PPF Week 7

Thanks so much Kristin and Eva I am loving Paint Party Friday.

Progress once again feels slow. I do, as of last night, have a name for the exhibition, which is still a month away, it's called Into The Sunset. I am working on a poster for it but might get someone else to do it for me. 
Meanwhile, I have almost finished this one.

You can see the iridescence on the right.  I just adore the way the picture looks different from every angle and in every light. I think this is the best one I have done so far. Once I had it up on the wall I could see that the lump of 'land' on the right is way too big and the 'stream' needs more shape. I will gesso that part  when I have done this post.

This next one is proving maybe just a little beyond my skills. I saw last night what to do to make the waves look more like waves, but not sure if I have the technical ability to pull it off. You can decide for yourselves next week. I also think the sky below the blue is a mess and it is, at the moment, without its sun. It wasn't centred!

Short post today. Thank you all so much for your comments. I didn't get round a whole lot of blogs last  weekend, will try and do better this weekend. We are staying in Auckland tonight - in a proper hotel no less -  for a Burning Man - Temple of Transition fundraiser. Long story about why I support something that just ends up in flames, basically I really support the passion of the man in charge!

Week 6

Progress really only sped up yesterday.  I didn't do anything on Monday after being told on Sunday night by the Dictator - oops, sorry, Chair - of the Red Shed Arts Collective that she had 'forgotten' that I was having an exhibition and has arranged something else closer to her heart. But all has ended up well and I am now going to be in a much lighter (but smaller) space, run by much nicer people which will get far more exposure.YEA!

I have done lots of ground work, prepping canvases with texture, gessoing and working out what to do next. I have also spent some time on the one I posted last week. It got much too dark and is now all bright and red again, not really like the original I am using as inspiration. I have to remember, it's inspiration not what I am painting.  Here are the stages. Last one feels finished.

 I used retarder for the first time when I painted everything orange. It needed a good sunbake the next day to dry.
Below are stage 1 & 3 of another one. I used water soluble oil pastels to see if the design works. I thought it would so gesso it and am trying one without any texture at all. RADICAL! Now I'm on stage three I am still not sure. I like painting without texture but not sure about the look. It still have a long way to go.

 

And finally, stage 1 & 3 or yet another! I do seem to love a deadline!

Happy Easter you all. Looking forward to your kind comments. I realised last night when I read them again that I have been thinking you are all just being nice. But, I am willing to get that you do really like them. Thank you XXXX

Paint Party Friday week 5

I am loving Paint Party Friday. It has kept me on track all week. And, I have finished one picture and all but finished the other. This is the finished one. I had to take the picture at a bit of an angle so you can see all the iridescence and gold etc. I had this one up last week face-on. It just looked very red!

And this is the other one. I just need to make some changes to the little islands. They are in silver at the moment need to be the same as the big blacks in the background.I have put an angled one up so you can see the iridescence again. I love iridescence. It is so much fun putting the finishing touches on.

Just so you remember, this was last week!

 

Below was the blank canvas last week with a photo stuck to it. It still has a long way to go. It has had a number of coats trying to get the clouds looking like clouds, not quite got it yet.

The one on the right is the original picture taken by my friend Vicki I can't quite get the sizes right cos can only fit two small ones together. (I find Blog.spot quite frustrating. I need some lessons! Anyone got any suggestions? Some of your blogs are wonderfully full of goodies. I can't even get the Paint Party Friday button up!)

Yes, I know, sunsets and sunrises. I am obsessed. At least I have moved on from RED and only red! I am painting towards an exhibition I will have in The Red Shed our little co-op gallery in June. At almost 62 I count as an emerging artist!! Looking forward to your work.

Paint Party Friday week 4

Been painting this week - phew first time for what feels like weeks but is actually only days. So this is where I was on Tuesday. No tonal range here!  So  I thought I would spend some of Thursday lightening it up. This is the one that is on the right in the previous Paint Party Friday blog entry.

 Painting it was an interesting process. At one point I said I hate this and reached for my trusty red and put a red wash over the whole thing. Terry came by and said "It's very stark". He is no longer allowed to comment! It's very off putting, especially as I know he doesn't like all of my work. Unlike my dear Mike who is always positive no matter what I do - except da da he didn't like this one! Thursday morning came and I  really hated it so I gesso'd it away. And that's when it all came together.
What I have been wanting to paint is sunsets and sunrises cos I LOVE the colours. So, I have given my self permission to do just that. James was a good teacher but I want to paint what I want to paint not in the style of. As soon as I started on a sunset I felt SOOOO much happier and content and on track.  This is what it looks like now first the gesso's stage, then I put very light paint down to 'map' it out,  a new thing I just did.

And the one you all liked the colours of? That got gesso'd too. It wasn't coming together and I wasn't having fun! This is it now. Its still got great texture!

I want to paint this sunrise on it. The picture was taken by a friend of mine Vicki. She is doing a motor home trip round NZ and you can find her blog with wonderful photos and writing here. Scroll down a bit for the really good ones!
And finally drum roll please...This is the one I have been working on. It's had two and half coats and still has a long way to go. Photographing reds are always problematic so you'll just have to trust me when I say it's got great potential. The white is green masking tape. It will be black, but a good, interesting black.

Now it really is watch this space. I am not going to freak out and gesso it. This is the canvas that had the silly textured sea and even that is working on this one!