After laying down a translucent ground of Indian Yellow acrylic paint (Liquitex Heavy Body), I brushed some watered down transparent Naphthol Red (a hot, bright red) and tipped the canvas so it formed runs and drips across the yellow areas. As an experiment I threw some grains of rice across it to see what would happen, I want to get random textures instead of a uniform, smooth surface.
So where do I go from here?
I did a sketch at a fundraising event last week and I like it so much that I’m going to have a bash at making a painting from it. I don’t normally paint from sketches, although I often develop printmaking projects from my sketchbooks, so I’m going to have to approach this in a very different way, I think. I scanned and printed it at size A4 and transferred it to a reclaimed canvas.
I started by roughly painting on an Indian Yellow base colour in Liquitex Heavy Body acrylic. I can see the texture of the old painting underneath and some bits of the original show through like ghosts. Now …. where to go from here?
It’s #StandingStoneSunday again and here’s a drawing I made during a 2 day trip to Pembrokeshire to draw more ancient Neolithic monuments on my quest across South Wales with Rhondda-born archaeologist Dewi Bowen and Swansea film maker Melvyn Williams, hunting the wild megalith, accompanied by my portable drawing board, portfolio of Fabriano paper and a bag full of assorted artist’s materials.
The first stone we came to is the burial chamber of Saint Elfys (Elvis). It’s near Saint David’s which is not too far from the Preseli Mountains. Elfys Preseli. Hmmmm! I wonder if Elvis Presley had Welsh ancestors?
Dewi was researching his latest book on Neolithic monuments, which is nearly finished, and Melvyn made a documentary film of our literary and artistic adventures.
I painted this portrait of Sparta Puss way back in lockdown, for my window art gallery. Back then, the speech bubble said “Stay Safe”. I thought I’d update it, painted out the original slogan and painted in Sparta’s support for our nurses, currently striking for fair pay. Throughout the first lockdown, we took to the streets to clap the NHS workers. And that included many politicians, including the then Prime Minister. But where are those politicians now? Clapping costs nothing of course!
I’m working on my niece’s eyes and I’m now finding it difficult because the canvas is rough and it’s hard to control my brushstrokes. I only re-started painting again, after a 4 decade break, at the beginning of lockdown in Spring 2020, and I’d forgotten how irritating canvas can be. But it’s a challenge and I find painting on paper even more irritating … too smooth! 😀
I’ve been working on a painted portrait of my great-niece for a while now. I pick it up and put it down and leave it for a while. I’ve gone through many stages of underpainting and now I’ve started working on the fine details. Still a fair amount of work to do, but I think I’m on the final straight now.
Here’s one of the stages of underpainting. It looks horrible, like something from Halloween, and she had a fit when she saw it lol 😀
I did a bit of scribbling last evening in the Elysium Bar. I usually scribble people but I want to push myself out of my comfort zone a bit, so I’m trying different things, like interiors. A while back I copied Manet’s “Bar at the Folies Bergere” so I’m taking some inspiration from there.
If I’m honest, I don’t particularly like drawing objects, they’re repetitive and I don’t get much emotional engagement! Oooh listen to me 😀 LOL
Here’s my copy of Manet’s painting below. Took me AGES!!!!
Here’s another little scribble from Elysium on New Year’s Eve. The Felix Subway Band is psychedelic and fast and I really got into the music as I was putting down the marks into my sketchbook. I’m off to Elysium this evening too, for a friend’s birthday. Since lockdown lifted I’ve been cramming in the gigs like there’s no tomorrow, because let’s face it, there may be no tomorrow. So I’m going to appreciate the here and now as much as possible.
Husb and I went out on New Year’s Eve, just enjoying that after all these long lockdowns, we are now able to! We went up to the Elysium Gallery and Bar to party and listen to live music with Bad Shout, Normal Behaviour and The Felix Subway Band. There’s such a brilliant live music scene in Swansea now, with loads of musicians of all ages writing and performing original material all over the city.
Of course, I had to have a scribble. Here’s Alfie from the psychedelic Felix Subway Band, performing behind a guy with a menacing hat. Well, I thought the hat was menacing anyway. Must be all that psychedelia.
It’s nearly New Year and the Mari Lwyd is out and about, stalking the land. She comes into her full powers on the night of “Hen Galan”, the “Old” New Year on January 13th, but she’s just having a little visit now to wish you all Blwyddyn Newydd Dda … A Happy New Year.
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