an artist creates a wonderful picture. Hopefully.

Loosen Up

I decided I must do lots of quick drawings that don't matter so I dug out an old roll of wallpaper. It was very liberating because I didn't have to worry about making a mess or ruining an expensive piece of cartridge paper, I could just let loose and do what I liked on it. As it happened, I liked!

 

Town Hall Exhibition

Can you see which two are my paintings?

Paintings on the Go

Here are two very unfinished paintings. The dogs looked like sheep at first and are gradually starting to come to life but ooh, they make it difficult. Their owner might prefer a photo . . . but I'll persevere.

The rocky seascape is much better than this now and will soon have a title and a reason detre (sorry can't do the accents with this keyboard).

And today I made two Christmas puddings complete with beer and brandy and wishes thrown in.

Playing Cards

Today I am designing some cards to be printed to sell in my Open Studio. Simple reproductions of some of my paintings and one or two other ideas.

Ah ha! You'll have to come and see, browse around and buy them to know what I come up with!

Busy Busy

My Open Studio (just one day a week - Thursdays) is working well as I'm finding a small trickle of friendly people trotting in to have a look. I just love to know they're interested in what I do. A couple of them summed it up yesterday when they said they 'could never be so creative' but if I were to put them behind a counter to deal with customers and money, such as in the bank etc where they'd worked, they'd be fine. Me - NO! I couldn't EVER cope with a job like THAT! Give me a blank page or canvas and paintbrush instead.

As well as stuffing a cat doorstop I've been finishing paintings for an art exhibition at the town hall, completing the entry forms etc, designing a promotional postcard, painting a couple of pictures to make into Christmas Cards, taking six paintings to a photographer in preparation for getting some giclee prints... putting my St Bernard dog painting for sale online at Affordable British Art and making a few printed signs for my workroom so that visitors can read what I forget to tell them.

E.G.:- Checklist for your visit

Have you seen . . .

Drawings in the mag rack
Photos and prints too
Boxy bags made from jeans
T- shirt bags
Odd bags for useful bits
Books
Play Scripts
Published articles in the Portfolio
and pictures on the walls everywhere

Have you tried . . .
Drawing
Painting
Printing with rubbish
French Knitting?

Have you thought of commissioning ...
a picture
or a print
or something made of textiles
or a special unusual item?

Oh and I've been writing letters and sending them with posters and leaflets to various local B & B venues to alert them to my Open Studio. Something for tourists to do in Stonehaven when they're fed up with the beach and other local attractions or driving to far off stately homes.

Stuffing a Cat

Okay, it doesn't look much like a cat; and I haven't appeared to be doing a lot here for ages but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy. This white looking thing is going to be a doorstop made of canvas and it will free up something else (that's currently being used as a doorstop) which I want to use to make a sculpture, because my studio needs something tall and unusual near the window.

Complete Change - for a Rest

Painting this little Schnauzer worked out so well I thought I'd have a go at a big dog . . .

Of course he isn't finished yet and his right ear is a bit big but I like him already. He doesn't bark or bite either.

More Work

This piece isn't quite finished but taking a photo is a good way of checking the tone and seeing the flaws. There's something not quite right with one of the shadows and the headland needs some definition but I know what I'm going to call the painting: "Fetch!"

New Work

For ages I'd been wanting to paint a large version of my much-sought-after picture entitled Still Standing, which was only about 8" x 10". I was astounded at how challenging it was to achieve the same effect on this size 24" x 30"; and it took me ages to get it right, the solidity of the structure and the light on it. This version is called Still Standing Tall.

You can see the mess in my workroom too but that's because I'm so busy. See the next blog entry!