I love the physicality of making art, art as craft, and the specific qualities of the materials I’m using. The creamy messiness of paint, the dry dustiness of pastels, the sharp line of a pencil, the smudgy charcoal… not to mention the substrate; paper, card board, canvas, wood – and how it allows for all…
Witness
Sometimes the mountainis hidden from me in veilsof cloud, sometimesI am hidden from the mountainin veils of inattention, apathy, fatigue,when I forget or refuse to godown to the shore or a few yardsup the road, on a clear day,to reconfirmthat witnessing presence. Denise Levertov
Drawing within the lines is for babies; making sure things add up is for accountants.
Monday morning in the studio; just me and some pottery – playing with a very long handled brush & a wooden stick. Burnt umber on white paper.
Exercise
“Make a list of three artists whose work makes you uncomfortable. Then make a list of three specific things about each artist’s work that make you feel this way. Read the list back closely; ask yourself if there’s something about what these artists do that you share. Really think about this. It’s also a great…
Notes on colour
Every perception of color is an illusion, we do not see colors as they really are. In our perception they alter one another. —Josef Albers If you are interested in colour, it’s a good idea to look into the work done in this field at the Bauhaus, considered to be one of the most influential…
My paintings & me –
– moving into our new home
Art is like beginning a sentence before you know its ending
There is something about setting a goal, giving yourself a challenge – and then telling everyone around about it. It obligates – sometimes in a good way. My declared & announced goal for the past two weeks, has been to produce a series of ten small still life paintings. For artists and writers who are…
The purpose of poetry
The purpose of poetry is to remind us how difficult it is to remain just one person, for our house is open, there are no keys in the doors, and invisible guests come in and out at will. from Ars Poetica? BY CZESLAW MILOSZ
Still life paintings in 2021?!?
So why would one, or more precisely I, want to make still life paintings in 2021? I have asked myself this question quite often lately but have yet to find a good answer. Not only do still life painting seem a bit … old fashioned?! The still life has in fact always been regarded as…
When life gives you lemons …
I’m doing a class with the wonderful Gabriella Buckingham. It’s called “Experimental Still Life” and runs for 8 weeks. This is a short report from week 3 – the lemon week … Our main assignment this week was to paint a lemon – from life. I could treat my compositions and subject matter in any…
