I had a feeling that landscapes were going to creep back into my mind. I have a love for this palette, its dreamy and hazy, it reminds me of home, train journeys criss-crossing the country, leaving grey inner-city landscapes and opening up to the countryside and know the sea can’t be far away……
as november flies by, the year that has been like no other trundles along. out of a need for change, moving furniture has been a major pass-time. but like everyone the slow-down has been a welcome pause, with a lot of discovery and a feeling of “why on earth didn’t I do that before”. always good to hear friends say such things… a bit of mix media from me, with nine cups. missing landscape for a few weeks, so feeling the pull toward that soon.
today is halloween, the day before the feast of all saints, but way back the time of pagan Celtic festivals………traditions of dressing up and ritual prevalent in both.
I tend to work first by formulating color and then loosely working pithing the themes on abstract, botanical, pattern or conversational. sometimes, but not often the paths collide and become something new. the results of this weeks work here, a bit of everyday objects + abstracts.
never stop learning, try new things, revisit things from the past with a fresh perspective, change it up….
exploring color and technique with layering and opacity is always a little like going down a rabbit hole. also thinking about the combination of drawing and painting a little… more to come on that
the falling leaves…..
I can’t believe we are galloping through this year of Groundhog Days….november already. some compositions made recently of tiny objects. the little vessels reflect my day to day design life of functional objects. drawing these tiny repetitive shapes is almost cathartic, their imperfection and uniqueness being so appealing, and the way they meander across the page. that led to condiments! also a love and something in daily use: little vessels, condiments. for those of you who know, spot the Marmite.
a little bit of a pattern exercise today, taking it easy, playing with blues, and marrying ground techniques with simple motifs and drawn lines. sometimes you just need to do things that are more meditative than experimental.
the end of summer and a long weekend. A friend posted a message this week saying himself and some other friends were mailing each other postcards to support the USPS. With a drawerful of cards from years of gallery visits, I was ready. But why send them as they are, why not send a little piece of personalized art?…….with credits to : cassation, botticelli, turner, hammershol,duchamp, picasso, botero, mondrian,
sometimes, actually often there is a long lag between finishing an artwork or project and the project launch. This was the case with the Julio triptych. created a year ago, along with the art of Anthropologie project, this piece is now available on their web site. Here it is, plus some studies for the piece.
a crazy work life leaves little time for personal creativity, but it’s like eating, sleeping and breathing, it just has to be done.
This time last year we were planning our early september trip. I've always had a love for novels set in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, so it was to be a dream trip… it did not disappoint. The places names I’d seen in print came to life in wonderful detail with spectacular coastlines. Giant bays and forestry that kissed the bays stay in my mind and will continue to be a part of my work.
In an usual year, here we are in the middle of summer. By now, I would have traveled and taken in visually all that place had to offer. My work draws on memory and emotion, and never has that been so important as the last few months when we having longings and dreams of places to go.
Also, you can now find a small selection of work and prints for sale at swatch art: https://www.saatchiart.com
you expect to do one thing, then the day takes you on another route… its all about experimenting, its all about learning and evolving…..
a little bit of a different post here and into the world of design… taking editorial illustrations and turning them into repeat patterns… a love of delft, a love of blue
hoping that we can make things better in what is a milestone year
still at home, still going day to day with usual tasks and still thinking if places to visit…. often they are the simplest places, an open field or a shoreline
a steamy weekend and the end of May is coming up. thinking of an old friend and reflecting on the past this week. the painting contains a message and a landscape memory
to all the mothers out there… and to my own I owe so much to her: a thirst for knowledge, creativity, discovery, art, movies. although not supported by her own parents to follow her dreams, maybe that’s why she instilled it so much in me. so to her and to all the moms, mummies, mamas and mammies… you are priceless.
