Blue Sphere Diamond And Topaz Rings

Blue Sphere Diamond And Topaz Rings

Blue Sphere Diamond And Topaz Rings

Blue Sphere Diamond And Topaz Rings

Blue Sphere Diamond And Topaz Rings

Blue Sphere Diamond And Topaz Rings

Blue Sphere Diamond And Topaz Rings

Blue Sphere Diamond And Topaz Rings

Blue Sphere Diamond And Topaz Rings

Blue Sphere Diamond And Topaz Rings

Blue Sphere Diamond And Topaz Rings

Blue Sphere Diamond And Topaz Rings

Blue Sphere Diamond And Topaz Rings

Blue Sphere Diamond And Topaz Rings

Blue Sphere Diamond And Topaz Rings

Blue Sphere Diamond And Topaz Rings

Blue Sphere Diamond And Topaz Rings

Blue Sphere Diamond And Topaz Rings

Blue Sphere Diamond And Topaz Rings

Blue Sphere Diamond And Topaz Rings

Blue Sphere Diamond And Topaz Rings

Blue Sphere Diamond And Topaz Rings

Blue Sphere Diamond And Topaz Rings

Blue Sphere Diamond And Topaz Rings

Blue Sphere Diamond And Topaz Rings

Blue Sphere Diamond And Topaz Rings

Blue Sphere Diamond And Topaz Rings

Blue Sphere Diamond And Topaz Rings

Blue Sphere Diamond And Topaz Rings

Blue Sphere Diamond And Topaz Rings

Blue Sphere Diamond And Topaz Rings

Blue Sphere Diamond And Topaz Rings

Beating artist’s block – 10 ideas I’ve found helpful

Don’t you just hate it when you don’t know what to paint or draw or create?

I found myself in that situation today and thought I’d remind myself what I could do to reinvigorate my creativity!

1. I keep a sketchbook with me at all times. Jotting down the ideas as soon as they come. If I’m stuck what to do I have a look through it.
2. Playing with different media – using the opportunity to try a new technique can really help spark an ideas.
3. Going for a walk with a sketchbook take time to stop and sketch anything which catches you eye.
4. Looking through books and magazines. I found a really good book on abstracts recently “Painting Abstracts” by Rolina van Vliet and there are loads of exercises to help inspire creativity.
5. Visit a real Art Gallery – seeing another artist’s work can stimulate an idea.
6. Visit art websites and galleries online. Lots of sites such as Painter-online and Empty Easel have online tutorials. You might not wish to reproduce the image they demonstrate but they are a good source of advice and can be inspiring. Even if it’s only I can do better than that! It can be fun to do a subversive version instead.
7. Rip up a magazine or seven and make a collage. Be surreal or funny if you’d like. e.g. Kerry Katona’s head on K9’s body. Oooh I like that idea!
8. Doodle! Make a mark on a large piece of paper and fiddle with it. It helps free up your mind and sometimes you get a great idea for a project.
9. Go out and take photographs. Play with exposure, cropping. Go in close and personal. Focus on details. Look for different angles.
10. I got stuck with artist’s block here!!!!!!!! Then I remembered. Hoik out an old sketchbooks, flick through and pick one page. Then look at it upside down, sideways or squinting. Sketch or trace some or part of an image. Use a limited colour palette and paint the new sketch

In all this, don’t worry about how it will turn out. Look on it as an exercise. Be patient, inspiration will come.

So, which option did I resort to?

4

and here it is.

I’ve called it “Potential” I love brickwork, I might have said so before! I was playing with ideas to create brickwork and this sort of evolved. The signature as the artwork.

Been looking at too much conceptual art methinks!

How to go from sketch to finished painting – Part 6 – chess board pattern

What is it about working in a church that makes me want to sing entirely inappropriate songs?

Like Tom Lehrer, Little shop of Horrors

and, of course, Rocky Horror

What can I say, I’m a bad girl! It’s like telling someone not to think of elephants!

I’ll just wait while you try not to think of elephants…

(nonchalant whistling)

Good! You sorted then? OK, I’ll continue

The painting continues with an area bottom left that now has a chess board like pattern. These are the photos of the masking out and painted board.

 

I started sketching in the figure again but it wasn’t working well so I’m going to tackle it on paper, actual size, and then draw around it.

I’ve just the figure to do now, some twiddling and some splattering.

(So looking forward to the splattering.)

I’ve been seriously frustrated at the time it’s taking to complete. But I think I can see the wood for the trees, finally! Wayhay!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

How to go from sketch to finished painting?–part 4 –Lessons in masking - lettering in artwork

Stage 7

To be honest, I hate lettering!

Well, applying lettering in artwork that is. My style is more organic and flowing. I like movement and asymmetry. Letters require a degree of precision and a methodical approach!

Now, I ask you, does that sound even vaguely like me?

Precisely my point!

But, do you think I would change an idea which was essential to my art? Well, do you?

Absolutely, positively no! Which means I’ve got to face my demons and draw those fonts. Groan!

Which is why I spent most of today up to my eyeballs in frisket film! Drawing and redrawing lettering. Then the cutting out! So much cutting that I’ve no feeling in the tip of my right index finger. Try using a touchpad with a numb finger, weird. 

Anyway, I digress, the inspiration font is a complex design so I’m not quite ready to apply the black paint! Nearly but not quite. Mañana!

Masking is always a slow job. It needs to be done precisely. But the painting should be done in a flash. So, without further ado,and realising that there’s a lot left to mask… and, of course, I haven’t painted it yet!

Here’s the panel!

I just think it’s a shame I can’t leave the frisket film in place, I love the effect!

Next step, painting!

Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

How to go from sketch to finished painting?–part 2 –Transferring the Thumbnail to the board.

Can watching paint dry ever be exciting? Continuing from yesterday’s thrilling post. Ok so thrilling might be pushing it a bit, hey, a girl can try can’t she?

In any big project like this is there will always be some lengthy repetitive stages- i.e. the boring bits. Like painting a huge board all one colour and waiting for it to dry. It’s literally as exciting as watching paint dry! Early afternoon I painted a second blue coat to achieve a solid block of colour.

The plan was to return later and start the interesting stuff. Domestic chores nearly interfered with my return, but return I did.

Stage 4

Next, I marked out most of the main shapes. That was the plan before I ran out of masking tape – too late to buy anymore, curses! I continued with  pencil but the marks can’t be seen on the photograph here.

Stage 5

I had enough time to apply some black paint, immediately removing the masking tape. It’s essential to remove the tape while the paint is still wet in order to get a clean paint edge. However fingers tend to end up very messy! I’m so glad acrylic paint is water based.

The lines as they stand remind me of musical stave lines, I’m almost tempted to change my design to incorporate musical lines. I say almost, but I need to stick to my original idea.

Finally I tidied up so it’s all ready for the church service tomorrow.

I can’t get access tomorrow, so the next instalment will be on Monday. Then it’s  time to start playing with paint effects.

Art headlines – what’s in a painting’s title?

Think of Damian Hirst’s “For the love of God” the image may or may not come to mind of a skull studded with diamonds. Whatever you might think the artwork itself, the name provokes thought. I can’t claim to be a Damian Hirst fan myself but you have to admire his promotional skills. That art courts controversy is nothing new, but it’s that very controversy which catapults such artists into the media limelight, rightly or wrongly. Would it have evoked the same reaction had it been called “Diamond skull” or (my personal favourite) “Glitterball”? Quite possibly, but I think the nuances would have been very different. One suggests laziness whilst the other a crass indifference to death and mortality. It’s mocking in it’s implication. This is one piece where the title makes it an artwork, as well as voicing the thoughts of many who view it for the first time.

I’m not going to go into a debate about the value of these types of art at the moment – another day perhaps. Suffice it to say I am more concerned by someone buying this artwork than I am by the fact it was ever made. I question whether it’s really an original concept – I remember seeing gold skulls with emerald eyes as keyrings as a child and many other similar trinkets. But…another day!

Until recently I never bothered with titles but I’m increasingly seeing there importance. It’s hard with some pictures to come up with more than the visually obvious e.g. “Buckingham Old Gaol” It’s functional, it says what it is on the tin! Others evoke nostalgic memories “Ewan on a swing” or “Party balloons” But supposing I’d called them “Striving for the unobtainable” and “Essence of life”? Those titles make you think! Probably that I’ve finally lost the plot and I’m living in cloud cuckoo land, but THEY MAKE YOU THINK! Maybe that’s what defines a work of art from a painting? Help, I think I might be learning to appreciate Damian Hirst’s art?

Naaa, it’ll take more than that to convince me!

So, I will leave you with a semi abstract piece.

The real question is, what will be the title? “Naked Woman standing and stretching” or “Vulnerability?” I know what I think, but let’s leave it in the air for now!

New abstract painting or is it an eye test?

Sometimes when I start these posts I’ve no idea what to say. It seems there are only so many times you can talk about artwork before you end up repeating yourself. This is one of those occasions.

Today was very productive. I completed 2 abstract pictures before I worked on my canvas abstract. I’m beginning to build up some texture now so it’s looking less like an image from a geometry text book and more like a work of art. I’ve also been doing some figure and facial sketches which are pretty so-so. Therefore, I’ve decided to post an abstract – this image is a bit fuzzy so I’ll redo it tomorrow when I get some daylight.

As yet I have no title but I was intrigued to note that, in my attempt to sharpen the image, the focus moves from left to right as I adjust the settings. So I think I’ve invented my own stereoscopic focusing test! Talking of which my eyes feel funny…

Photographing paintings workshop.

I’ve spent most of today fiddling with websites and domestic chores. Worked a little on a canvas work I started last week, but not a lot of artwork created.

In spite of this I’ve had a good day. This evening was a BAFA meeting about photographing your work. VERY useful! I’ve learnt a few tricks and more about my camera and image editing software. Now to put them into practice.

However, I have a picture for you – another abstract. This one’s called Expanding universe.

Core values – a circle based abstract in blue, red and silver

I’ve been nursing 3 sick children today, but still managed to do the odd sketchy thing and even play with the acrylics. I emphasise the play, it’s not a piece I think has any artistic merits.

So, in the time honoured Blue Peter tradition, “Here’s one I did earlier”

This one’s a bit metaphysical it’s called “Core values”. The circles are layers of our personality,  the spikes representing parts of our character which penetrate our very being, transcending the layers of daily routine behaviours and thoughts becoming more complex as we reach our ‘centre’. The blue and red colours reflecting competing desire of passion and calmness. I know, far too deep for a blog about cartooning. What can I say, I’m evolving?!?!?!??

I’m now going to ruin it all by saying I keep thinking of ice cream when I look at this! The red reminds me of raspberry ripple!

More Daffodils - contented artist?

So, another day another dollar! OK pound, I’m British! I’ve had another lax drawing day but what I have achieved has been more to my liking- better than yesterday’s efforts.

I might touch up the background in daylight. I might switch the picture as well as the flash makes it more blue than I thought it was. That’s the trouble painting in artificial light, the colours aren’t always as you expect. I used the velour paper again. It works really well.

Falling – acrylic painting and looking for inspiration

I seem to have Artist’s block again. I’ve finally got the time to paint, all the materials I need – but don’t know what to start! I should go back to the “street skater” and I fancy doing so relief work in acrylic. I need to sort out a studio easel as my current one's are too wimpy for the task. One’s a table top style and the other’s a field easel. Fine for small work but nothing bigger that 20”. They keep moving when apply pressure any harder than a butterfly’s wing! Or the pictures bounce off when I paint too vigorously.

I spent some time on the “street skater” and some body poses for caricatures. This is the other abstract I finished yesterday. Another blue and silver creation. There might be a few circles in there. ;-)

Having a distinctly blue/green day today!

Well I’ve had a lovely day today. Lots of painting done. This one is called “Points of focus” more lovely circles –I’m a bit circle obsessed – expanding outwards from their origins. I had to resist doing everything blue/green as I feel I might be getting in a bit of a rut with my colour choices. It’s a shame the iridescent colours don’t show up when I photograph these.

The BAFA meeting was interesting but not a practical,not as much fun as a result and we finished early.

Abstract art Circles in blue and pink!

Finally, a day to myself. All children at school, lovely!

This watercolour and ink painting was started a few weeks ago. I wanted an abstract based on circles radiating from a central point so this was the result – without the radiating network patterns, but it looked unstructured and thrown together. I wasn’t happy, so I left it. I felt it needed something to tie it all together but it was only today that I decided what it should be. I like it now!

I’ve spent far too long trying to sort out picture records and sales buttons on the website. I’m rapidly coming to the conclusion I may have to buy something! I’ve spoken to a friend who’s worked in IT and he’s come up with a few suggestions for me to check out and I think I’ve found the answer. I’m even going to look at ebay selling, just need to work out the best times to upload the information, oh and prices.

I’ve also been cramming on website optimisation for artists on Google. I had a very long chat to someone trying to sell me website optimisation services, all very well but they don’t come up on the first page on the google search! Hmmm! Maybe I should try something else…

Abstract values

This is one of the abstracts I've been working on. Not sure on a title yet. As usual the irridescent colours aren't showing up.
It's a similar concept to "Confusion" here  but I wanted a calmer version so it might be titled something like "Personality" I like that! Short , simple with a suggestion of potential musings and a reflection on the complexity of the mind!