Tuesday, February 03, 2015

What to do? What to do?

Somewhere on my facebook newsfeed, I read that somebody, an artist, was feeling a lack of direction or motivation or something… they felt they were wasting their materials, and didn’t know what to do.

I’ve been thinking about that today. When I feel like that, these are some of the things I do:

1. If painting, I restrict my palette.




2. I stop trying to paint, and draw or collage instead.



3. I read some art books and magazines. I especially like reading interviews in Juxtapoz.








 


4. I work in a journal. Stick in attractive shapes, colours, images from magazines (I don’t cut my precious art mags). I draw. I write ideas. If you need help getting started in journalling try something like:

https://artjournalist.com/how-to-start-an-art-journal/



5. I plan a work or a series in detail so that I know exactly what I am going to do before I start using materials.






6. I look at the image or painting I am creating, and try to see other things in it, shapes, shadows, figures, that are not what my intention was, and try to draw it out, sometimes using a charcoal pencil and return to paint later.


7. I put music on in the studio, or change the music, or turn it off and work in silence.

Pandora Radio

8. I work with my other hand, ie I am right-handed, so I work with my left instead.


9. I focus on exploring the material I am working with rather than a subject.


10. If painting, I put the brushes down and use other implements. Not just palette knife. Bamboo sticks, scrunched up card, rag… the idea being to play with mark making.


Saturday, January 31, 2015

Freedom of speech


For some reason I was put in mind of this collage I made some time ago, by recent events regarding freedom of speech.  It is under threat, everywhere, here included it seems.

How dare she?

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Payne's Gray

Mixed media acrylic paper and canvas.  This work is part of an exploration of the colour Payne's Gray which was always recommended to me, in art school, to use for black.  20 in x 20 in