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 ! 

Evening series 3

Still , ' living with, ' the Evening series of paintings. Still unsure.But that's how it is. Worked back into one of the pieces on display and worked into open old one. Wanted to leave more brush marks on the work as well as being more definite with the tonal contrasts...but , as always , they have gone their own way ! Live with them....mi seem to be doing lots of that just lately....

52 cm sq. Trees into light, acrylic on board.

Land, acrylic on board, 52 cm sq.

Finishing the backs of the paintings

So, I paint on Mdf that I have cut to size at B And Q. I don't put a frame on the back until someone wants one or a gallery wants then. So , this has been this weeks work , putting the backs on lots of paintings for the gallery. It's tedious work so it's worth trying to turn it around for next time and  put the backs on first....try it...

In terms of Art, I want to repaint the paintings in this corner. 12 inch sq , 2 inches deep. I have been looking at the work of Lewis Noble, such energy on the paint surface achieved by painting intuitively, adding collage, working back and back into a surface and lots of scratches and lines. 

So, this below was the first one...For me, a major difference to my working process is to put down a layer of collage , paper, and leave it to dry , working back into it....texture ! Texture! Texture ....

Evening series (2) July 2017

This week I have been concentrating on completing an , ' Evening series.' It's useful often to have a deadline, even if the deadline is one that you set for yourself. So, I managed, with enjoyment to complete the eight , ' evening paintings.' I noted the evening landscapes this week and the tones were dramatic....as the light went down, the tones came out in strength. That, for me, though, didn't translate into paint....I was drawn to pinks, yellows, warmth that reminded me of the evening landscape of my mind.....Mmm

Poor photo of the, ' Evening series' I am living with them but overall they have the feel that I was looking for. These are 52 cm sq. Acrylic on board.....strange after the last display of , ' trying to catch the wind series, ' that I seem to have immediately gone still again...he ho..I like...the pinks, the colour palette generally, the simplicity, the warmth....live with them....

I also repainted two 33 inch square ones, thinking about the evening paintings but also being aware of a little more movement that was created in the wind paintings.... 

These are 33 inches square...I don't think that they go together but I wanted them to so am not quite ready to give up on the togetherness ! Have repainted another but that didn't go either ! He ho....I don't mind them as paintings in hy heir own right though, so living with them ...

This one has had so many incarnations ....life with it for a while before deciding whether to lighten the sky....

Evening series . July 2017

Lived with the paintings from last week...they seemed to suggest an evening feel....hence, ' evening series, ' research....I gave done quite a few 15 cm ones from an evening series so research them too. Painted over all the works from last week but in the main kept the same structures and colours.

52 cm sq. Washed over quite a few areas of this one in whites and creams....live with it some more, and research poem lines...

52 cm sq. Calmed down the trees with washes of cream and white.

52 cm sq. ' Dirted up , ' the pink areas with a wash of black / umber...wiped most of it off though.

Live with this one...unsure yet....what do I like about this....colours, the size ( 33 inches sq. )  seems kind of like the wind meets the evening pieces .