New paintings and regular art updates.
I’ve started a new painting. My cat decided to climb up being my easle and popped his head out from behind a pastel drawing I’m doing. I decided to do a painting of it.
I’m going to try and do some different paintings over the next few weeks.
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Of course I’m using artistic licence tto change the background.
The weather here is very wet and windy so I’m concentrating on doing some painting. I decided to paint a zebra yesterday. I sketched it out last night but didn’t start on it properly till today. I’ve extended the muzzle and made its mane black and white. It seems to be shaded with brown dust. Possibly it has been having a dust bath. I hope to finish it and my owl painting today. It’s also taking my mind off a toothache I have after eating a cashew nut.
Etruria Artists logo by Robert Cochrane.
Etruria Artists is on tonight. Starting an hour early at 6pm. If you want to come and have a go at painting, drawing or pottery come to the warehouse by lock 40 (summit lock ) of the trent and mersey canal.
Most art materials are provided or you can bring your own.
I’ve had some good times there creating art. It is an old building though and we do close over the winter as it’s only heated when we are in the building so the water has to be turned off in case it freezes and bursts the pipes. I’ve also helped people with advice for using different paints like Acrylics, Watercolours and Gouache…. I’m not trained as an art teacher but I do have some knowledge.
I’ve had some new business cards. Shiny, new and based on one if my paintings.
My previous set were based on a painting of a spode plate but it’s good to have a change.
Not much else to say really. I’ve decided to just sign my paintings Mallaband-Brown as fitting the Christine or C in takes up a lot of space. These also reflect my love of colour and experiment.
Maybe one day I will be better known, but I’m trying..
I’ve done some more to this acrylic on canvas. I have added more definition around the leaves but tried to leave some of the subtlety of colour in other places. It has some sparkle in the paints to give it a slightly frosted appearance as if leaves have piled up, but the face of the druid is emerging from it.
About 16″ by 12″ this is one of my more abstract pieces based on the green man theme.
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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 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!
It’s mother’s day here on 31st of March but I won’t be celebrating it as both my mom and mother in law passed away a few years ago.
What I do have is these two paintings of them to remember them by.
They both had their troubles and difficulties but they were both strong women and I loved them both.
Instead of going to a mothers day lunch or tea I’m going to a theatrical event called Titchy theatre.
I’ve written a couple of small conversations for two or three voices and the people running the theatre event will be reading them out. The Titchy theatre started at Penkhull Mysteries but is expanding to two performances a year. People were asked to write something for the performance. If you are free on Sunday the 31st and want to come up to Penkhull Village Hall please do. Please get there for 2.30pm. The show starts at 3pm. Spaces are limited.
I’m really pleased I got Jupiter Blue into a local Open exhibition at the Brampton in Newcastle-under-Lyme. I’m chuffed as it’s quite a large painting and I was half expected to only get one of the other two smaller ones I had also entered but was not successful with these. They were a pastel of Sky and Land and an abstract picture entitled Druid. I think I may work further into the second of these and make it more three dimensional.
Open exhibitions are hard to get into. They are dependant on so many different things, not least whether your work fits in with the feel of an exhibition. I have more luck some days or years than others. They also depend on the number of entries. I’ve heard of some opens taking one picture from each entrant then adding additional ones if there is enough space.
Mallaband-Brown