Know yourself, know your colours
Since finishing the school year at Sarum Studio at the end of June, things have been very quiet for me over the summer. Unfortunately there has been no getaway on the cards for us as we sadly have another sick…
Grey. Three Kinds
Here is a recent life size portrait where I used a slightly smaller canvas than usual because I wanted the focus to be much more about just the head and shoulders. As the painting progressed I wasn’t sure if there…
L’amour est un oiseau rebelle
Another painting on one of my gesso panels. It started well, went astray midway through, then got back on track as we neared the end. Every project is a lesson in perseverance, although that’s not to say that every one…
Danger lies in the halftones
A fairly quick standing pose drawn in charcoal and chalk on toned paper. The tricky thing with this one was in keeping the halftones under control. In order to keep a sense of clarity and impact, getting bogged down in…
Seated Nude
Here’s another small figure study on one of my gesso panels from Zecchi. I’m increasingly enjoying working on these, although again I am noticing how differently they make me work. They are also very tricky to photograph as they seem…
Silent Prayer
I started this portrait last year, and have been reworking parts of it since then. To say it has been a lesson in perseverance would be an understatement. Originally the painting was larger and included the sitter’s hands and tops…
Finally some Bulbs of Garlic
Garlic bulbs seem to be very popular with artists as a still life subject. This is the first time that I have painted them – in a dark corner of the studio, with a red onion for company, fading into…
Charcoal Portrait
My first charcoal portrait for a long time and I was encouraged by how quickly I got a good likeness. The mark-making is quite controlled and the overall statement clean and stark. In a way though I’d prefer a drawing…
Brief Moments of Happiness
I began this still life by thinking purely about visual composition, simply looking for shapes, colours and textures amongst the various items collected in the studio. Once arranged I felt dissatisfied that there didn’t seem to be a narrative to…
Moving on and getting back to work
Well, back to work after a couple of weeks away from the easel. There’s nothing like the meditation of concentrated drawing to make you forget other thoughts and simply be in the present. This was a complicated pose to capture…
