Experimenting with Colours and Techniques

A new enthusiasm and energy has taken hold recently with regards art making. There seems to have been a shift in my vision and a freer approach is emerging... I have been experimenting with new colours and foregoing detail in completed work in favour of expressive mark making. This is exciting!

I spent one afternoon playing with some new watercolour paints...

Winsor & Newton watercolours - Transparent Orange
and Sapphire Blue

Daniel Smith watercolours and W&N Cerulean Blue plus Sapphire Blue again.
Bottom half of painting had some cellophane draped over while paint was still wet,
and then left to dry. 

Winsor & Newton Gold calligraphy ink
(fortunately lightfast - beware, not all calligraphy colours are) with
Daniel Smith Undersea Green and Violet gouache.

Tricky to photograph so the gold shimmer
is apparent!

The potential of the new Daniel Smith colours is very inspiring as they granulate readily and the colours separate out into their component parts.

I have also been studying a new book by Debora Stewart and her techniques for abstracted art echo what I have been moving towards. The untitled (as yet) work shown in the stages below is a step in the right direction with a loose beginning, and I tried to keep the drawing spontaneous rather than laboured and exact.

1.  Compressed charcoal was stroked energetically
across mid grey Canson Mi-Teintes pastel paper.
Water was swished over this with a large flat brush
in multi-directions. As the work was upright on an easel
drips were encouraged to flow down the paper. You can see where I then
started the line drawing in white pastel pencil. 

2.  Once the basic composition was in place I began to
introduce some of the lightest / darkest tones and established
the insect as the focal point.   

3.  More light areas are built up with white pastel pencil and
a few more hints of ochre placed.

 

4.  The stamens of the top bloom are now in place.

5. Finally the stamens on the primary bloom are suggested
and the brightest sunlit areas are strengthened with touches of
a white Unison pastel stick. 

This drawing was very enjoyable to do and three elements helped to keep it fresh and loose. First, I stood at an easel to work which aids larger arm movements; the initial layer of large sweeping marks contained an innate liveliness and lastly I held the pastel pencils well away from the point, so relinquishing some control. Also, the limited palette works to keep the focus on the insect and small touches of ochre elsewhere lead the eye around the composition.   

Today has surely been one of the hottest so far... and I spent most of the afternoon and early evening in the studio. I would normally wear an apron when working with pastels as they are one of the messier mediums but couldn't bear the thought of an additional layer and didn't bother. Using a photo I took in Holme-next-the-Sea of pink Mallow as a starting point, I worked on a painting that focused on mark making and layering to try and capture the essence. 

A loose wet-on-dry application of watercolour

was the starting point for this painting. The base colours were encouraged to fuse and again drips were integral as I was stood at the easel.

Although the support looks white in the photo it is a warm cream Art Spectrum Colourfix paper. The slightly gritty surface happily accepts watermedia and there is plenty of tooth for soft pastel in subsequent layers. 

                 

Once the initial paint was dry a very loose drawing in charcoal pencil was 

established. Again holding the pencil nearer the end furthest from the point helped prevent 

a tight rendition. Also pushing up, rather than pulling in a downward motion, and gently rolling the 

pencil between the fingers as drawing enabled more random marks to be made.

The next step seems counter productive, but I did it anyway, and 'lost' the drawing

by dragging a flat brush with diluted gesso across the surface in multi-directional strokes. 

This is a technique favoured by Debora Stewart but with hindsight I realised she uses 

compressed charcoal so a little more of the drawing remains intact! 

The drawing is then re-established with charcoal pencil and even if more of the first drawing 

had been present this second one would have been superimposed, and slightly offset, to 

enhance the feeling of layered media. My eyes are really enjoying what is beginning to happen in this work and I'm almost tempted to stop at this stage.

I push on however and introduce more colour using soft pastel sticks. 

I limit the colours and tonal range to try and avoid confusion. 

When I pause to assess how the work is going I feel a little disappointed. Close up there is plenty to engage the eye but move a short distance away and it blurs into a generalised mid tone.

Something must be done to redeem it...

 Taking yet another risk, I lightly block in the negative spaces in the top two thirds of the painting. 

I use a white pastel pencil and hold it low so that the side of the point catches across the gritty surface and allows the under layer to still play a part. 

I finally stop and take stock again. After a few extra dark punctuations 

with the charcoal pencil I feel it is finished. 

Did I make the right choice?

Too early to tell. I need a bit of time to pass to assess it as a whole again.

What do you think?  

 

When Life Gets in the Way of Art... Don't Panic!.. 6 Strategies to Help

Happy event...Wedding of eldest daughter!

The summer break is in full swing. No classes until mid September, and I should be spending long productive days in the studio... except I'm not. Don't get me wrong. Life is good. Our eldest daughter got married last weekend. Our middle daughter has returned after over a year teaching English at a primary school in Mexico, and with us for the summer is her delightful boyfriend. As we visit local areas of interest it is as if we are seeing with fresh eyes, which can be a bonus. We have been visualizing and planning a new kitchen which is now ordered and likely to be installed in September... So lots going on, but none of them really to do with art. Potentially this is a period of art-making drought and it would be easy to hit the panic button. But I am now starting to get comfortable with the idea that creativity often waxes and wanes in cycles. And sometimes life just gets in the way. It is how we view this hiatus and what we do with it that is important.

1. Stay connected by using a sketchbook. Small portions of time can be treasured by opening the pages of your sketchbook and quickly recording something... anything... an idea, a view, a person, an object or even just jotting words, reminders, an experience.

Rodney in pencil and watercolour, from a photo
- a real character, full of life and fascinating stories...

Quick pencil sketch on another P&R bus journey.

Overcast, breezy day on Hunstanton Beach.
Note the minimalist art equipment I had in my handbag so I could work on location.

2. Visit inspiring events and make notes. During this period I visited Art in Action in Oxford with my family on what turned out to be the hottest day of the year to date!!! Lots of amazing creative arts and crafts people, so plenty to inspire... My sister and I attended a free one hour lecture about writing, all rather timely as I have been harbouring vague notions of sometime writing a book (non fiction and yes arty!) but all ideas still very nebulous... Out came the sketchbook for scribbled notes during the talk.

Notes made during a short lecture titled 'The Principles of Writing'.

3. Visit art exhibitions, even if a 'whistlestop tour'. Whilst visiting Norwich Castle Museum with family we did pop into the current exhibition about birds. This was a fascinating insight into how birds have inspired art in many forms and the clean lines of one sculpture particularly called out to me. A few pencil lines in the sketchbook and a note made of the sculptor so I can look online later were enough. I also nipped into the contemporary bird exhibition and again made note of artists whose work intrigued me... which neatly leads onto the next point.

The briefest note can be made and researched online later...

4. Research art / artists / blogs / videos online. Keep your interest alive by looking online and following some of those threads that take you on a tangent - I have discovered many new exciting talented people, jotted down notes on things worth trying and watched techniques being demonstrated. Plenty of ideas for my own work and/or classes in the future.

One of the things I keep track of is ideas and internet searches in my gorgeous 'fauxdori'.
 Look this up online (or midori) to read about this resurgence of 'commonplace' style books. 

  
5. Stay involved with your local art Association. If you belong to an art association, club or society try to stay involved. Submit recent work if possible for current exhibitions, attend social events and enjoy spending a short time with other artists. As a Committee member I was responsible for compiling the invigilation rota for the West Norfolk Artists Association Summer Festival Exhibition, although I was unable to assist with the hanging of the work this year. However I was back in Norfolk for the Preview Evening and manned the Enquiry/Sales desk to make up for it!

Recent painting exhibited in
WNAA Summer Festival Exhibition July 2014

 6. Take time out for 'art day' or even a short course. Earlier in the summer break I did seize the opportunity to be a volunteer for Tara Leaver as she wanted to work one-on-one with people who had an issue they would like help with. She is training to be a Creative Counsellor and is currently working under the guidance of Eric Maisel. I was delighted when she accepted me for the four week session with my proposal of wishing to find a way to create animal 'non portraits' (as we decided to call them). The sessions were all conducted via email with photos of work created as evidence of the processes / techniques tried during this period. Although Tara's work is very different to my own, her blog and words of encouragement / motivation / guidance were invaluable and I hope that the experience was mutually beneficial. I certainly never expected an instant answer to an ongoing issue I have periodically tackled for years but I have definitely felt a shift in vision and attitude and (when I get more time) new avenues to continue my explorations. A big heartfelt 'thank you' Tara for your insight, suggestions and feedback! Take a look at http://taraleaver.com and visit her blog...

Red squirrel 'pulled out' from wash of walnut ink
with sepia pen work for minimal detailing
and gouache to emphasize negative shapes.   

Blind contour drawing.
 Looking only at reference photo, as eyes travel around image,
the hand mimics this movement and drawing implement leaves traces as evidence.  

The technique below was tried first as a single drawing...

Charcoal sticks get placed between two sheets of paper...

The charcoal sticks are crushed - a mix of fine powder and small slivers.

Tip some of the charcoal mixture onto the drawing surface
and smear with hand to suggest essence of pose.

The end result - on this occasion a Perlin that looks rather pigeon-like, oh well...

The sequence below shows the stages of a drawing as several poses of the Perlin (Peregrine Falcon x Merlin) get superimposed over one another. Crushed charcoal is used to suggest the essence of the bird before a charcoal stick and eraser is used for mark making to suggest further detailing. The next image gets started over the top, but elements of previous work will act as a palimpsest and create a subtle influence. This drawing could never be repeated as freedom of marks, speed and intuition all come into to play to create such an energetic image. I loved this technique!  

1st stage

Result...

2nd stage...

Result...

3rd stage

Finished drawing. Such movement and energy - a non-portrait!

Detail of head showing tone, line and subtractive mark making.

Detail of mark making with eraser
- large sweeping movements of arm to produce corresponding marks in wing.

Well, that has brought us all up to date. Next week I have reclaimed a day for art by committing myself to a life drawing day in the village hall at Castle Acre. This will be an untutored session with a clothed model. As I haven't done any (human) life drawing for quite some time I am really looking forward to this and will let you know how I get on.

If you are also going through a time when art is having to take a bit of a 'back seat', I hope some of my suggestions will be useful and help you to carve out a few creative sessions, to maintain the connection with your creative self, and keep the panic at bay.

When Nothing is Working... Try Something New!

A new approach...

Last weekend was earmarked for Art with a capital A. With the West Norfolk Artists Association Summer Exhibition fast approaching, and the deadline to get entry forms in almost here, I was running out of time to produce some new work. If I had high expectations, they soon came crashing down. Nothing was working out, I felt rather uninspired and it showed. Frustration and disappointment set deep by Sunday evening. My long suffering husband had to put up with 'woe is me' and lots of sighing. "I don't know what my personal artwork is about..." and "It's all got a bit lightweight and flimsy" were some of the words muttered.

My mind must have been in overdrive while I slept, however. Monday morning I woke up, and a little mental pep talk whilst in the shower gave me whole different mindset for the day. Deep down I do know what I want my work to be about - contrasts of media, translucent versus opaque, detail versus abstract passages (for a start). I would try something different. I would experiment. Take the pressure off. I already have one pastel being framed so at least I have one work to enter. If nothing else I will at least have some fun!

Taking my theme of 'Artist in an Acre' I selected two photos as inspiration. I planned to create an abstract underpainting, then bring some semblance of order out of the chaos by working on the top but allowing passages of the initial layer to show too... These step by step photos demonstrate the stages one of the paintings went through. I started by laying the support on a waterproof sheet, on the floor, for the initial work - I planned on getting messy!

Diluted acrylic washes painted on to a canvas board - not pretty.

 

Thicker paint sponged on in selected areas.
Once dry, liquid acrylic ink is squirted and diluted on the surface,
drips encouraged.

Oooh, now things are getting interesting... dribbles of white diluted gesso.
The yellow acrylic ink wasn't as dry as I thought and mingles - I like it! 

Once the previous layer dried more acrylic ink is added...

Assessment time... 

Taking charge, now referring to reference photo more -
need to keep things loose though

Ah, now there is some context.

Keep the work loose. Spatter and droplets of brighter colour
for suggested leaves...

 

Tinted gesso for skyholes, needed some more 'pop' generally
 and more emphasis on sunlit grass. Out come the Conte crayons and
 finally 'Ta Dah' - finished!
Stream of Light, 35.5cms x 46cms, acrylic & Conte on canvas board.

I have also completed another artwork, a diluted acrylic underpainting on gessoed mountboard then worked up with soft pastel. Unusual for me, I did no blending of the pastel layers. So, when nothing is working... try something new. A different approach could work wonders. I am delighted with the results of the past two days, fingers crossed the selectors like my work!

Late Light, Spring 59cms x 54cms, acrylic & pastel on gessoed mountboard.

  

Wildlife Painting in Watercolour and Gouache

Reference photo and drawing 

 

This delightful little hedgehog (hoglet as I believe the young are called) was a visitor indoors for one night last year, after we found him cold, wet and shaking in the grass following a horrendous day of pouring rain.  He spent the night in a large plastic box with newspaper on the base and a small towel loosely wrapped around him.  With some water and tiny portion of cat food he was left in peace and we feverently hoped he would last the night.  The following morning as I approached the box I could hear snuffling and shuffling noises followed by noisy chomping.  When I peeked in he was polishing off the last bit of cat food!  (It sounded like he was chewing with his mouth open).  He looked totally revived and we gladly placed him back where we had found him the previous evening.  On checking the area later in the day there was no sign of him, so hopefully he was fine. 

 

This painting, I think you will agree, is totally different to the monochrome canvas I showed you yesterday.  It was so enjoyable to do.  The majority of it was completed yesterday and today it was a few finishing touches.  The pale hairs on the cheeks needed pushing back with a very diluted dark wash.  Selected areas had more strong darks to make them recede.  Gouache has a tendency to darken and sink in once dry so some of the brightest lights were stroked on again for emphasis.  I shall let the photos show how this painting was built up in layers...  





 

Loose pencil drawing as guideline

Initial variegated watercolour washes over subject
and background

Continue with large round brush to introduce more
defined underpainting

Building up the layers, still watercolour

 

 

Background lower left strengthened to integrate
 hedgehog with background, also spatter for visual texture 

Now the fun starts - white gouache, tinted with watercolour,
for finer hairs and thick pale spines

Detail - translucency of watercolour and opaque nature of
gouache work beautifully together

 

Protection, watercolour and gouache

I am planning on entering this painting for the Wildlife in Art Exhibition which is also at the King's Lynn Art Centre, and runs parallel to the WNAA Small Works.  Hmmm,  I'm wondering now if I have time to create one more piece of work for it...  I have a lovely picture of a European Eagle Owl (taken during our trip to the Lake District - a rescue centre had a fundraising event), or camels at Banham Zoo... or what about the pheasant photographed on the patio last winter?

So many pictures, so little time.  If you are feeling inspired, don't make excuses, get cracking and who knows where it will lead?