Possible painting.

Posted on March 18, 2020March 18, 2020 Posted in Fine Art, UncategorizedTagged Art, Life, Light, Painting, Self isolating, Still life, Subject matter, ThinkingLeave a comment

I need some inspiration for new paintings. Now I have to stay indoors or in my garden because of the orders to self isolate if you have underlying health issues, I can’t get out and look at things, I can’t go and see the sea. I’m trawling through my phone to see if I can find images to paint. This is a strong candidate (taken at the waiting room gallery, which is closed for the time being). This has an old fashioned look of a still life, with strong shadows and modelling with the sunlight.

I will try and find a canvas for it. I’m worried that the shops I get them from might close? I will have to go out tomorrow and panic buy canvases! And that is not sticking to the self isolating rules!

Letter to the editor

Posted on March 17, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Ideas, Letters, Newspaper, Self isolating, Staffordshire, Stoke-on trent, Suggestion, Urban SketchersLeave a comment

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Things to do when self isolating. And to prevent cabin fever…

Dear Editor

Can I recommend joining an urban sketchers group and following one of the ‘drawing indoors’ challenges that are being set up. The first I knew about it was a Facebook post from Urban Sketchers in London. They had decided to do a thirty day challenge while they spend enforced time at home. After all you only need a pen or pencil and some paper.

My branch of Urban Sketchers in Stoke-on-Trent are thinking of doing the same…

Yours X

Get on and finish it!

Posted on March 15, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Artists block, Cleaning, Design, Frustrating, Help, Kingfisher, Life, Painting, Spring cleaningLeave a comment

This has been hidden behind envelopes and letters for weeks, artists block holding me tight in its grip. So why is it uncovered? Is there going to be a spurt in activity? No, spring cleaning, removing piles of old letters and finding things to shred or burn…. And I cleaned the cooker, cleaned the bathroom sink, did the washing up, cleaned the fridge, the sink in the kitchen, wiped the walls down and… Still didn’t paint, despite having things to do…. My bum needs a good kicking!

Net curtains

Posted on March 14, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Blogging, Cats, Fun, Humour, Looking in, Neighbours, Net curtains, Painting, StudioLeave a comment

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When you live next to a road, without a front garden, you need something to obscure people views of the inside of your home. I mean, if it was a show home it might be different, but I’m messy when it comes to life. I’ve got lots of art materials and canvases so you can imagine.. I have a studio at Spode, but in winter it’s too cold to use.

Anyway I used to have lovely net curtains, with cat patterns on them, but they got clawed by my new cats, so these are stronger, less easy to damage. The cats still climb on the windowledge and look out, half the time they pull the net curtains along with them, so I’m constantly having to straighten them up…. Like a nosy neighbour twitching their curtains!

Brushes (new)

Posted on March 14, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Acrylics, Art, Brushes, Glazes, Nylon, Oils, Painting, Paints, Tempera, WatercolourLeave a comment

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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.

Painting I did a few years ago.

Posted on March 14, 2020 Posted in Fine Art, UncategorizedTagged Art, Auction, Blogging, Dog, Dogs, French bulldog, Fun, Life, Painting, Pet portrait, Watercolour on paperLeave a comment

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I think it says 2005.

There had been a massive Tsunami on Christmas Eve in the Philippines. Our offices decided to do an auction I think for a fundraiser and I offered to do a painting for whoever bid for it.

The winning bid wanted a painting of three dogs. I think they are French bulldogs? They were named after characters from Buffy the vampire slayer, which was a popular TV programme at the time.

It’s funny the little details you remember. But yes, I used to love doing pet portrait. Contact me if you are interested….

Must get my brushes out

Posted on March 13, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Artists block, Blogging, Brushes, Depression, Life, Need to paint, Painting6 Comments

I admit, this week I should have painted. But I’ve found a colouring Web site where you sit and ‘colour by numbers’.

I want to get on with things, but with everything that is going on in the world I think I’ve got a bit down again. I need to paint.

So tomorrow, I’m going to try and get my act together and start painting again.

Glass hanging

Posted on March 12, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Angela Ashton, Art, Colour, Design, Fused glass, Glass artist, Hanging panel, WorkshopLeave a comment

I would like to do some more glass art. This hanging piece was made last year. It’s made from fused glass. I would like to find a better place to hang it, so that more light can shine through. I’m also not quite happy with the yellow in it. It slight clashes with the other colours. It’s made with lengths of glass placed horizontally and vertically. It is almost like a plaid pattern.

Fused glass class with Angela Ashton, glass artist. Now based at South Sheilds.

Tree pillar

Posted on March 11, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Colour, Contrast, Design, Duplicated, Fun, Multiplied, Pattern, PhotoLeave a comment

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Went down the surreal route (root) with this photo a couple of years ago. This tree ‘pillar’ looks like its holding up a green roof.

Getting an image like this is based on placement of the object in the original picture. If you place a strong pattern in one corner, or in the middle, with interesting contrast or colours, you can multiply it and create something etherial. I like to think this could be a home for elves or fairie folk. Mad, but interesting.

Knitted drawing

Posted on March 10, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Applications, Art, Design, Digital art, Digital devices, Drawing, Drawing apps, Fun, Memory, Pattern, SketchingLeave a comment

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I loved this drawing app, but when I changed devices I couldn’t get it to load on my new tablet. It was fascinating to see this texture appear in the drawing. I cannot remember where I got it from, and now I can’t even remember it’s name! Over the years I’ve done lots I’d digital art, some of it is more easy to use than others. I think this was relatively simple.

One of the things about art applications is the amount if memory they take. I’ve found that I cannot run all the apps I want to because I mainly use my devices to create art, and that takes up memory on them. I don’t know if I’m unusual in doing this. I probably need to delete a lot of things, it’s just I’m too attached.

Mallaband-Brown

Tag: Art