Anyway they are all up and I have 8 paintings and Cath has 6. They look great but must say it's given me another perspective of gallery work. There was also the lighting to consider and it made me realise that it is harder to hang pictures on a long wall : things cannot be so easily grouped.
Preparations are now well advanced though owing to the pianist ill health the jazz interlude has had to be cancelled. Looking forward to a great social night!
This painting was done from a series of photos I took of Wylies Bath. These sunbathers are languidly warming themselves before plunging into the inviting baths. I believe that these are the first figures I've painted for quite a while. I really enjoy drawing and painting figures but stopped because my sister-in-law the art teacher said my landscapes were better.
Abstract art is surprisingly difficult to do well because the essence of the subject is extracted and depicted. For abstract art to be good, (and not merely a collection of shapes and colours) I think what it is depicting should be clear to the viewer.
Speaking to Sue my sister in law and art teacher, it is apparent there are two extreme approaches to art; either plan and execute a work painstakingly or do lots and be prepared to throw most out but these will have that spontaneity and freshness that the other lacks. This is such a succinct way of putting my current struggle!
The media does dictate how free one can be. Painting on stretched canvas tends to restrict me - the composition has to be fully determined as you can't easily cut off a section as you can with paper. Furthermore, the time one has to do the work also plays a part. Many of my best works were done at a life modeling session, where poses are short. The trick is therefore find the happy middle where you plan without stifling serendipity (allow zen to play it's part).
