Acrylic, playing with textures

No new portraits but I'm making steady progress with the big picture having revamped the entire background yesterday and it's now working better. I consequently had to dash out to get some more red paint as I finished it off last night making up a large batch of dark blue. (No I didn't make a mistake I used the red to darken the blue). Rather than waste the surplus I started playing with textures and colour effects with the leftover bits. Hence the strange and blobby efforts to the left, I think the feathered effect is probably my favourite. The pretty flowers were from a Christmas table runner.

I've an idea for a collage/abstract with lots of texture. I'm just trying to decide how to do the hair.

Last week I ordered some frames but the one for my RA entry was the wrong shade of gold - I needed yellow gold, so I have sprayed it and orange gold has now become silver. Anyway, I'm now high as a kite from all those solvents in the paint. Mmmmm hazy...

I've got to crack on with framing my pictures for the Stowe exhibition next week. But I've managed to wreck one of them by putting it on my oil paint palette - it was clean of oil paint but I'd just oiled it!

Self portrait

Last night we took part in the Earth hour. If you haven't heard about it the idea is to improve awareness about climate change by everyone turning off all electrical devices for one hour - all at the same time. There didn't seem to be too many people supporting it locally, and we still had street lights.

Anyway, between 8.30 and 9.30pm we were plunged into candlelight. To pass the hour I decided to try a candlelight portrait. Apart from the fact I hate the way I look and never like self portraits, this is a good likeness. The speed is improving as well. This was virtually done in an hour. (And all managed without singing the paper.) When I started this blog I was dubious about it's value, but looking back over past posts is helping me to keep plugging away.

Progress on the Royal academy entry continues 9 days to go and counting... The end is in sight and I might even finish the picture. I've never done a picture this large (76x120cm) and ambitious before and it's my first acrylic. Consequently, I've had several technical problems to iron out.

Running out of time!

Deadlines, deadlines, everything needs to be submitted on 7th April and the pressure is mounting. Mainly to get framing done, but 2 pictures also need finishing. Oh yes, and we go on Holiday the weekend before, fortunately we're not going far but I have to travel over a hundred miles between submission locations, so that's going to be fun! Adding to the pressure I've had to organise birthday parties for my sons - both on the same day. Tomorrow night we have a sleep-over, I'm a glutton for punishment. I'm so going to sleep on Sunday.

So, back to the art, as a result of the above, I've not done many portraits this week. The RA entry is going well now and who knows, by the end of next week I might even have got my sanity back.

Morgan Freeman

Yesterday was an exercise in survival so I didn't create much. Still today I've finally caught up on sleep after Wednesday's marathon.

So to the art, a relatively quick sketch today. I decided to return to a caricature and have tried to exaggerate the face a bit. So here's Morgan Freeman. The black and white colour scheme proved interesting as he didn't look right with white skin and hair but now the hair looks funny, accurate but funny. Great fan of Morgan here - especially in "Bruce Almighty".

I've been trying to concentrate on the paintings today. My form for the Stowe exhibition has been submitted. The hardest part was deciding which pictures to submit. Framed the Kirsten picture. Took me about 2 hours to get the knack of mount cutting again, but it's worth it. It's a good job it isn't an architectural picture as the mount has some "character" about it.

Soooo tired!

Yesterday was a strange day. Spent the day in London as Siobhan plus approx 1700 other children from Buckinghamshire performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Time for a very proud Mum moment. In the big picture below, she's in purple on the right , very back row next to the gap. This was the balloon release at the end. The picture on the right was taken just as we arrived at 11.30am. often school performances can be dire but this was a really slick performance which was very entertaining. A very long day for all we left at 9.40am and returned at 00.40am the next day.
I went along for the chance for a completely child free day. Left them on arrival in London, saw them once or twice in Kensington gardens and joined up at the end of the performance.

I had a very busy day with lots of drawing done around the Albert memorial and Kensington Gardens. Also took lots of photos, some of which will get posted once I can figure out how to put watermarks on. Rather, when I find the time as I've a lot to do today and that painting won't finish itself! Here are some of my sketches. This first one was a five minute figure sketch, the plan is to include it in a painting.

The next is obvious, Albert hall from the Albert memorial -I spent longer on this one - about 45 minutes. I'm still fighting with my phobia of buildings. I get so daunted by the prospect and often feel overwhelmed by all the clean lines which have to be reproduced precisely if the image is to be effective. This one got a bit smudged in the drawing book.
This next one (right) is a detail from a marble statue. It looks a foreshortened, probably due to the angle it was taken but the sun was starting to get to me by this one so who knows. I know, there was sun!!!!!!!!
The last one is an ink sketch drawn from the cafe in the Albert Hall looking out the window. There is a fascinating, almost maze like garden, which caught my eye. I really think this one worked despite some - to my eye- major flaws - I won't draw your attention to them as you might not have noticed.
I've had a few onlookers, but not as many as I feared there might be, and all were very encouraging. With the photographs and sketches I've got plenty to keep me going for a while. I'm quite taken with the images I took of Princess Diana Memorial Fountain and I've some ideas for abstracts.

A shooting caricature

At last another caricature. Finally I have the image scanned. There's a scanning flaw - the white line over Brian's face - which I have tried to correct but my image editing skills are not up to the task when working with the image remotely i.e on the desktop of another computer.

So here it is in nearly all it's glory. Ranking pretty close to a ten but not quite there yet - there's always room for improvement.

I've avoided procrastinating today. (popping champagne bottle sound) Some progress achieved on the comp entry. I even managed to do the etherial face and I'm almost happy with it. It needs a little touching up. The background is looking less impressive. Sometimes I feel painting is a process of one step forward and three back but I think today might be more forward steps than back.

I also discussed another commission with a client today, I'm awaiting details and no deadline has been discussed but it should be fun.

Disorganised

I was all set to post my caricature from last week when I realised, I didn't scan it - oops! Fortunately it was for my sister in law's 40th - sorry Judi I had to mention it!!!!!!!!!!!! OK, I'm not really sorry, just going through the motions. So, I can tell you about it whilst I await my darling hubby is sending me the scanned image as he's promised. If there is no image with the post, it hasn't arrived yet but will be installed - maybe I should include a test card - there, that's better. So retro!

Not sure I'm going to be able to remove it - must be mind control- must retain image... I always suspected there was something sinister about it - then I saw "Life on Mars" and now I know there is. It's on telly so it must be right, yes?

I've made some progress on the old comp entry but guess what I'm stuck again. Trying to make a face etherial and cloudlike without going ultra cute or sinister and I mean creepy - not as easy as it sounds!

Billie Piper -revisited

Children back at school ? Check.

School runs? check

Everybody fed and cared for? check

Exploratory tattoo style drawing at coffee time? Check.

Portrait for today's post? Check.

Craft club run? check

Application form for Royal Academy's Summer exhibition form completed and posted? Check.

Progress with exhibition piece today - umm, I did some yesterday, honest, but today? Well. let's see, did I...did I? Actually no, not a thing, nothing, zero, zip, despite earlier promises I procrastinated. I talked about what I needed to do, I'm even writing about it now, I've even got someone interested in a print when it's completed but I haven't done anything. I'm sorry, Sob!

Still I've done a picture..Billie Piper in pencil, still favouring the portrait rather than the caricature at the moment. I also thought I'd try something completely different and have always been fascinated by the Surf/tattoo style, hence my attempt based on a treble clef - if you hadn't spotted it.

Progress?

Not a bad day's painting yesterday - despite two eldest still being off school. In my best Marlene Dietrich voice "I vant to be alone!"

I found this article "How chocolate can be good for your painting" while I was having lunch. I like her style! Must find a way to include it in my painting/drawing.

I've been bullied into doing Keira Knightly with my daughter. So I've drawn her and Siobhan's painting her. I also started a second one which I am going to paint - emphasis on I. Not that I'm a control freak, but there's a touch -the merest hint of a touch (no, if I'm honest, a whacking huge dollop of a dose-)of OCD in my make-up. I hate anyone doing anything to my pictures. Not mounting or framing but drawing on. It makes them no longer mine. That might be another reason why I didn't get on with my A level art teacher. He would draw on my work - to show how to improve it - and then I'd want to start it over again!!!!!!!

Problem solving

Problems, problems! The children were off school on Friday so being nursemaid and general dogsbody.

I've been a bit stuck on my Summer exhibition entry so I spent the time I had on Friday trying different ideas out. I think I've finally worked out how to progress so here goes!

Saturday was spent at a scrapbook crop. I love scrapbooks, an artistic way of presenting photographs, and so much more than just gluing them into albums.

When I finally arrived home, domesticity took over and continued today - the old parental guilt trip at daring to have something in my life that doesn't revolve around them. Also frustration at not being able to move across children's bedrooms without climbing over the toy and clothes mountains with the lurking traps of broken toys pieces -especially the old lego brick under the bare foot. I managed to fit in a little reading as well - techniques and the like. I don't think I'm procrastinating, just redressing the life/work balance

So nothing new worth posting yet, alas, but I did tweak the old Kate Hudson picture, much better! Although the eyes...? No, they look like that on the photos!

....and now I'm off to paint. There should be no obstacles tonight and tomorrow. No, I shouldn't have said that...

Kate Hudson

Managed a quick sketch last night of Kate Hudson and no sooner do I post it than here I go spotting the flaws . No...not going there now. It's all practice. Bother, and I was quite pleased that I'd managed a likeness in such a short time! I might refine it a bit more and repost - there's definitely potential there... No, I'm not going to be negative. It is good, just needs finishing. I'm trying to be more positive about my work. Instead of dwelling on the flaws seeing them as stages of development. I read an interesting piece on "perfectionism and procrastination" the other day - scary how much I recognised of myself in the description. I found it from this page How to ruin creativity

I especially enjoyed the quote from Chuck Close:- “Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up.” I then got distracted by the quiz on procrastination... ha, ha, ha!

So, I'm trying the old positive thinking approach. I guess I'm just very British - It's easier to find fault than see the good.

So despite the fact today has been very frustrating - too many personal things getting in the way. Five minute jobs taking an hour, children being ill and needing collecting from school. The "new me" is being positive - I managed to fit in a little painting done - in between the chaos. May joy be unconfined...

Now to try and resolve the issues for the big painting.

Opportunities!

No pictures today. In between running errands yesterday, my painting and drawing efforts were focused on my Royal Academy entry. I'm nearly back to the stage I was before Monday's fiasco- yippee!!!!!I've decided to modify my original concept so spent some time playing with some new ideas. As a result I did a nice quick hand drawing!

I seem to be going through a caricature block at the moment - maybe I should call it "caricaturaphobia" or "anti-comeditis". Oooh that makes it sound much, much worse, don't feel so bad now! Still not inspired but definitely better...

In the evening I finally dragged myself to a BAFA meeting - I joined the group in November but I keep being prevented from getting to meetings and they're only once a month. After one of the quickest AGM's I've ever been to must have been a whole 5 minutes. I tried my hand at Glass painting - not happy with the results but it's not really my scene - I prefer coloured glass to painted glass. I finally got the knack with the relief outliner tubes, just as I was finishing. I'm not in the least motivated to improve on my attempts - too many other things I want to work on.

Now for the most exciting thing that happened today is there's an opportunity to exhibit up to 6 pictures as Stowe school next month . Now... do I think I'm ready for that? You betch! Far too good an opportunity to pass up - just got to decide which ones! Choices, choices. Then it's time to get the framing stuff out - mount cutters here I come!

Blue boy #2

I'm beginning to think I should rename my blog "Drawn to Portraiture" as I seem to be posting more regular portraits rather than the funny ones. This is another of my nephews, the likeness isn't quite as good on this one but there is some similarity. My son, Dominic, thinks they're creepy because they're blue. I quite like them - but I'm biased. I've mixed feeling about this one. I like the effect but the likeness isn't too hot probably only a 4 out of 10.

Mixed sums up today on the whole. This morning the forms for the Summer exhibition arrived -now I've just got to complete the picture. The painting, however, didn't go well and I've decided to paint out what I did today and start again - sigh!

We were also celebrating Andrew's sister Judi reaching 40 - so generally in a good mood. Then we had news that their elderly aunt died this morning - she was in her nineties. It was expected but she will be sorely missed. RIP Doreen.

Let's hope tomorrow will be better

Blue boy!

I'm going through a blue phase. This was a quick sketch of my nephew Adam. I decided to keep it monochrome blue mainly due to the restricted drawing time. That and it's good practice to stick to one colour from time to time. I've managed to get a likeness. I was after a sketchy style and it's worked.

Lots of time to paint today - I finished my big caricature with 4 people in it. I should be able to post it later on in the week. Don't want to give any details for the usual reasons. I'm really pleased with the likenesses. Marks out of 10 for the day? Oh I think it's an 8 or 9.