Upcoming exhibition invitation

For those who browse my blog, I'd like to extend the invitation to our up-coming exhibition.

Cath, my exhibition partner and I work very differently. I'd gotten the main body of work ready last term and so been cruising along. Cath on the other hand, probably need pressure to get going because when we met last month she had several incomplete works. Since then, she has completed quite a few and is sending me action lists regularly. Luckily somebody is on the ball as otherwise it would be a last minute rush.

Zen and art

Toddled off to see the exhibition at the Art Gallery Abstractions last week. This was not an exhibition of abstract works but rather the evolution from figurative art to abstract art. In other words, it translated into layman terms the journey for plebs like me. Very impressive collection of impressionist and modern art. Lovely Cezanne, Matisse, Derain and Picasso. We are very lucky to live in a country where great art can be enjoyed.

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).

Orchids

My mother in law grows these wonderful orchids that are in bloom now and lasts for weeks as cut flowers. She cuts some for me every year and I thought I'd paint them expressively as practice. So that the brush strokes are clear, I magnified the orchids and cropped the composition.

I textured the background ala Vincent and indicated the leaves. Resisted as best as I could the impulse to smoothen and blend colours on the petals. It's rather therapeutic to paint still life. They don't move and if you put an artificial light source on, it doesn't suffer the problems of landscape either.

Thoughts on expressive art

At the life drawing session at Art Est I was struck by the ease with which I was able to draw 'expressively' when this evaded me with painting. I thought about it and am now convinced that time constraints and the choice of media forces one to become expressive : simplification is key. The other thing I observed is that I draw much better than I paint, familiarity with the media may account for this. And so perhaps the choice of pastels is the right one. I only gave it up because of the expense in framing pictures.


Here are a few sketches of the model Rose who is from Luxembourg. Rose has a lovely rounded figure and expressive hands.

Cattle in country

Despite the one day course, I feel that I've lost my painting mojo (to use an Austin Powers term). Nothing turns out quite as I envisaged in my mind's eye although that eye is rather exacting. I started this painting at Norma's class before my break and finally got it to a near complete stage.


I'm not satisfied that it's there but have to leave it for the present. I think the background is fine and evokes the wind blowing the grasses but am unsure about the cattle.

Expressive acrylics

Those of you following my ramblings must think that the art production has gone into a hiatus of late, and you are not wrong!  Since my break and trip overseas, I have been diverted into other activities, chief of all playing the keyboard.  It is nearly as satisfying and frustrating as visual art.  I learnt the organ as a child and so can read notes but was not taught classical piano although my sister learnt it, so the many pieces for piano exams is familiar.  I have since taught myself to play a couple of Sonatinas and am very pleased with my progress but this is of course, at the expense of painting....

To get going again, I persuaded Jennifer of Art Est to let me do the Contemporary Acrylics course as a casual.  Larissa who runs the course tells me that its aim is to help artists become more expressive.  Art works that are expressive are seldom as easy as they look - I've tried to loosen up but it still does not come easy.  Larissa also reminded me the basics of painting - block in your colours first and cover the canvas before getting into detail, darks should be laid down before light colours, etc.  She said she preferred to use a warm colour as a background wash as that gave the paintings a lovely glow.  Good tip.

To loosen up, she suggested the use of big brushes as that way it is hard to be precise.  I must say I struggled with the palette in this picture of a house set high on the hill with the wineyard before it.  It is a simple composition with those converging lines drawing attention to the house.  This painting was based on a photo I took in Milthorpe.  I am not sure I like my painting - it is certainly more expressive than my other works in the brushstroke.  But what I got out of the class was the spark to do more paintings.  I believe that if I copied a few works in expressive styles that I admire, I would learn much from the exercise.  A lady in the class did a work ala Charles Blackman and it was very colourful but beautifully done.  I would love to try something of that sort. 

Exhibition!

Back from the overseas trip, I've deliberately not enrolled in art classes this term so that I can devote time to the looming exhibition. For those who do not know, Catherine and I are exhibiting our works at Cafe Yuga in Glebe opening on Fri 1 Oct. It will be my first so I'm nervous. But at the same time, I long to put part 2 of art in practice: the commercial aspects of showing and (hopefully) selling paintings. Few can make a living from art alone however, the prospect of testing my ideas of what sells and why actually excites me(!). Yes, I acknowledge that I'm a freak as most artists are only interested in creating not selling. Catherine and I had a project status meeting (consultant talk for a catch up) and we had an agenda plus action items for both of us. So far so good. My objective is to get a number of artworks off my wall and create space for future paintings. The pricing strategy is to make it affordable but not too much of a bargain (I saw a painting I liked for $50 once but was too suspicious to buy it). Paintings that I was loathed to part with I will put a high price on so that I'd be consoled if it sold. Catherine is of the opinion that such paintings should not be sold else it ends in regrets. As a veteran exhibitor she should know!