Exhibition entry

Well, it's been an interesting few days, from a logistical point of view, anyway. I finished off the artwork for the exhibition. Loaded it up into the car. I was just returning to the house to pick up the last few bits when I twisted my foot, spraining it. After some frantic phonecalls I was able to get my artwork to the exhibition and have been ferried around by Andrew and various friends to do my stewarding duties. Sadly I'll be missing the best of show presentations at the end. Not that I'm expecting to win, which I won't. Another year with no recognition (sigh -must try harder next year) but I liked most of the winners this year - except one of a tiger, the highly commended was better, in my opinion. (And, no, it wasn't mine!)

This is one of mine titled "1 in 10,000,000+ Reflections on a life lost" Slight technical problems, the acrylic medium hasn't cured properly yet and one of the sheets has move. Apart from that I'm pleased how well it turned out and that the images lined up correctly when viewed from the front!
The image is of my Great Uncle Albert who went missing in action on 8th June 1918. The layers represent
White = spirit and soul
Red = bloodshed
Brown = mud and the dirtiness of war
Black = death both actual death but also death of possibility and potential.
The images show aging at the front, something he will never do.

Acrylic, playing with textures

No new portraits but I'm making steady progress with the big picture having revamped the entire background yesterday and it's now working better. I consequently had to dash out to get some more red paint as I finished it off last night making up a large batch of dark blue. (No I didn't make a mistake I used the red to darken the blue). Rather than waste the surplus I started playing with textures and colour effects with the leftover bits. Hence the strange and blobby efforts to the left, I think the feathered effect is probably my favourite. The pretty flowers were from a Christmas table runner.

I've an idea for a collage/abstract with lots of texture. I'm just trying to decide how to do the hair.

Last week I ordered some frames but the one for my RA entry was the wrong shade of gold - I needed yellow gold, so I have sprayed it and orange gold has now become silver. Anyway, I'm now high as a kite from all those solvents in the paint. Mmmmm hazy...

I've got to crack on with framing my pictures for the Stowe exhibition next week. But I've managed to wreck one of them by putting it on my oil paint palette - it was clean of oil paint but I'd just oiled it!