New paintings and regular art updates.
You could go to a beach and find someone just painting stones as a job (Lulworth Cove in Dorset). A respectable way of earning some money as an artist. Sitting in the sunshine, working on imaginative designs. We bought one with a blue octopus painted on it. The stones were probably collected off the shingle beach (yes I’m writing about different shingles). I would love to go back there but I doubt this artist would still be plying his trade. Yes the world has changed.
Detail from a life study I did several years ago. I’ve chosen the figure in the background who is drawing because I think it’s important in a painting or drawing to show what is going on around the subject. This figure mirrors the seated life model to dome extent. On the other side of the picture is a large cloth hanging down over a screen and table. The artist on the right helps balance the image up. I used a large round brush with a good point to paint in the textures and thin lines. I did this directly onto the paper. I rarely do any pencil drawing on things like this, I draw with my brush.
It was called Dasies. The figure in the doorway was my friend at the time. But like the painting she was strange. A complex person that tried to do things and disturb my life. I think she might have been OK, but one day she did something that completely lost my trust in her. I won’t go into detail, but she showed an uncaring side that really hurt me and my hubby. I could have forgiven her, I could have accepted her apologies, but why should I?
What do the Dasies and plants signify? Because it was before the split, I think probably I was trying to beautify the image. The garden was not as floriferous as this. It was a gift for either her birthday or Christmas. She was good at hiding her thoughts and the slightly surreal air was trying to capture that. I think most of my paintings are quite narrative. I’m glad I kept a photo of it, I have lost track of the paintings I have done over the years. Perhaps this ended up in the bin?
a few years ago at lifedrawing at Burslem Schoolo of Art, just found this photo- watercolour painting.
The sun is setting earlier now. It was dark at 9pm today, and the sunrise is later too. In September we will reach the point when day and night are of equal length. Then in October we will revert back to Greenwich mean time and lose an hour of daylight in the evening. Although we gain an hour on the morning I think it’s sad to get darknrss earlier just when you want to cling to brightness.
Why talk about this? I need to get a daylight bulb. I find if I paint in normal electric light the colours I use look different from in the daytime. They are often distorted, I find I can’t see yellow properly compared with white. I also think LED lights are a lot dimmer than the old 100 watt bulbs and you can’t get a bright enough equivalent. I want to be able to see colours properly so I can paint better.
I have tentatively put my name down for a couple of craft fairs later in the year. It’s taken a while because I’m still concerned about covid and being in crowds. I’m trying to lower my anxiety levels. I went to an outside event at the weekend but still put a mask on when I went inside. As the craft fairs will be inside buildings I will be very aware of the situation. I’m still not going into my Studio at Spode and I think it’s the same thing. My shaking arm appears to be caused by anxiety (I do feel very tense), I might be getting some help, I’ve got to find out what’s available but hopefully I will be able to get back to normal eventually.
I’ve been asked to paint some of my small paintings, bees, birds, cats, maybe dogs, flowers. But I might add a few small mechanical paintings too.
How can I know my audience? Mainly by what has sold before, but also what is liked on social media. I cannot paint exactly what someone wants without getting a description of a commission from them, but I can try to get an inkling of what is interesting. For instance I have been painting more abstract images, but I feel they are more fine art subjects. If someone buys a tiny painting is that more of a craft piece. I need to know because if I carry on I need to earn a crust or two, even if it’s only a crumb sized one! We will see.
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The Leopardess at the Leopard Hotel in Burslem. She was supposed to be a mixed race woman that married the owner of the hotel and came to England to run it. I was told several tales by the landlords of the Leopard while I was painting murals there and I really wish I had written them down. But you know what it’s like. You are standing on top of a set of stepladders and chatting while you paint. You have ideas for each mural and have to fit in with what the owners want you to paint. Sometimes I was in the Arnold Bennett suite on my own for hours (I’d go up after work), listening to old creaking timbers and odd noises. It could be spooky in there. My memory isn’t what it was.
I’m in another group of artists who come u with challenges to post to every week. The pictures don’t have to be recent (thankfully). This was for #safari, I painted it about four years ago and it went to the local ‘Lions’ club which is a local charity. What else can I say? It’s acrylic on canvas, about A4 size. I don’t paint every single hair or piece of fur, but I try and get an impression of how the animal looks. I generally do cat and dog portraits but am not too bad at most animals x
I did this a few years ago. Living in the city of Stoke-on-Trent means there are places where you can pay to paint pottery with glazes and then collect the finished piece a week or so later. I found a place in Burslem which was about half the price of other potteries and the vase was double the size. I think it was called Stafford Pottery, its on the opposite side of the road to Burslem Town Hall. I gave the resulting jug as a Christmas gift. I usually paint cats but have been known to paint horses too… I know it’s mainly a kids thing, but it is fun.
Mallaband-Brown