New paintings and regular art updates.
Today I started a painting for the first time in months. I saw an image by photographer David Tipling of a Barn Owl from a Staffordshire Wildlife Trust bookmark and just had to paint it.
Why the owl? The photographer has captured it in flight beautifully The sinuous curve of its wings seems to scythe through the air. Its face is both impassive and intent.
I hope the photographer does not mind me painting his image.
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Digital drawing after a painting ‘Olympia’ by the artist Manet. I think this was another one of the challenges I drew at sketchfu. It’s a few years since I drew it. Apologies to anyone who does not like nude pictures. Edouard Manet was a French artist born 1832 died 1883.
From Wikipedia :
“Born into an upper-class household with strong political connections, Manet rejected the future originally envisioned for him, and became engrossed in the world of painting. His early masterworks, The Luncheon on the Grass (Le déjeuner sur l’herbe) and Olympia, both 1863, caused great controversy and served as rallying points for the young painters who would create Impressionism. Today, these are considered watershed paintings that mark the start of modern art. The last 20 years of Manet’s life saw him form bonds with other great artists of the time, and develop his own style that would be heralded as innovative and serve as a major influence for future painters.”
When I was studying art Manet was one of my favourite artists. I also loved the French impressionists. I wish I had the skills to actually paint in his style. This is the closest I ever got.
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I like drawing digitally. I need to get my computer fixed (I’ve been saying that for a couple of years) the trouble is that I got a tablet, now I’ve got a smart phone. I can do so much without having to sit in a cold bedroom in winter. But in some ways I am limited. I can’t draw on this device like I had learned to on my old PC. I’m just worried I won’t be able to upgrade without losing thousands of saved images. I imaging the inside of my computer going rusty or with spiders inhabiting it!
Cheerio for now
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I keep finding drawings that I did at sketchfu all those years ago that are popping up on my memories page. I just want to share them because I’m quite proud of them considering it was just a site with basic tools. I’m posting a different set in a minute. I did do drawings of more people but they haven’t emerged from the depths of FB yet.
Put a picture of an eye or eyes up on a wall or building and crime drops. People are apparently influenced by an image of an eye. Perhaps that is why the story the handmaid’s tale uses the phrase “under his eye” as part of its narrative.
Eyes are all seeing, interrogative, piercing, but also are described as honest, kind, thoughtful, gentle.
Eyes are the windows of the soul. The look of longing, watching, friendship. Caring eyes. Intelligent eyes. So many descriptions. Your eyes weep, cry, shed tears.
Eyes linger on a sunset, watch the television, look back in anger. Using your eyes to see. Recognise your friends and family……
Dont let your eyes darken, grow clouded, become opaque with cataracts. Blink away tears.
Glance at the sky, watch a bird in flight, look at your watch, wear mascara. Stare at the world. Close your eyes, and, sleep.
Digital, digita, digit, digit, digit, dig, dug
What fun I had drawing these. From faces to flowers, plates and jugs. Lace and mandelbrot, eyes, patterns and rocks. I like trying to draw anything.
The jug is a drawing of a Clarice Cliff designed pot by the way.
All drawn at the now defunct Sketchfu website.
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There used to be quite a basic drawing website called Sketchfu. These are drawings I did there and saved before the site closed around 2013?
Some of them were challenges to copy images that had been posted to the site. It was a good community and I’m proud to say I helped moderate it over quite a few years. All images are digital drawings by myself, not photos.
So many years ago, 2003 was when I did this art work. The hand print was a photocopy of my hand I think. Then I used photoshop to add colours using flood fill and a drawing tool. Finally I used one of the texture tools to break the image up into shards.
16 years on its at my studio at Spode. I really want to do more experimental stuff. I have been trying to get in the front room where my computer is but it’s full of my partners train stuff which I don’t want to move.
Life can be complicated. You have to have give and take. That’s what my lifeline was shining I guess (although I don’t believe in that kind of thing).
Drawing on top of multiplied background. Changing from colour and black and white to blue hues.
Apps used, layout, sketcher free and picsart.
I like changing images gradually and coming up with different iterations and colourways.
I took these photos within minutes of each other. This is my painting chair where I prop up my canvases while painting at home. I’m between paintings at the moment so the cats often sit on it. The house is full of “stuff” that Mey or may not be used as subject matter. Hence this poem!
Cats and clutter, clutter and cats.
Do the two go together
Like mittens and bats?
Like bread and butter
Like lamb and spring
Grapes and wine
Cheese and bread?
We all live differently
Each to his own
Cats and clutter are in my home!
Mallaband-Brown