This blog is intended for reviews of galleries, exhibitions, ideas related to art and inspiring quotations. However, if you look back in my archive you can view some of my own original artwork and if I make any more work it will be shown here too. ____________________________________My personal blog .
Posts tagged: painting
Around a year ago I painted these for my friend Fay but never gave them a good photoset.
I’ve painted this portrait because I felt I was missing a more ‘vulnerable’ view.
Hopefully this one, on a clear plate, will fit in well with the rest of my collection.
I am in the process of writing an “artist’s statement” for a piece of coursework and it made me realize that this blog is pretty image heavy and that there might be some questions I could answer.
If any of you want to know anything about my ideas or process then all you have to do is ask.
This plate is has “Candyfloss” printed on the back of it and the colours are all pastel so I decided it would suit a stereotypically summer-y portrait.
I am pretty happy with the resulting portrait although I might touch up the hair a bit another day.
Back in the studio!
My current W.I.P because I haven’t done a left profile view yet.
I have been in London for the last three days and while I was there I naturally went to see a lot of art.
The first arty thing we did (after a quick trip to 221b Baker Street) was visit the Wallace Collection and see “The Laughing Cavalier” (1624) by Frans Hals.
It’s one of those “eyes seem to follow you” paintings and there was a lovely woman explaining the provenance of it to a crowd of tourists.
That gallery was all pre-1800s art but the miniatures were fascinating as always.
That evening we went to see ‘Matilda’ on stage which is, in my opinion, one of the best musicals I have ever seen. Well done Tim Minchin for making one of my favourite childhood books into such a beautiful visual and aural experience.
The choreography, costumes and casting were exceptional.
Wednesday started early with a trip to Kensington Palace. In one section one of the stewards/actors convinced me to explain why I would be a good person for the King (Charles II) to know. After explaining that I am a miniature portrait artist and that owning one could be good when he was away from his wife Catherine on business she put me in the book of contacts and gave me a 8/10 relevancy rating!
The V&A had a Contemporary British Design exhibition on which was wonderful. You might realise that cd covers or furniture is designed, but it is easy to bypass that traffic lights and car dashboards come under the same scrutiny.
We ended the evening (our tickets were for 10:30) by visiting the latest Hockney exhibition. Work he made in his 20s through to now in his 70s was displayed through 13 gigantic rooms. His obsessive desire to paint in bright and enchanting colours and bring the countryside to life was palpable.
Lots of his work is split into different sections because he likes to show that when we, as humans, look at the real world we are constantly adjusting our gaze and nothing is static.
Also, some of his work was very high quality video footage and printouts of his iPad drawings. It is amazing and encouraging to see that a man of 75 has embraced technology and found new ways to continue his exploration of landscapes.
Yesterday morning we visited the British Portrait museum to see the Lucian Freud retrospective that had just opened. What a man. Obsessed with the human form, portraiture and flesh. I was so glad to have the chance to view such a quantity of quality observations and masterful brushwork. So worth seeing.
A very inspiring trip indeed.
I’m starting to think about display and how I’d like it to be an unobtrusive as possible.
I bought these stands but I don’t think I will use them in my final show.
Comfortable and relaxed to go with a plate from my childhood.
Although I don’t particularly like the effect of having more than one portrait on a plate as you can’t look at one without being aware of the others.
Worth experimenting with to see if it’s something I want to pursue though and I don’t like working on a non-white plate. It’s a very odd painting experience.
So much detail and “perfection” to go with the idea that this type of the plate is one your Gran might get out “for best”.
It’s coming along!
Liz in profile next to Queen Liz in profile.
Not completely sure about this one because of the shape the image ended up. I could always extend it and paint the rest in but it was supposed to just be a glimpse.
Finished!
Looking out at the audience, from the back of a plate.
Clear plate and the most detailed miniature of myself I have ever painted.
It’s an attempt at transparency in a portrait (hence the plate) and I have painted on both sides to give the viewer as information much as possible. The thing is, you are still only seeing me how I want you to and I can never fully represent myself in just one painting.
This is a precious piece; giving life to an otherwise mundane plate.
I hit it with a hammer.
