Red dress

Arrived near the end of the first pose - got a super-quick soft pastel sketch done.

The other red dress drawing is in both soft pastel and compressed charcoal.

The kimono drawing is willow charcoal with some collage thrown on during the pose, at the top is a photo John took of the drawing in progress, before I added the torn paper.

All approx 18 x 24 inches.

'Red Nude'

10 x 14 inches mixed media background with charcoal & ink drawing, the charcoal drawn and brushed on. The initial drawing was sketched from a life model, and completed today at Alison Gordon's studio. Has been a while since I made it over to the monthly gathering of artists. Everyone brings some artwork to work on, we talk, eat a yummy lunch together, check out each other's work, and talk and talk.

Went to life drawing group for the first time in ages, last night. Our model came straight from work and was wearing workboots, jeans, safety vest, and she was tired. I arrived near the end of the first warm up pose so did a real quick sketch in soft pastel on buff paper.

The second model arrived soon after and we had two longer poses to draw, the one of the two facing each other was not easy, because both supported their bodies on their hands there was a certain stiffness in the pose. The top drawing is done in compressed synthetic charcoals, and the centre drawing in willow charcoal. Our male model had the most amazing tattoos that I did not have time to capture.

All 18 x 24 inches.

The art of articulation

New British Op.
Elementalism
Elementalism is the Formal Systematic conception of an Analytic and Geometric composition, based on a Syntactic Specificity of Shape. Elementalism investigates shape as the fundamental component of Form in perception. Elementalism is the derivation of Form as a percept of some possible pure language of shape. The concept of shape is then the Elemental palette. The end of Elementalism is therefore, to present and understand a Geometic Aesthetic. To show that Beauty is a judgement of Elegance and that Elegance is an attribute of Form - being itself derivable as a percept of some pure language of shape. copyright Julian Broadhurst 2001. http://www.drowningcircle.com

Charcoal sketch

Just playing around on one of the mixed media backgrounds. Charcoal pencil and willow charcoal. 10 x 14 inches on heavy grade rag paper with ink and acrylic paint.

Printmaking

UPDATE TO THIS POST: I didn't make the following week at printmaking but Wow! Take a look at some of the results of the printmaking class. This is the result of having a tutor who is willing and able to go with the flow and be creative and experimental. Looks fantastic: http://johnmulvay.blogspot.com/2010/04/printmaking-class.html

I've done monoprints, and collographs...have always avoiding the more chemical processes. My friend, John Mulvay, a fulltime artist who lives locally, has recently been running a printmaking course so I joined in.

This is a zinc plate. First we had to file the edges to make a 45degree angle for a clean print result. Then we polished the plate to remove any scratches and pitting. Next step was to choose the best process for our design and put a "ground" on the plate. The plate was heated on an element, then the ground (a waxy substance that resists acid) is poured over it, and the plate put back on the heating element to "puddle"... the ground evens out.

The next step was to scratch through the ground the chosen design. I had no idea what to do, and quickly drew a bird. My signature had to be in reverse of course.

Next step - touching up accidental scratches with shellac. The plate was placed in a bath of nitric acid, eight minutes for mine, and them removed and washed.

The ground then was removed with turps, and the shellac with meths.

The oil based ink was applied, that's quite a process as it has to be worked over the plate well to get it into the tiniest etched scratches. Then the excess ink is removed until the plate is shiny clean, only ink in the etching.

John had brought one of his printing presses to the venue, and some paper to trial the plate. The paper of course is soaked in water and patted dry in a towel then laid between white paper. All the while trying to make sure no ink gets anywhere it shouldn't be.

The plate is laid on the press, the rag paper on top, felt layers folded down the the press turned.

And...... failure! Did not make a decent impression at all.

Could be the plate was not cleaned properly after the use of turps which can leave a greasy surface. The pressure might not have been enough. Perhaps the plate needs further etching...not sure. We'll be talking about it before we print again.

I dont think I'm patient enough for this process but its been interesting.

Mixed media drawing

Charcoal, acrylic paint, collage, indian ink on grey cartridge paper 24 x 16 inches.

Drawn from life then worked on in studio.

Life drawings

The sitting pose is exaggerated.. I often get asked that... These are approximately 18 x 24 inches, compressed charcoal on 180gsm cream paper.

It might be called Cosmic Night

This was difficult to photograph .. it is still not perfectly correct. However, here is another of my abstract expressionism series. Working on a title at present.. its something to do with night time and darkness... Acrylic on canvas, 24 x 36 x 1 1/2 " .

Summer's Sea

Acrylic on canvas, 20 x 36 x 1 1/2 inches.

Speculation

This painting is on canvas, 15" x 30" mixed acrylic media.

Abstract impressionism...expressionism...

A friend challenged me to create some colourful abstract works. Now I'm not sure if they're impressionism or expressionism...maybe both...if someone can express an opinion I'd be interested. They incorporate both smaller brushstrokes and layering up of paint as well as bold, freemoving application of the paint. Here are a couple of the series, I have many in progress.

They are as yet unnamed. But both are inspired by the view from my deck of a pointed hill behind which the sun sets. I had the feeling I wanted to capture the bright colour of the sunset as well as the shadows below the hill.

Acrylic on canvas

Abstract 1 20" x 24"
Abstract 2 24" x 36"

I'm back

I know... its months... people have been asking me what I'm doing with the blog. Well I'm back. Last night I went to our drawing group, its been a while, and did a few quick sketches with equally quick wash. We were privileged to have a guitarist playing, and modelling, with our other model. the ink sketch was a superquick indian ink drawing, was all I could see of her as she lay beside the guitarist. The others are pencil with watercolour wash.

I've started a new series of paintings, very different from what I've done in the past. A close friend has encouraged me to work in abstract, expressionism, and I have many paintings in progress. Shall upload a picture or two soon.

Sunday at John's

I have to take my camera next week and photograph the amazing etching presses John is building and engineering. Anyway, I actually remembered to go today (forgot last week - "Sunday School" in John's studio for local artists who care to get together and spend a few hours working in company). I worked on more backgrounds, not very exciting to view.. but am enjoying the layering up of the surfaces. Then I started drawing over a couple of them. Just getting started. I noticed some shapes in the colours so began to draw from those, so a lot more to do yet.

Mixed Media drawing

Acrylic and oil paints, and charcoal pencil on 50% cotton rag paper.
"Dark Legend". The oil paint was accidental. I thought I'd picked up watercolour. But it was a happy accident, though I had to deal with the brush straight away. Was aiming to put a black wash over part of the base, there are several layers of acrylic wash. Ended up brushing over the oil paint and using it to add texture.

Another character from my stories.

Mark making

Some works in progress. Top pic is embossing of one of my collographs on printmaking paper. Then an indian ink sketch on mixed media base. Followed by the beginning of a life drawing on a mixed media base, and the last picture a drawing in progress and I was drawing flat which is soooo wrong, I'll have to start correcting before i get much further, but it's in charcoal pencil so I can make improvements (trying to draw the main male character of a book I'm writing, he's not a real person... he's in my head).

Spent time today at the studio of my artist friend John. We were talking about process and product and he made a comment, "I'm not making art, I'm making an artist." Found that interesting, because I talked in my last blog entry about the making of the art, the process, as being the art. Probably sounds convoluted. It is.

Anyway, we had got together for our "sunday school". John showed me how to stretch canvas, I've never learned to do it properly. And gave me his secret recipe for making a primer to use instead of gesso. I've never liked gesso on on canvas, though I love using it on paper. Makes a great surface to work on.

I had taken a collograph that I made a while ago, and we experimented, John used his wonderful press to emboss some of my paper that I'd taken to work on my mixed media bases. I'll be thinking of how I might incorporate this process in my work. A clean embossing on white paper looks fantastic but I'm all about layering so will have to come up with an idea that fits.

Still working on adding to the mixed media bases but I'm starting to put marks on some of them.

Backgrounds

Creating a surface as the background is an integral part of the work. I create surfaces using acrylic media mostly. Scumbling, working over and over, adding and taking away. The actually process of making this surface background is as important to me as the image I place on top of it, and the act of creating it is the art as much as the finished piece is, if that makes sense! The physical action of building up layers and visual texture is essential to me and creates my feeling about the piece, and I’ll work on that until I feel ready to put an image on the surface. I'm working on expensive printmaking rag paper. On canvas I've used modelling compounds, gesso, impasto gel, tissue and more.

Masked

Can you imagine how this feels?

You cannot see, you have to breathe slowly, you cannot laugh. It's okay while people are talking then they seem to forget you are there. They stop talking. Then the feeling of claustrophobia wells up, almost panic.

It's not me. I could never submit to that kind of experience. I was only the observor.

NZ Art Guild - Collaborative Artwork "Ngatahi"

This year's collaborative painting was auction recently to raise funds for the NZ Mental Health Foundation.

We each contributed a small painting and the paintings were arranged into one large artwork. Mine is the 2nd from left third row from the top. The theme was "ngatahi"... one people.. my image was based on growth... life...the seed.

Drawing musicians again

A couple of recent sketches of musicians... I like to draw people when I'm out. I'm not sure they are as keen. Musicians seem pretty tolerant though. I think the local musicians are becoming used to it. Musicians and artists both talk about "the zone". That headspace where you're right into what you're doing, and it flows. When creating feels like that, you wonder why it should ever be hard. But it is sometimes. Then we learn to let go and not control everything. We keep going, get over it and get into the zone and then it flows...