New paintings and regular art updates.
One of our local museums, the Brampton, in Newcastle under Lyme, is letting the Orme Art Group exhibit work in their entrance window from the end of January for two months. It’s a chance to sell work or at least get our work in front of a new audience. We each can show one work plus some smaller pieces. Plus it gets a painting out of the house for a while. I hope the display does well.
Time blurs everything. Thirty years ago I was doing a course at college and for a while I rented a small studio with two other artists. But it didnt work out. One of them was collecting egg boxes to try and insulate the walls as the place was freezing in the winter but also to try and deaden the noise of rock music one of the artists used to like playing. The windows had arched wooden frames that were quite architectural but they were single glazed. I only painted a few things but when I was there and the music was on it would drive me mad. Unfortunately I could only use the place in the evenings and that coincided with the rock sessions. So I gave it up in the end. Now I’m looking at leaving my current studio. It’s too expensive to carry on renting. If it is the choice between paying rent for it or paying the fuel bills I have to make the sensible choice.
I found some new tools on my sketchbook app so I was playing around with them earlier. Not the most successful scribble but I think I understand it better now? I will try and make something more coherent next time I use it.
This is to a recent prompt for #bandofsketchers. Wine. I need to keep my brain and creativity going so drawing an image seems like the thing to do. This was drawn on the Sketchbook app using a symmetry tool.
Distractions don’t work, I’m dreading the night, time for my mind to run riot. Put the radio on low? I just have to listen. I can’t stop myself. It’s too dark so I put the light on to feel safer. The cats jump on the bed but then want attention. My head spins. My circadian rythms are all over the place. A cup of cocoa doesnt work. Yawning now. 8.30am another sleepless night.
I didn’t cry on New Years day.
I didn’t weep at all
I felt sad and tired
But I’d run out of tears today.
Screwed my eyes up…
Nothing came,
No lachrymose rivulets
Running down my cheeks
I drew a doodle
Of a woman crying
That was all I could do.
Safe place
Staying home
Don’t want to go out
Into the world
This is my cocoon
Wrapped round me
His presence
His garden
My solace
Seeking salvation
My sanctuary.
This came up on Facebook memories. A digital drawing I did years ago. I drew this with a mouse!
Who are the biggest influences in your life?
Of all the influences on my life various artists stand out as the main contenders. These include in no particular order:
Michaelangelo, Leonardo Davinci, Berthe Morissette,the French Impressionists a lot of the surrealist movement, David Hockney, Maggie Hambling, and so many more.
I don’t paint in any of their manners, some of their techniques are totally beyond me. But I do feel excited by their work.
Colours, patterns, shapes, the way they deal with light and shade. Perception, composition, knowledge, understanding. Looking and learning. Painting is a wonderful skill, I wish more people practiced it.
I cannot say that
I’m a cat person but I suddenly decided to doodle a dog. I must be starting to feel better after covid. I somehow feel like drawing again.
I’m using the Artrage app and the simple flood fill and spray tools. I’ll try and do something more complex soon. I need to catch up with my #bandofsketchers prompts too.
Mallaband-Brown