Preliminary sketch for painting of a snowboarder...

This is a working sketch for the second part of a duo of paintings I'm developing based on snowboarding and skiing. Besides a clear likeness of the activity being portrayed the main aim is to capture the essence of the action taking place by creating an exciting and dynamic painting that (as mentioned in a previous post) places the viewer intimately close to the action.

 

Once these sketches are given the thumbs up, I will layout the composition on to canvas and prepare to start painting, taking into consideration the use of textures and how the paint will be applied. I'll post the final paintings once they're complete.

 



Piece of Cake...

Here's one of three pieces I submitted to be shown as part of a summer group exhibition at the Traveller's Rest Gallery, Barry train station back in 2009. A figurative pencil drawing titled 'Piece of cake', at the time I had finished working in the animation industry and was intrigued by the idea of showing movement within a still image. The said movement is shown here by the boy retracting his hand from the plate. His right hand depicted as a trail of motion created by several overlapping images charting the movement from one position to another, in animation this is known as a path of action.

 

The title was loosely based on the saying ''to have your cake and eat it'' and the theme of 'indecision', explaining why the boy reaches for a cake then changes his mind. Visually I was very interested in the work of Caravaggio, in particular his painting from 1601 'The Supper at Emmaus'. The sharp contours, foreshortening and perspective and dramatic use of chiaroscuro. As far as motion was concerned I could n't get over Marcel Duchamp's 'Nude descending a staircase'. These great works along with many other artists still inspire and motivate me today.

 

Looking back at this piece critically I'd have to say... ''that's one hell of a forehead!'' lol! I think the head was slightly exaggerated and the boy's left eye is too big which makes the facial expression slightly unsettling. I'm still pleased with the result although I am tempted to ink over and turn this into a black and white line drawing.



 

 

Preliminary sketch for painting of a skier...

Currently putting together a duo of paintings, one based on snowboarding the other on skiing...here's a working sketch for the latter. Still in development, this is going to be a figurative piece with an expressive, semi-abstract style finish.

 

Really interested in placing the viewer intimately close to the action, dynamic posture, sharp contour lines and aggressive angles depicting speed and an explosion of energy. Will be contrasting dark shadows against light areas, smooth textures against rough and the application of thick impasto layers of acrylic/enamel next to more evenly bodied mixtures of acrylic/spraypaint. Very much interested in mixed media at the moment. Has to have maximum movement and good rhythm within the composition.

 

Will post the working sketch for the snowboarder next. 



 

Golf themed caricature...

Still at the pencil draft stage, here's the latest caricature project in the early stages. Asked to create a father/son golf themed caricature intended as a 40th birthday gift from father to son, this has proved a good challenge so far.

 

Going for a comical composition but still trying to retain a likeness of both people which is closer to what I'd describe as a 'cartoon portrait' rather than overtly exaggerated caricature, I could still tighten up the facial proportions of each slightly but I'm happy with the progress so far.

 

The intended finish for this is a full-coloured acrylic painting on canvas slightly larger than A3, will post a photo of the final piece when finished.

 

Thicker Than Water - new abstract piece

Having a blast experimenting with mixed media at the moment, high gloss spray paint, paint effects spray paint, gloss, satin, high gloss enamel..... here's my latest foray into abstract art. Really enjoying

creating textures from different mediums and creating contrasts between binary opposites, rough against smooth, lights against darks, thick against thin, hard against soft, organic shapes against geometric.....

Got SO much to learn but that's half the fun! :)

 

Abstract mixed media sample artwork

So after playing around with some basic colour sketches and pencil doodles thought it was about time I got to it and finally let loose with a mixture of spraypaint, gloss and satin paint the other day. Great fun...one dust mask, a pair of rubber gloves and a couple sheets of newspaper later, these were the results.

Well it's been far tooo long since I last updated this blog, thankfully the hiatus has been (in part) a productive one :)

About two months ago I received a call from fellow artist and CAD chairperson Lainy Allison asking if I would like to participate in a group exhibition along with a handful of other talented local artists from around Fife. This was due to run throughout August at the very respectable Craigton House (on the Hopetoun Estate, Edinburgh) and be advertised as both a Fringe and Fife Open Studios event. After all of about six seconds deliberation, I jumped at the chance! Had I not known she'd need it later on to paint with, and we'd been speaking in the same room....there's every chance I'd have chewed her arm off!     

Anyway.... this gave me the perfect opportunity to finish off some half-painted canvases from last year and put together a new body of work also comprising of a couple of new designs. With the deadline set (late July), next step, what to paint.....

Not easy when your new best mate's a full-on creative-block, who's been lounging on the sofa for months, hobbit-feet resting on the arm rest with Jedi-style control over the caps to your favourite tubes of acrylic! ....After a wee bit of frustration, a few wee conversations with close friends and family and then the self-acknowledgement that this was a wee opportunity too good not to be part of...I rose to the challenge and mentally biatch-slapppped the 'funk' off of the sofa and got to work :)

Now I've always enjoyed playing with words and 'creative' writing and the idea of creating small, poetic descriptions to accompany some of my paintings is a challenge I've wanted to attempt for quite a while. However we all know that just because you enjoy doing something does n't mean it's necessarily any good and this has led to many mental tugs-of-war, the main concern being that I prefer to let the work speak for itself and was hesistant to force-feed the viewer my ideas. Art being a topic that's completely subjective means that no two people are likely see your painting from the same perspective, which is fug-uckling GREAT because (if your lucky enough to get feedback)it usually leads to some really interesting conversations...so why would I want to tell someone how they're supposed to interpret my visual musing?

In the end I decided to steer clear of what I seem to be doing right now (tho there's something really cathartic about this process haha) and just try to simplistically sum up my thoughts and feelings inspired by the paintings themselves to try and add to the atmosphere I attempted to create. An insight the viewer could take or leave.

Just to finish, I've really enjoyed putting this small collection together and it will be the first of many new paintings to come...REINSPIRED! Thanks to the offer and help from Lainy Allison and also Angela Parish things got wrapped up in time and on time. For anyone interested in seeing a country house full of a whole range of varing styles and differing techniques by an excellent group made up of Lainy Allison, Angela Parish, Wesley Edmund, Tom Bishop de Main, Emma Pauley and more, the work is on show until the opening weekend of September this year.

Your Addiction

I'm your addiction,

sharp enough to sever

your reality with my love.

Deep inside,

your shattered pride

knows that you cannot

get enough!

Acrylic on board

13.5'' x 24''

Embrace the Beauty of Today

We steal hearts when we dance,

the night's our playground, you're the game.

In clever lies,

forever lies a lust for life that can't be tamed.

Striking poses as the camera captures,

every moment's another chance to

seize the day....

no hope, no fear, forget tomorrow,

embrace the beauty of today.

Mixed media on board

24'' x 48''

The Lovers

Hands caress,

bare flesh on flesh.

Mouths connect,

exchange of breath.

Sounds expressed,

now time to rest.

Only night knows when

I'll see you next.

Mixed media on board

24'' x 48''

Dancing Havana Streets

The sidewalk's,

our dancefloor.

These Latin beats

breed dancing streets,

throughout Havana

until manana.

Acrylic on board

16'' x 24''

Striving Forward

I'll never let them hold me back,

with words

or through the way they act.

Proceed to believe.

Acrylic on board

16'' x 24''

Salsa Noche

Intertwining figures cut through dusk dancing til dawn.

The energy and rush is triggered

by patterns of the heart and spirit.

Thrusting hips swing quick in-sync

with bustling beats on tapping feet.

Arylic on board

24'' x 36''

Love your smile

I look at you and see my world

and picture all that we could build.

Just need to help you understand,

I'd give you all I have to hand.

Although you may not like my style,

I can't help but love your smile.

Mixed media on canvas

14'' x 36''

That red dress

Mixed media on board

14'' x 36''