Back to My North

Had a week in  My North paintings. 15 cm sq. on paper. Acrylic and inks. Found it massively hard to get the figures anywhere near. He ho. That just tells me I have got rusty fingers that need to practise. I can't pick up and drop different genres of work like I do and still keep the expertise. Rusty fingers. Mmmm. These were the most successful.

' Pals,' acrylic and ink, 15 cm sq.

I think that these paintings are better with a title to give a viewer more of a clue. The process is just putting the paint down and watching for something to appear. Doesn't always work and often, when they are dry, I can't see what I saw in them the day before. 

' Play,' acrylic and ink.15 cm sq.

I love the mixes of ochresa and umbers. I mix them into pots with screw topped lids and I like that I can't mix the same colour again, so it has to be slightly different. This one reminded me of play. Our lives were about play, we didn't have the same pressures that the children have today.

' A solitary figure with layers of  memory,' acrylic and ink, 15 cm sq.

We alter our memories don't we ? I know I do because over time , I remember many more things fondly. As I paint these small snatches of childhood , words and memories come to mind. It's very pleasing to do this but frustrating on the painting. Side if I can't just get it. Practice needed.

' A world of crofts,' acrylic and ink, 15 cm sq.

The crofts and demolished mills were a treasure trove of exciting finds. Spindles, dug outs, bits of machinery......it was our world....

' A different skyline,' acrylic and ink, 15 cm sq.

Lots of the mills gone , a different culture now here in the North West. When I was young it was buzzing, vibrant, industrial, 

' Space in time,'

Time stretched out in the Summer holidays, in such a lovely way.....it was all about the play..

' Our world,' acrylic and ink, 15 cm sq.

This was our world. The backings. They are all gated off now in the terraces. 

' Where to go ? ' acrylic and ink. 15 cm sq.

There were lots of people living in the terraces but there was always some alone time. How ?

' Grandma with the sewing machine 1' acrylic and ink.

Grandma had her own chair...well all the family had their own seat to sit on as we gathered round the television in the evening. This was Grandma in her middle room ( I think we called it the living room) her sewing machine always at the ready.

Definitely repainting this one !