I’ve added myself in the bottom right hand side of the painting. I’m there as a ghostly shadow in the photo, so why not? Trying to get an idea of cracked paint on the frame. 
Can you see my phone?
Tag: Art
Painting upside down.
Sometimes it’s hard to see whether something looks right in a painting. Then I try turning it upside down. It really does give you a different perspective. In the case of the painting I’m doing it also allows me to get closer to the top of the picture as I’ve got it propped up on a chair.
Eyesight is another problem. If I’m staring at my phone looking at the image it’s hard for my eyes to accommodate (called presbyopia) where the lenses in your eyes get stiffer as you get older, so they don’t focus as well.
I’m now starting to paint the cracks in the window frame paint. I may come back to the clouds (thanks Martha, a bit of finger painting helped).
I’ve rotated the photo back to the vertical on my camera so I can look at it without moving the canvas. Eventually I will turn it back the right way so I can paint the bottom half. It’s going to take a while…..
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Spode patterns
I’m working towards the exhibition at Spode and I’ve been experimenting with the photos I took a few days ago. Using the Layout app on my phone.
The thing is, I know I can’t reproduce these as paintings, so it’s good to use photographs to experiment with the images I took. There was a film by Andrei Tarkovsky I saw years ago. I think it was called Stalker, the industrial archeology of Spode reminds me of that. Almost post apocalyptic….
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My favourite bag-ever!
I do love this bag, I’ve had it for a whole now and the straps are starting to fray, but I have to say I love it. Whoever designed it, thank you, you have given me a great deal of pleasure.
Design is important in this world. That’s why art is worth studying. Maybe that’s why arts courses should not be cut.
Clouds are a pain!
More work in progress photos. I’m struggling to get the clouds right. I need to try and get the detail and shading correct. Also when it’s finished the paintwork on the frames will be all crackled and flakey.
Looking closer, the greys are dark but not too dark, I may also bring a tiny bit of brown in and thin it down for the wood in the windows. Mostly it’s blending and shading to get a realistic effect.
Taking a rest.
Even when I’ve got my eyes closed I have to do something arty. I like pattern and colours. Plus this is a way of hiding my double chin a bit! I’ve left painting till there is some daylight so that I can see the colours of the image of spode better.
Anyway I will see how I feel. But for now goodnight.
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Progress?
I’m having a rest and trying to decide whether I’m happy with this. I think the width of the frames of the windows need widening….. Also I’ve been using quite a thin white paint which does not have enough pigment in it. I think I will need to strengthen it. At the moment I’m just using cobalt blue, titanium white and a black. I don’t know whether to add a bit of yellow into the sky and window frames, or some violet. But that will happen as I build it up. The image is slightly stretched horizontally. I’m wondering whether to strengthen the blue.
View of Plymouth sound.
This was a painting I did a few years ago. I think it’s from Bovisand Bay looking out over Plymouth sound across to Cornwall. I wish I could go back. I live the place. It’s just the cost and the length of the drive. I want to just have one whole week somewhere nice. We’ll we will see. Perhaps I will sell some paintings, enough to go there. X
What Spode means to me.
Series of photos taken at Spode today, 13.8.19. I will select one or more image to paint. The idea is to paint industrial archeology and also sky. Some include reflections and sights through to windows on the other side of a building. Many have clouds reflected in them….
I also did close-ups of things like hooks and taps and an old pair of rubber gloves.
Which is your favourite if any?
Got to paint,
This was me in 2007. I might be helping to paint a mural again soon, but I also need to paint a picture of what Spode means to me. I’m not sure what to paint as I never worked in the factory and only know it as it is, I was blogging about that a couple of days ago. Well today I went out and got a largish canvas about two feet by two and a half feet. I’m thinking of finding some old cracked paint or dusty glass, maybe a reflection. I will go and take photos tomorrow. I want to add some metallic glints to whatever I do. I need to make plans…..
Mallaband-Brown 