Saxophonist

We are learning Ben Quilty style portraits today but portraiture is such hard work!



I cheated by choosing this jazz saxophonist as a subject. The best part is that it has all the marks like Ben but I couldn't use the palette knife well enough to attempt it.

Desert paintings

Deserts have always been my challenge. Their colours are so vivid as to make it unreal and yet it is difficult to conjure up a suitable palette especially since the sky is usually so dominantly blue. As Ochre is a master with colours, it makes sense to attempt a desert painting under her watch.


This first one was of Katherine Gorge which is a spectacular place in NT. I've eliminated blue altogether and used green as the complementary.


The second is of the view from Ubirr at Kakadu. In reality it is a lush green haven but this painting depicts it as at sunset when the colours are more mauve. I'm loving the Giacometti approach in drawing back into a painting.

Spring is here

And I'm doing plein air at a park near the art school.



It's exhausting standing for hours but the results are worthwhile. Everything is much fresher and so alive plus I get to be outside.

Interior of my art school

Last week it was rainy and cold - brrrr and so we stayed indoors and painted our art school.


It is an old warehouse with lovely light coming from the high windows, lots is exposed beams and pipes. Ochre our tutor said that she had not seen anyone get a good picture from the front studio so I rose to the challenge and painted this.



I also had a chance to give my urbanscape the 'Giacometti' treatment and it's actually looking pretty spiffy.