Whispering greys ( 4)

So it's been a big painting block for me.....it's part of being an artist.....and it doesn't happen very often. I know enough to make sure I keep going into the studio and keep doing something in there.....but of course, with it being Christmas, that didn't exactly go to plan.

I left the big canvas paintings in December and have lived wiht them and disliked them since, so been working back into one of them today. Enjoyed it, thankfully and don't mind the image, which is always a plus.

Used a lot of the fluid Golden acrylics, which I loved....need to build up a collection of all the colours I need. I didn't mind the canvas today, maybe I will get used to it after all.

The canvases are 32 inches square. The two photographs are of the same painting, one inside the studio and one outside. Neither today are true to the colours of huge piece....work on the photography of huge work....as an artist, you are only as good as the photograph of your work!

This was the piece , ' before,'

The one below is the photo in the studio. It's too yellow down the left side.

The one below is the photo outside. It it isn't true to the colours....it's too blue.

The weather over the Christmas period has been so mixed for us, misty, foggy one dat, snowy and clear the next....today it's like a fresh clear Spring day !

I used lots of glazes on the work, Golden glazing liquid and also water based varnish . I often rub the glazes into the canvas to get a whisper thin glaze. Now will have to let it dry to see if I need to varnish it. 

This was the second paint over of the day. 32 inches on canvas. They are both very subtle , will see what they are like tomorrow. I like......the subtlety....the colours....always the grey.....the process....working on the canvas.....the prescience of the painting.....

I could think about.....the tones, maybe need some more lights and darks.....a focus.....

Mmm....will see tomorrow.

Whispering greys (3)

These were the photos of the small 15 cm sq. trees. Loved them.

Whispering greys.....had ordered 10 canvas panels at 32 inches square. Trying to paint the ten over Christmas and New Year, to help my techniques of painting on the canvas develop. Hard work but enjoyable. Mixed some greys and off I went. Theses were the two I painted this week but I am sure I will paint them over, I didn't actually like them as much as the ones done on the old canvases last week. Mmm. Typical.

This was the first one. I was trying really to think about three previous painting, which I actually hadn't liked that much anyway. I don't  mind this one....TODAY...live with it.....I like... The drips ( as always ) ... The greys....the scrubbed in thin washes of paint......

This was the second but doesn't have much going for it at three moment....but, in a way, I like that I am painting rubbish paintings knowing that they will be painted over, so I could think of these as a first layer. 

Mark making - trees

So, for me one of the most rewarding studio activities is the mark making, the small 15 cm sq pieces that I have done masses of. They are like my sketchbook, familiar, challenging, rewarding, exciting. Wondrous...I could go on.

I am thinking about trees.....love trees, love living next to the woods. Love the feelings that I have walking in the woods. It's very special and in no way can I ever actually put that into paint. But, I keep trying.

These are my tools today.....old dip pen ( for scratching really ) containers with inks in, green soft plastic cake decorating tools that work a dream with the paint, water spray, pencils.

So, I love the mark making and when it comes to a larger painting, I love the ,' making marks,' that appear as the painting is created. I love ,' catching,' marks too. I put cartridge paper underneath what I am working on and often love the accidental marks that appear. I cutt the paper up afterwards.

These are a few of the first ones this morning ( of course, I don't show you the ones that I will paint over. ) will take the photos of the others later when they are dry. Sometimes they kind of die when they dry. Strange.

Above. This was the piece of cartridge underneath my work. Will crop it all to produce 15 cm pieces that I can work back into if needed.

Poor photo of the second batch of 9. Mark making about trees. Love the process. Love a lot of the images too ( always helpful )

Whispering greys ( 2)

So, this week I was trying to make the earlier grey paintings bigger. Tried canvas, I had two old 32 inch canvases spare. Massive differences painting on canvas than painting on board but need to try them over Christmas and into the New year.....I love painting on board but manhandling the bigger boards, 33 square inches is hard, they are heavy and bulky compared to the canvas. But my painting process is vigorous and the techniques I use will have to change. On the board, I can beat the paint into submission but not on the canvas....have to have a lighter touch.

Was also trying to smoothly blend the tones from dark to light. Herd, hard, hard. It's much easier to do this in oils .....but as artists we don't want easy. Eases boring.Mmm

These were the two canvases.

This was the first one.... You know these paintings come out as they come out, painted intuitively....I was supposed to be looking at greys but that didn't happen did it ? Although it came out similar to lots of other paintings I have made, I didn't dislike it....maybe just hold onto it for a while with a view to painting over it if needed. Or just live with it.....I like.....the composition, the contrast in tones, the watery ness of it. What could be improved.....we'll the transition between the light and dark tones.....that needs practice and research ( Richard Whadcocks tonal transitions come to mind ) these transitions are a little , ' jerky.' Try to make them smoother. Order some more canvases  then I will have lots to practice on over Christmas. 

This was the second one and did have many incarnations, although the final image ( final, for now ) looks smoother than the first, it took a long time to get there and it's niggling me now when I look at it displayed in the Art lounge ( back room. )

I like....the greys, the subtlety, a lot of the ,' making marks,' that happen in the painting process. Tonal contrasts were subtle.

I had wanted to paint two paintings to display together on the chimney breast. ' linked paintings.' Maybe these aren't the final ones but they are ok, for today. Try painting greys on the little 15 cm sq pieces that I love, see if hug at helps. Also research poetry and other grey landscapes.

Whispering greys (1)

Have temporarily abandoned the Urban boxes project. Not achieving anything with it, just repeating myself in paint ! Feel a failure ( get over it ) because it beat me.....but I am sure I will return to it , I have made lots of boxes....just had to get the greys out of my system !

Saturday was such a grey day , the trees peeped out of the mist, gorgeous, gorgeous. Drove round, walked round , just being in the grey. Loved it. Loved the photos taken through the windscreen ( I wasn't driving) and just painted all weekend.

Mixed greys, a favourite pastime, mixed the complementary colours first....but will continue the mixing. I mix the colours on an old painting then I can use whats left over repainting the piece. I have mixed these greys using opaque white, try also this week , to mix with the mixing white which is more transparent. Also try the fluid acrylics.

Photos through the windscreen.

I mix the colours ( acrylic ) on old paintings and then put them into screw topped pots I buy from ebay

 52 cm sq. Acrylic on board. ' Whispering greys .'

52 cm sq. Acrylic on board. ' mists of grey.'

52 cm sq. ' winter grey.'

52 cm sq.' A landscape of darkened grey.'

52 cm sq. ' Contrasting greys.'