Lockdown II looming
I cannot believe it has been over seven weeks since I wrote my last post, something had to give, it wasn’t going to be my painting and drawing so I cut the blog. I have been rushing in and out of the studio for short bursts matching a task for the available time, I feel all over the place in my head, so many avenues I am exploring with reduced focus. It will do me good to write about them and settle back into a calmer art practice well timed with our next lockdown starting this Sunday 6pm.
Last time you saw my horse skull I was talking about the importance of following the form, my mind moving around the protrusions and crevasses of the skull as I paint.
All going well on that front but I began to get really bored with its appearance, it was all quite, 'pastel impressionistic' and said nothing about the skull. I have been experimenting with colour palette, tonal variations, changing the shape, trying to find the sensation that talks to me of how I feel about this horse. Death, solid mass, a frighteningly large animal that can push you over with a butt of the head. I think I am getting closer to that sensation and take regular photographs which is really helpful for me to reflect on progress, here are just a few.
I have been revisiting tone, the more black and white paintings I do the more I learn about tonal variation without the distraction of colour. I have been reworking black and white paintings, pelvic bones, a foot and Dante’s head cast pleased that I seem to be developing a more intuitive sense of how to improve upon work I was previously quite happy with.
I have been spending time experimenting with flesh, tone and form, trying out different palettes, working on myself portraits and small face paintings whilst trying not to be a slave to the image. It’s easy to copy an image of a face in paint, the results are predictable, gratification is instant. Working from memory of anatomy whilst adding something of yourself to a painting is more difficult. It requires practice to reach a point where actions become intuitive, for me it results in more failures and a struggle against taking the easy road.
I have learnt that its a very bad idea to rush into the studio in a bad mood and take on a bigger task than I have time for. Although it has to be said the bad mood day certainly reflected my emotions.
Then two great tuition days working with Jac and Alan as a life model. Starting with an asphaltum and radiant green grisaille then introducing the tones and colour with all that I have been learning about flesh.
In the struggle against being a slave to the image I have begun some abstract work that frees me from representation of an object giving me the space to explore the way I feel and enter into a romance with the paint and tools of application
Finally in amongst all this research I continue to draw, looking back at the old masters their techniques and tools. It is through technical practice that I will be able to do my own thing in the future.
Well that was a whirl wind cathartic catch up, I feel ready for the lockdown ahead.