My new connection with the Espacio galley was the feature of last month’s blog. March, however has been a period considering what will go into the show and oversee all the framing needs, and items of publicity. This has gone well to point, but it has also happened at time of increased family commitments, which has meant that very little creative work has been achieved. I must confess to leaving my paint brushes all alone for the month, which has left me longing to try some new ideas.
I have recently had a good mentoring session with a prominent member of the New English Art Club and together we discussed the new work lined up for the show, after which we talked about the progression of ideas that could evolve from my grid based drawings. From our discussion I have realised that some of the work has not produced interesting paintings, and I believe the reason for this is that only a careful selection from the myriad grid drawings produces a good structure for whatever evolves into a painting.
My latest paintings have altered in two ways – firstly by using different formats to influence the subject of the picture, and secondly to consider different colour pallets. A square format is interesting as it allows the painting to be orientated in any axis which can allow a shift from the original idea. The resulting picture can retain the genesis of the descriptive sketch note but also leaves the way open to innovation. Some of the long paintings I described in the last blog sit in a truly ‘landscape’ format and will thus describe natural features unconsciously, but still allow a freedom of abstraction to take place.
The second discussion is with the use of colour in the paintings. My original intention was to restrict the pallet to colours used in the original sketch, but I now find this is too restrictive and often produces a rather dull painting. I now find there is a benefit using a selection of hues that complement the original colours, but leave more room for imagination.
As the exhibition approaches I will leave you the poster and a short text from the press release, and hope I get the chance to meet some readers.
Recent Comments