Monday, 25 April 2011

old work

 

Just had a chucking out session which happens now and again but not ruthless and often enough to keep the daily onslaught of clutter at bay. Todays postings from an old sketchbook, probably around 2000, when I lived in Norwich for a bit. No dates, notes, titles - they are something and nothing. I quite like some of these sketchbook ideas, automatic drawings, beginnings of things, gestural, a bit R MacIntosh in a couple. Whether any blossom into the form of a painting or not they are nevertheless here in this virtual space, and I can be more ruthless in my trashing session next time.. 
 
 

 

 



 
 

Above paintings now on show at Majestic Wine Warehouse on 201-207 Shoreditch High Street, London, E1 6LG , for an indeterminate period.  The paintings were based on the various sizes found in bottle packaging. 

Thursday, 21 April 2011

Gouache on paper


 First paintings from the Botanical gardens in Edinburgh. Stencils taken from post-it drawings.



Making gouache paintings recently has been a good exercise before deciding to return to the older paintings in my studio. I have a number of works that I return to now and then. Some dating back 10 years, some part of a series that didn't fit or be resolved.  The relationship of older paintings with more recent works is a bit weird because the older ones are harder to figure out how they came to be put together.

Oil and gloss on canvas - work in progress
Going back to how I was making abstract paintings a few years ago, playing with the idea of flatness and depth,  the deliberate and accidental

Oil and gloss on canvas. 

As a student I would occasionally use gloss household paint, mainly influenced by the results of the paintings of Gary Hume. However rather than achieving those beautiful high sheen finishes i discovered it can also look rough and cheap, especially applying one coat on layered textured oil paint. I kind of liked that. 

This way up was the way I viewed the painting whilst working on it. Here is what it was before


This view seems to work better but the photo makes the top left hand charcoal rectangle seem lighter. 

Friday, 8 April 2011

oil never dries

........the alternative Neil Young album name...........or another name for a blog?

So the coming summer months will see me do some full-time teaching. Maybe the muse will come out between gasps and will still get to post the occasional nic-nac

May get time to conjure up something for our open studios in June
Starting with a jaunt to edinburgh next week.. Happy sunny easter.