Felt, felt FELT!

It's time for blogging again...

It has been a long time but I have been hard at work making felt bags, hats and vases for a show. The show went pretty well but sales were low. I am not sure if the art school is the right place. I did, however, get a lot of great feedback. I also had the chance to be super experimental!

Now that is behind me and I have been hard at work painting so that I could make the deadline for the summer shows. I have just turned in my submissions and it looks good. I haven't been able to finish my painting yet but I gave them a so far look at it and they seem to think they will take it.

I will try to blog more often now as I am hitting the laptop and making websites for the next few weeks. I am going online for some future projects like dollmaking and the felt too.

These are some pics I did for a yogi friend...

I

just wanted to share Alyson Stanfield’s blog post “Count Your Accomplishments”. I am heading for new artistic territory this year but I think it is important to remember how I got here...

So a few of accomplishments from her list that I don’t mind sharing, they might be useful.

Who were the top ten cool or influential people you met? I met Jane Barton, Nicola Cheshire who are great people and very creative; Mary, Rachel and Allison who were students and really helped me to enjoy the year teaching and be inspired by there progress and artistic achievement.

The Artist's Open Studio's this year, helped me to interact with my community and let me meet some other local artists.

What medium or skill did you attempt or master? Attempted to create a 7 layer painting (I just typed 7 year as a mistake but it feels like that my be truer than I'd like to think). Haven't finished it yet but have high hopes for getting to the studio more this year. It has begun very well! I have made fab handbags out of felt which I have just about mastered by realizing it needs less control. I have also made a vase... pics to come another day.

What books did you read to help your career? 500 Handmade Dolls

What videos or films were useful? Alice in Wonderland has helped me realize that some of my fantasies come from the classic images. Victorian gothy stuff... with a happy twist :) I have to say that the most useful and inspirational tool in the last year was the internet! You can learn everything you need to know and get inspiration from other artists as well as a place to show and sell your own art.

Now I have to get back to class planning but I am committed to spending a lot more time blogging this year!

Something in common

Today's pic is a small portrait I did of my dogs and friend's dogs. The line up is left to right: Oscar, Gordon (Gracie & Chilli's daddy), Ruby (mommy) and Grace the little one. Oscar's mum bought it and took it to Spain so I won't see it anymore :( That is the difficult thing about selling your work but the good thing is that she really likes it and I would only pick it apart eventually if it was here.

Today I need to drop by the studio and pick up the board for the roosters. I need to transfer the sketches to the board so I can begin the painting. I have done the sketches and I love the way one bird came out but I'm not so sure about the second. I originally thought it was great because it had so much movement but now I think it looks unreal (even though that is the one I took from a photo). It doesn't read as real anyway. It was a moment in time that will be difficult to paint as convincing. So I will rethink that and try to find another pose.

I also found a bird that I may try a dry brush technique a la Andrew Wyeth. I still can't get the Dulwich show out of my head. It was so amazing. I wish I could paint like that but I don't think I have the patience never mind the talent! I would like to try to capture a bit of the (loneliness, space, vertigo) that Wyeth uses in his composition and style. I would like to paint the daughter of a friend of ours but I am always shy to ask. I could paint her in Richmond Park (I would love to paint her in the lake district or Scotland but Richmond will do). I will leave all of that until I get started on the bird painting.

I have so much going on sometimes that I struggle to get anything done and I am trying not to overwhelm myself. that said, I would really like to get some felting done and I have to change utility suppliers as well as finding out what the hell is going on with our package delivery as we don't seem to be able to get anything through Royal Mail (the bastards). I also need to go for a run and eventually watch some Flash videos for next term... breath!

Till next time... x

Holham Fun

So here is another painting I used the Holkham photos for...

I am actually working on a visual reference for a new painting. I am using Photoshop today to put together some different things to look at for my composition.

I have also been studying the 7 layer method on the internet to get some basics down.

Things to remember from this exercise are:

• make sure the canvas is as smooth as possible.
• begin with an ink drawing or use acrylics to "confirm the drawing". (Acrylics can be used for the first layers for quickness but I am not sure I want to do this as I am trying to learn the method)
• First paint layer is the medium tone of the largest lightest feature.
• Second and third layers are shadows in burnt umber.
• 4th layer or "dead layer" is a white/olive colour. (Acrylic method this is the first oil layer and you paint in basic colour thinly so as to see the shadows)
• The rest of the layers are thin paint and medium (liquin or linseed).
• Use light refraction when considering colours. (Van DYck used this called "scrumping")
• use transparent colours such as alizarin or zinc white or use opaques (cadmiums or lead white) with more medium.
• don't use turps on brushes... change brush if you need to clean it.
• wait for layers to be dry before next layer... this is the hardest part so I may need to start other paintings at the same time.

So now all I have to do is make some sKetches to transfer to my vision to the canvas. Off I go then :)

Horses at Holkham one year on...

I haven't blogged in almost a year... It is finally my few summer weeks off so time to start again so I keep myself artistically active. I do find it helps but as you can see by the pic today, I have kept myself active. I have been painting a lot this year and the results are getting better and better. I feel like I am gaining confidence in my natural style. I will put various paintings up in the coming weeks to show what I have been doing but I would also like to show my big summer project as it goes along.

I am going to paint some photo-realism using the old masters' techniques. There are 7 stages or layers and I will begin as soon as I finish the sketches.

I also have to finish my painting of Shea as I am STILL working on it!! He is basically finished but I can't seem to sort out the background. I need to do it on the mac first and then I will transfer that to painting.

Some other pics I may share are the balloon girl one year on and some doggy stuff.

Horses at Holkham

Back again after a long absence...

I have been painting lately and the "Sacred Cow" is going to be as (or better) than the pig (I think). At least it is as pleasing to paint. The background so far is a tie- dye effect and it is so yummy! I was showing the "Ball Dog" to some of my colleagues at the art school and my friend asked me why I am painting animals (as if it was naff). He went to see the pig in the gallery this summer so he is not trying to insult. I told him that I liked to spend time painting things that I like. If you're going to spend so much time on a painting then it should be something that makes you feel good. I have thought a lot about it since he asked and I know that I am really uncool art wise, but I really like my subject matter and I really like when I get that photo realism type effect. The backgrounds are a little surreal so maybe that will help me from being considered a total loser. I really don't like abstract art that much and the pre-Raphaelites are my heros. I like to look at my paintings and think how I could kiss them. That sounds weird but when the pig left the studio I had to touch it and when I look at it, I can't believe that I painted it!

My pic today is called "Horses at Holkham". It is a photo that I have played with in Photoshop using watercolour brushes and a parchment layer. I really love the effect. It is going to be a thank you card for our friends who hosted us that weekend. I think they will love it because they have a lot of local art that shows the beauty of the area.

Well, I am back at the studio tonight so TTFN X

Another week goes by..

OK, I haven't been very good at the whole blog thing lately. I seem to only manage it about once or twice a week. I think that will have to do during term time. I guess I spend too much time with my mouth going and I have run out of things to say by the time I get time to post. I am not as active with the art thing either. I did try to paint the little boy the other day and it was not going well at all. I hope I can manage it as the sketch was so good that the family is expecting a really good likeness. That is a lot of pressure!

I am really excited to get to the "Sacred Cow" painting as the background is soooo lovely. It looks like tie dye. I can't wait to work on it! I am also going to do a triptych of some roosters as I have 3 lovely little canvases that a friend gave me. I need to sort that out in my head a little more but that is where I am going with them. I also want to do some pen and inks of roosters. This is all for the Battersea Arts thing.

I still have some felting plans but I don't know when I'll get to it.

That's all for the moment. I guess I don't have a lot to say these days. I need to get some artwork finished!

My pic is from Norfolk it is obviously some deer. I have some great pics from that trip. Some are horses and I may do something with them too. I am thinking of what to have for my booth.... I actually need to book it this week too.

TTFN X