New Media

Working with children I regularly find myself encouraging them to be creative and try something new. As an adult I, like many others, stick to what is safe and comfortable. Having worked in watercolours for many years I am taking my first tentative steps into the bold world of acrylics.

 

 

Colours are bold and opaque.

 

 

 

 

 Canvas is coarse and very resilient.

 

 

 Brush work is swift and strong.

 

 

This feels like an exciting new relationship. One which could develop well over time.

 

Printing

I have recently started to re explore the technique of lino printing. It is such a wonderfully physical way of working, and can produce some very dynamic results.

It is so very different to working with watercolours, restrictive in some ways, but also offering many new possibilities.

This image was created for the book cover below

Narrative

Over the last year my style has developed and become more directional. Of course, selling art has always been wonderful but this in itself is not a goal and can actually be a distraction .Therefore, having refocused on my artistic priorities, my current aim is to succeed as a visual story teller, a conveyor of atmosphere, mood and emotion.

I have found myself intensify shadows in an attempt to emphasise light and concentrated a great deal on a number of things.

A sense of place.

A sense of character.
A moment in time.

Thus, the story of my year begins.

Experimentation

I am always inspired by the idea of using a new type of media, or a new technique.

Recently I have being exploring the possibility of combining watercolour and gouache.

The opaque nature of the relatively substantial gouache contrasts fantastically with the delicately translucent washes of watercolour.

At times,when layering dark watercolours over areas of pale gouache the effect can almost be that of a masking fluid.

These are some recent images I have reinterpreted by incorporating this mixed media technique.

Returning

How to return to creative work after a long absence?

After months consumed by OFSTED, RE inspection, an end of term show and general fatigue returning to painting is a daunting, and problematic prospect.

A half completed portrait has lain, neglected on the drawing board for weeks as I was left needing an injection of enthusiasm and inspiration.

Thankfully this came in the shape of a wonderful holiday in Craster with loved ones.

Recent Diary entries, I hope, document my journey back to creative productivity.

Joe's Eye View

My son is eleven years old, and the most joyful person you could ever wish to meet. Joe has Fragile X Syndrome and Autism, and is a totally fascinating and unique young man.

As Joe has very poor fine motor skills, he is unable to write or draw very well, and I have often found myself wondering if he were more dexterous and able to paint, how would he depict the world.

Recently on a visit to Durham I found myself preoccupied with the days shopping list, and believed Joe, walking by my side, would be thinking of little more than when, and where we would be eating lunch.

Suddenly Joe stopped and looked towards the boathouse.

This is a view we have seen so many times and in fact I did paint it about two years ago.

Sometimes over familiarity blinds us, but perhaps this is not the case for my son.

After watching the scene below him he just said,

"Take a picture."

Of course I did ,and proceeded to paint from these images on our return home.

I'm so glad I did because there is such life, colour and beauty captured in that instant.

If Joe could paint perhaps these are the things he would portray.

Identifying Characters

I have been thinking about my most recent painting for some time now, but due to a technical hitch, was unable to write a blog about it. At last here is

" Cafe".

This is an imaginary scene, collaged from different sources, but I hope it is possible to recognise some of the characters I have identified.

The Thinker

The Follower

The Loner

The Reader

The Listener

The Outsider

The Watcher

All manner of people in a single scene, and yet, is it not possible to identify with some, if not all of these individuals?