New work from old work (3)

So this week has been completely taken up by working on two larger collaged pieces. They take up so much time, effort and energy....hope I feel that in time, they are worth it. They are so opposite to my natural working process which is intuitive and instinctive. These need thought and application, layering ( with pva and acrylic mat medium ) and acrylic paint. I have slightly been looking at to he working process of Jeane Myers , who also layers although mainly paint and wax. Need more research into texture using paper. It seems important to I me that the texture comes from paper, rather than plaster or texture medium. Will see how that evolves.

This was the first one, maybe still not wholly resolved. I love the layers and textures though and I like that the display in the chimney breast incorporates a large one ( 33 inches sq.) and the small ones ( 15 cm sq. )

Textures in the larger one. There's about 5 layers of paintings. I like that. I like the crunchiness of the edges.

New work from old work (2)

This first one was an old one, only slightly altered. I still like it but have taken it out from the frame.

I like...the subtle colours...the calmness....the abstract qualities....

This was the first one this week. I did it without thought. I liked...the textures...the 3 d ness...the fact that I used old paintings in it...with or without a frame....try different sizes of this work too....

This was number 2 this week....I wanted what I had in number 1 but deeper, maybe more layers, more old paintings, more depth, maybe more line also....add more of everything really, paint, paper, texture, glue. Keep adding and taking off....slow down, build up the layers....

Maybe I don't treat these pieces with enough seriousness . Because they are old paintings and as much sticking as painting, I do view them differently. Interesting .....

This was number 3 this week, not sure it's there yet, but these definately have to dry sometimes inbetween layers. What I did a lot of this morning was taking off the pieces of card/ paper that I had stuck down earlier. Liked the effect of the reveal underneath... I almost wanted you ( or the viewer ) to see the strength in my landscape , the rock and land formations under the landscape surface.

These pieces have two distinct strands, one uses old paintings ( small piece ) as they are in the sketch mash up from last week.....one strand deconstructs old paintings that have fallen out of favour. Interesting. I love this process of re evaluating old work and breathing new life into it...Mmm...keep going, make some smaller pieces, frame some, to finish, look at the display of the work.

New work from old work (1 )

So, trying to alter the look of the Art lounge ( back room ) or , ' living with, ' room. It's where the paintings are displayed while  I decide if they are actually paintings or are just boards with paint on destined to be painted over. It takes them a while to actually achieve, ' painting, ' status.

I am trying to alter the look of the room because it's a theme at the moment to try alter some of my own , ' preconceptions. ' a couple of months ago , I read a piece  ( I think it was Chris Bennett ) about preconception being an enemy of an artist. The thrust of the piece was that if any of your art follow preconceived ideas , it may well become repetative or formulaic. Yes, I agreed, but of course didn't think that applied to my art ! Because all my paintings are individuals, created mainly in an intuitive way. Hmm, then I look around and see that because of my efficient hanging system and 52 cm boards , I start off almost in a preconceived way. I almost always paint on this sized board ( because I paint over and over them ) and I generally produce a grid of 8 , 52 cm sq. Paintings. I like a grid display, it satisfies my sense of order ! Need to alter that then......

So, how ?

Well, while at Uni , in my first year, we had a tutor Beverly Little, who used to ask me in response to each given brief, to produce about 6/7 ideas of exhibitions / displays in response to that brief. At first I used to have to do lots of research to produce idea responses but gradually it became easier as I got into a pattern of thinking and built up my knowledge of contemporary art. She would go through the list and rate the ideas. I still do this for myself , hence the sheet below detailing the ideas so far....it is , I remind myself, the first list and by no means exhaustive......

Some of these ideas are rejected as soon as they are written...number 7 , because the 15 cm square pieces are too small to be seen clearly from in front of the day bed...end of... And I would try the easiest first, you never know....so, today, I tried a version of number 5. I put up an extra baton and hung 5 old paintings up, 52 x 35 cm and then layered sketches that I have stored in the plan chest. Sketches , particularly on paper, used to be a much bigger part of my creative process than they are now. From 2014 - 2015, I created a daily sketch ( and a daily painting ) just almost too see if I could. I love working small , on paper, but just don't do it so much now because I hate the framing side of things. I can never get a frame that suits the work and I like them better without .So, I was trying to use the sketches.

This was the finished piece. I used on average 5 sketches per board. I wanted it to be one complete piece to fit the display space but not sure that I have achieved that. I seemed to fare better if I picked out a sketch that I liked to go on the front of have display first, then fill in the rest. It reminded me of stuff on clipboards ( no problem with that ) or tidy clutter.I also liked the fact that the sketches / studies/ drawings / small paintings weren't massively being affected....it all can be undone .... I like it today. I like the 3d ness of it.....Does it look like a finished piece ? No, not yet !

More photos...

Photos were hard to do to reflect the feel of the piece.....

They are on old paintings, layers of about 5 small works.

The calmer , colour co ordinated, more considered ones seemed to be more pleasing. 

Evening series. Final 8.

It's interesting that the colours in the landscape , in the evening, were cooler, clearer, less colourful.And yet, in my interpretation, I went for more , not less colour, particularly the yellows, pinks and greens. Enjoyed painting these pieces and have enjoyed living with them. Made myself crack on with painting the backs, putting on the frames and stringing the paintings, something I normally leave until the paintings are going somewhere ( usually to the gallery ) which means I have a lot of work to do ...and it's the work that I don't like....the fun is in the painting.

These are the final display of the Evening paintings....I have a few extra though.....and at this stage, I do intend to create some larger Evening pieces.

They do have a tonalist feel. That's fine though.

Acrylic on board, 52 cm sq. 

Acrylic on board, 52 cm sq.

Acrylic on bard, 52 cm sq.

Acrylic on board, 52 cm sq.

So, when I am painting, words, phrases and lines of poetry do complete to mind ....I often record them ...but I like that I can ,' shut off,' the words. It gives me the illusion that I can manage or control my own creative spirit .....which is questionable. If I haven't collected the words so haven't got a title , I put the painting down and try and look at it objectively, trying to catch the stream of conciousness words that come to mind. I usually can get a title from these.

Evening series 4

Had a lovely paint this week. Still trying to paint an evening series, without any major success. This weeks paintings have been a mixture of enjoyment and angst...it's how it is. Played around on an old painting for the first one

' Paynes grey intervention, ' acrylic on board, 52 cm sq. Trying to be kind in my critical response to the painting.....what do I like ? ...the simplicity ( that belies the length of time I played with it and the many layers on it ! ) the paynes grey scraping ( done in frustration but left in respect ! ) the abstraction ( always like to subvert a viewer looking for a literal landscape ) ....left now , ' to cook.' 

The second of this weeks pieces, ' patched light, ' acrylic on board, 52 cm sq.Still looking at , ' evening paintings. ' I like ....the subtle tone changes ( definately a reaction to the kind of angry landscape I was painting over )...I like the gentleness...I like the greens, the warm , transparent greens of a very rainy Summer ! It's in the , ' Living with , ' room.

' Evening series, ' acrylic on board, 52 cm sq....I had the Art group to visit and critique my displays last week and one of the comments on this wall was that perhaps more contrast between the paintings is needed. It is interesting that as soon as I have stopped trying to paint the wind, my paintings have gone , ' still, ' again. Mmm. anyway, how to mix it up a little more ? As an Artist, shouldn't we fight any preconceptions ? ..well yes, I think we should, but because I have lots of these boards all the same size and an efficient hanging system, I immediately, automatically,  put up a grid display. I like a grid, but maybe it is an easy option. Have a think.

This is a display of the , ' My North, ' series that I am still tussling with the framing of. I like the works free of mounts or frames but quite a lot of them need to be framed / behind glass. Got to sort this, the works are getting damaged from handling too much !