It’s #StandingStoneSunday again and I’m posting an old favourite, Y Garreg Coch (The Red Stone) in Carmarthenshire.
#StandingStoneSunday: A Favourite.
Triples: Orange Snakey Bits.
Carrying on with my “Triples” paintings today, I’m trying to do a bit each day, working on all five. I’m painting onto large sheets of Somerset paper (300 gsm) with lovely deckled edges. I prepared the paper first with acrylic gesso to seal the surface and give it some extra strength. I’m not fussed about painting onto canvas, I love paper so much. I’m a bit obsessed by paper if I’m honest. I’m a proper paper geek. Today’s colours are Titanium White and Cadmium-Free Orange, both opaque. The Orange compelled me to do snaky bits.
My original idea was to base some work on the concept of the Celtic triple goddess or Trinity, but I didn’t want to get into mythological illustration, that’s been done to death, so I’m working intuitively, without sketches or photographs, or models. It’s a new way for me to approach my work and I’m right out of my comfort zone, but really enjoying it. The baby decided to be a ginger today.
More Triples.
I did a bit more work on my 5 paintings, each of 3 women or girls. The idea came originally from the triple goddess of Celtic mythology, with a modern female gaze from me. I’m enjoying working on 5 paintings at once, I’ve never approached my work in this way before.
I’m using Somerset paper (300 gsm, 56 x 76 cms) prepared with a coat of acrylic gesso. The paint is Liquitex Heavy Body acrylic and the brushes are Daler Rowney Gold Taklon.
GrrrRR
Here’s the little Type arrangement printed up. I’ve been trying out different ink / paper combos and I think this is the best one for me. The ink is Cranfield Safe-Wash Relief, in Process Cyan and Process Magenta with a dab of Extender in the middle. The paper is HoSho, printed on the smooth side on a Columbian press.
Here are the gorgeous vintage wooden letters. I cleaned them up a bit with very fine wire wool and a little vegetable oil. It took off dried-on ink and dirt but kept the lovely patina.
Good Wood.
I was at Swansea Print Workshop this afternoon and set up some of the beautiful vintage wooden type to carry on my experiments to find a good combination of ink and paper. The wood is so beautiful, each piece shows the patina of many years of inking and cleaning.
The Triples Again.
I did a bit more work on my 5 paintings, each of 3 women or girls. The idea came originally from the triple goddess of Celtic mythology, but I don’t want to get too bogged down in legend, I want to create a modern and personal response to the ancient imagery and stories I grew up with.
Today I worked with Titanium White and a couple of colours I mixed – a bright and opaque green and a greenish washed -out violet. The white is roughly blocking in the highlights on the skin, the green and violet used informally and loosely on the clothes. I’m working without any photos or models, intuitively, which is something new for me. I’m really enjoying it. It’s like the characters are growing themselves.
I’m using Somerset paper (300 gsm, 56 x 76 cms) prepared with a coat of acrylic gesso. The paint is Liquitex Heavy Body acrylic and the brushes are Daler Rowney Gold Taklon.
Quick And Little.
Here’s another little sketch from the recent heavy metal gig I went to. These scribbles are small and very quick but they’re important, they train your eye and your hand to work together, and to focus on the essentials before you. Artist’s sketchbooks are a record of our practice, because art is something that has to be practiced, like music.
The Triples.
I carried on with my large paintings on paper, 5 at the same time. I worked on top of the pink foreground I’d blocked out with a Dioxazine Purple wash, sketching in faces and bodies of women and girls, in threes, triples. It’s a very basic starting point. I’m working entirely from my imagination, no reference to real life at all.
I’m using Somerset paper (300 gsm, 56 x 76 cms) prepared with a coat of acrylic gesso. The paint is Liquitex Heavy Body acrylic and the brushes are Daler Rowney Gold Taklon.
Hairy Man.
I saw him at the Mondo Generator gig the other night. I was drawing legs, as I’ve been doing lately at metal gigs, but I thought his hair and beard were interesting enough to look up.
More Metal Legs.
Husb and I went to a heavy metal gig on Tuesday – yes it was a school night but it finished at 11pm so not too late. Mondo Generator played at The Bunkhouse, a tiny rock venue in Swansea. I couldn’t pass up the chance to see and hear the legendary Nick Oliveri play and sing. Of course I had to have a scribble. I’m getting into looking down at gigs now, and drawing people’s legs, I like the foreshortening, it’s a challenge. Still surpised at how enormous men’s feet seem to be.
scribblah 