New paintings and regular art updates.
A little exhibition is coming up in September and I am not sure what, if anything, I can paint. My vision is quite odd now, a bit doubled, a bit blurred.
I’m thinking of possibly painting cats. Just some simple and gentle and nice! With a bit of character. Not a generic cat… Not a pretty cat, a growl tiger, curmugeonly, interesting cat… I don’t know, golden eyes? But first I need to fish some paints out!
What is your favorite hobby or pastime?
This was a painting I did a few years ago, it’s of the upper story of Cheddleton Station, in Staffordshire, England.
I still love painting, but my health is affecting what I can do at the moment, I really want to do more. And somehow the anxiety over it is making me struggle to start. Because I’m worried whether I will be able to do a good enough job. I know I’ve been doing a lot of digital art, but it doesn’t have the same quality to me as actually painting.
I’ve spent years being an artist and I don’t want to stop. I admit some of my work isn’t as good as I’d like, I paint fast and rely on my skill to pull things into shape. I’ve certainly put in the hours to get to a good standard. But I wish I could go back in time and make better decisions about my art.
I haven’t stopped, but I might not do as much as I used to, I’m just hoping the physiotherapy I’m due to start will help.
Where would you go on a shopping spree?
Down to the Arts and Book shop. I’d buy lots of acrylic paints, some watercolours, gouache, oil paints, felt pens, pastels, charcoal, conte crayons, pencils. Then I’d get canvases, large and small in white and black. Cartridge paper, watercolour paper, sketch pads. Glitter, metallic paper, ink, lino to cut for printing.
Science and technology books, sci-fi books, novels, biographies, autobiographical books, historic books, books about galleries, about the renaissance, about astronomy.
Then I would donate half of it to a local school or college, because I would not have space for it all, or time to use it.
Getting ready for the exhibition tomorrow. Painting, adding wires to the back of the paintings. Retouching edges of canvases where I missed bits of paint (painting edges is called ‘gallery wrapping’).
The exhibition and sale is only for one day so I want to make it as good as I can. I have other small paintings to take plus cards and jewellery. I hope I actually sell something.
This Saturday, around eight artists will be exhibiting at the Whitfield Community Centre, Whitfield Avenue, Newcastle under Lyme, Staffordshire. Eleven till Four.
It should be good. Crafts and jewellery as well as paintings and drawings will be for sale. It will be interesting to see how many people come out. Hope the weather is fine. I will be wearing a mask, hope no one minds!
I painted this a few years ago. It’s an octagonal platter shape. I used a few images of willow pattern plates and amalgamated them. It’s mostly based on a Spode style of pattern. The edge design was made up by myself. The painting is meant to look like the platter is leant up against a background. That’s why I added shadows and played with adding a reflection below it. I can’t remember what else I added to it. I did a series of paintings of ceramic objects, there was also a jug and a teapot and a large vase painting. It was good to imagine pottery from my adopted home of Stoke-on-Trent.
I’m doing a painting on line, live, next week. I offered to do it for our mystery plays virtual performance next week. Its only going to have a small audience because we can’t have a big group on zoom. I’ve been watching Bob Ross programmes and I’ve always done paintings quickly but I think I’ve bit off more than I can chew!
Anyway I’m going to have just over an hour to get this finished, and better still they want me to start from scratch and if it’s OK they will raffle it off… Wish me luck!
I use the same glass mug as a water container when I’m painting acrylics or watercolour and I just decided to empty and clean it. Not before time by the look of it! I don’t know when I will be using it again, hope it won’t be too long. I need to shake off my down feelings, try and realise I can do things, get past some of my worries. I don’t have to do everything, just make a start….
I just chose a random photo from my gallery. It’s a scenery flat for the mystery plays a few years ago. When you are painting on a board eight foot by four foot you don’t need a lot of detail. But I love these iconic bottle ovens, so of course I decided to paint every brick. Plus it means I can give a bit of perspective rather than leaving it flat looking. I also hate when I see scenery and the perspective is wrong. I have seen some that are really weird. It’s distracting (for me anyway). I can spend more time on looking at scenery than at a performance.
A lot of scenery I’ve done for the Mystery plays was painted very quickly. When we have prepared and rehearsed for them the time we can have to use the hall we work in is limited so that we don’t have to spend too much money.
I don’t know what will happen next year? Will there be another one? I don’t know. For me by next summer it could be a real boost to have it on again.
Just got some new brushes, they usually cost a lot, but these were not expensive. They are value brushes, £3.99 each pack. I bought one lot of smallish round headed brushes and one pack of flat ones. That’s eight brushes (nylon) at about £1 each.
Apart from these I must have about twenty or thirty old brushes. I must go through them, maybe throw a few away. But they are like old friends, I use them till all of the bristles have worn away!
Using different shapes gives you different mark making. Round, pointed ones can describe the shapes of petals or leaves. Flat, chisel shaped ones can be used for painting things like bricks, or to fill in larger areas.
These brushes are ‘golden taklon’ by Royal Langnickel. I like them because they are nylon so the bristles last longer and don’t tend to snap or fall out. Also they have rubber grips so they are non slip and easier to handle. They can be used for acrylics, watercolours, oils, temperas and glazes.
I got these from a craft shop in a local garden centre.
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Mallaband-Brown