Return from the dead!

I've been a very bad blogger these last few months. My catch up classes came to an abrupt end, after I let frustration get the better of me. Painting with "the claw" proved pretty uncomfortable to begin with, a real pain in the bum. There are at least three incomplete studies, still littering the drying racks of Heatherley's - testament to my loss of faith!. Months on, I'm pleased to report that my beloved right hand feels much less alien, and that my desire to paint has been rekindled. After two weeks work experience at a TV production company (I'm trying to make waves in the world of broadcasting, little as those waves may be right now), my creativity feels stimulated in new and exciting ways. Have had an interesting idea for a painting - inspired by memories of home life, and the concept of the 'vignette' (something I discussed with George a while ago). Will have to get cracking with some sketches. Am thinking gouache might suit...

Bunny

Another day of animal antics. Two more suitcase scenes were set up: one on a holiday theme, teeming with clothes, books and a rather lovely camera, the other packed with vintage toys. Maybe I'm regressing back to childhood (or else the black cat from yesterday's still life has given me the bug), but I couldn't resist the toys. Something about the limp limbed bunny. Made a very slow and rather tight start - not best pleased - but hopefully I'll begin to unwind over the next two weeks. The scene seemed to bring out my illustrative tendencies actually - not very painterly, but somehow appropriate! I can't help thinking of Shirley Hughes' picture books...

The return!

First day back at school (am finally making up for the 9 classes I missed during my 'convalescence') - fantastic to see everybody, and to don my painting shirt again. Ian set up a really engaging still life, an old suitcase overflowing with books and vintage clothes. And at the forefront, stealing the show, was a little toy cat - a scruffy, black specimen with a slightly unhinged expression. I think I'm in love.

Big Day Out

It's three weeks since my accident, and I'm having to live life in the slow lane still. Popped into Heatherley's to say hello to staff and tutors on Friday - lovely to see everyone, and share some of my concerns with people whose right hands are the their livelihood! Recovery is going to take some time, as will getting used to my two ghost fingers (which I'm willing back to full health. Come on digits!) - but I will be getting on the painting/drawing wagon as soon as I can. I had my first solo expedition in ages the other day (bless), visiting the 'Mythologies' exhibition at the Haunch of Venison and then the Kuniyoshi prints exhibition at the Royal Academy. 'Mythologies' is fantastic, luring the spectator through labyrinthine passages of art (Christian Boltanski's shadow puppets and Polly Morgan's taxidermy stand out). Macabre and magical, it hinges on the idea of the 'Wunderkammer' or Cabinet of Curiosities - recreating the heavy, timeless atmosphere of monolithic establishments like the British Museum. Very thought provoking. Kuniyoshi on the other hand, was a real giggle. Forget beautiful geisha girls or lyrical Japanese landscapes, his samurais are the bomb.

Time Out

Had a horrible accident last weekend that's left me with nerve damage to my right hand. I won't go on, as you've probably already heard the gruesome details. Needless to say I'm having to take some time out from school - need to mend a little before I take up the brush again! Am keeping positive. Have full mobility thank god, and pray that the nerve damage will repair in 6 months to a year. Horribly painful at the moment, but then it would be. Cannot wait to get back to Heatherleys though. I miss it all! The atmosphere, the fantastic tutors, the challenge, the meditation. Ah well, it will be all the sweeter for this hiatus!

The Finished Article (I think...)

I think I've finally finished me' shed. Spent the day in my own little bubble, listening to Hospital Podcasts - was satisfyingly in the zone. The earth in the foreground may need some more work (it looks a little flat at the moment), but I'm really happy with the reeds and greenery that I've worked up - thanks to my new, badass rigger brush. Generally, I'm pleased with the 'hierarchy' of space: the way that the flanking buildings give way to the main event. It's not perfect, but I think this is a big step in the right direction. My tutors were really positive about the finished product, which was nice. There's nothing like praise!

Taking Shape

This is my third week working on the shed, and I'm super chuffed because its beginning to take shape. I never thought I'd enjoy the challenge of a landscape - but there's something very compelling about creating a sense of place. Will need to work up the earthy foreground and the green patch/horizon next session, adding the reeds which should lend the composition a dynamic, vertical element. First I need to invest in a 'rigger' brush; a slender, sable brush that will allow me to treat the reeds with the delicacy they deserve. Basically, there's lots left to do, but I've broken the back of this badboy. Other news: plans are underway for my next screen-print, one which will hopefully find its way onto a t-shirt. Think Slush Puppie, gone wrong... I just love channelling the 80s.

Bed-bound

The much dreaded lurgi caught up with me this week, keeping me from Heatherleys for 3 days. Having gone through the (very unattractive) motions of flu, I was able to leave the confines of my room for the first time yesterday. Swaddled in full arctic gear, and dosed up on Beechams, I made my way to work (I'm a part time bookseller) - let me tell you, I tore it up! Cabin fever does wonders for customer service it would seem... Can't wait to get back to school on Tuesday now - my unfinished shed is calling, and Allan has promised to bring in a stuffed seagull for me to paint. Gotta love taxidermy. Seeing as I have nothing in the way of new work to post then - having been quite the absentee - here's a very poor quality photo of a sketch I did recently. I hadn't thought of doing an oil 'sketch' before (I associate the medium with slow, sustained work), but I thought I'd give it a go after being bought an oil sketchpad for my birthday. A shell provides the subject, as you can hopefully tell, and this took under an hour. Just a little something, not fantastically fleshed out; but I rather like it!

Fruity Patooty

Pineapples and watermelons provided today's jaunty subject matter. I decided to take a different approach from usual, starting with all the big shapes, finding the main areas of light and dark etc, before working up the detail (I usually get caught up in the minutiae too soon). And in a way it paid off (it's certainly the most sensible order of approach). My pineapple's a little plastic - in my defense, they are CRAZY ass fruits to paint - but I'm super pleased with the melon. Juicy.

Shed (aka Ode to a Brick Wall)

After the success of last term's brick wall, I've moved onto another textural project. From a box of source material bought in by Ian, I chose this snapshot of a dilapidated shed (taken in Peterborough, don't you know) a week ago. I though the flaking paintwork, rust, foliage etc would pose an exciting challenge. It's very much a working progress - as with the brick wall, I'm taking my time on this - but here's a sneak peak of two week's worth painting. This is my first attempt at a landscape in oils, and I'm really enjoying it (I was apprehensive, nature-phobe that I am). Popped into the library in the last half hour of today's lesson, to look at Stanley Spencer's work for inspiration. His English garden scenes are wonderful, striking a fine balance between the illustrative and the painterly; I'd like to capture something of his delicacy and surface treatment with this work.

It's Alive!

Inspired by a Euan Uglow painting we were shown last week, Tash (friend and protegee, hehe) requested tomatoes for today's still life. And tomatoes there were. In abundance. Allan and I decided that the fruit on the far right of my canvas has a life of its own. Sad tommy or angry tommy, we couldn't come to an agreement. Either way, its 'physiognomical'! On a positive note, I managed to up the thickness of my paint today which made a great difference.

Artichokes

Another foodie study (Allan promised me more cakes but alas, there were none). My paint isn't quite thick enough - I seem to be regressing on that front. But it does have a certain quality I like.

Victory!

Yeehah! After months of labour here's my finished screen-print, keyline and all. I'm seriously chuffed with the end product. Bits and bobs don't align perfectly, but overall I think it packs a punch. Maybe I should complete the suit...

Sardines

Today was the most rewarding of the course thus far. I came home on a complete high. Painting fish is a joy, and I got great feedback from my tutors (which is comforting in light of recent doubts/frustrations). Allan thinks it's my best painting to date, and George (in typically fabulous, extravagant manner) that it's 'epiphanic'! Critical acclaim aside (jokes), I really am pleased with the finished result. I had to work quickly seeing as the fishies were visibly wilting before my eyes, and this forced me to find a convincing short hand (for describing their translucence, slipperiness etc). I'm also pleased with the composition: the passage created by the slumped sardines. If I can apply the same excitement and economy to the rest of my work, then I'll really be making progress. Hope lives on!

Frustration

Here are some life drawings from my first Open Studio, two weeks ago: a sequence of short poses (done in 4 minutes). Words can't express my dejection at the end of last week's session! I desperately want to develop my drawing, to build on the 'handwriting' I already have (i.e. a linear style). But it's haaaaaard people. It doesn't help that Open Studio is frequented by extremely talented, experienced artists, who make my attempts look like doodles. Sigh. Needless to say I left Heatherley's in a stormy mood. Of course I realise I just have to plough on. Development will come with time (the tortured artist and all that). Still, it can be hard. I love life-drawing, and I like the quiet quality of my drawings. But I desperately need to loosen up, and find a way of bringing visual excitement to my observations. We'll see how I fare this Friday.

Cherries and duck eggs

I have another week to work on this still life. Haven't even started work on the eggs, for example (which are a bastard to paint), and the metal teapot has a long way to go (have only really mapped in the colours, and even then they need changing). The cherries are bangin' though! Heh. Let's see how the rest of it shapes up.

From Granny with love

Really enjoyed getting back to oil painting today - even if the finished product looks like something from a 'Help the Aged' competition (flowers bring out the geriatric in me). It's really hard to paint flowers without courting a 'chocolate box' look, especially when the bouquet in question is so garish. But what the hell, I had fun. And learning the basics of painting does require this kind of literal study, old-fashioned as it might be. Alan thought I was being hard on myself, and that my treatment of the blooms was 'very sensitive'. I suppose I'm quite pleased with the flowers themselves, though the leaves and particularly the stems need much more work.

Ratty!

Sketches from the Hunterian Museum, just for jokes. Gotta love Ratty...

New Term

And so a new term begins. After the hubbub of Christmas - exhilarating if exhausting - it's quite nice to get back into the routine of a working week. All my new art materials are meticulously lined up, ready for use: a tempting array of inks, smokey gouache paints, and unctuous lotions/potions (masking fluid, Liquin, olive oil soap). Whilst I'm carrying on with oil painting this term, I'm also taking up classes in watercolour (twee, but useful for illustration and great for learning techniques) and life-drawing. It's worth trying out different disciplines I think, seeing as I have this year to experiment.

My creativity has gone in a distinctly 'Blue Peter' direction of late. I've started collating a scrapbook from magazine and newspaper clippings - something to refer back to for inspiration and colour schemes when I come to paint, draw, or print. There's something deeply soothing about the menial task of cutting and pasting. Takes me back to the bygone, carefree days of childhood (you can tell it's the dawn of my 23rd birthday...Gulp).

On a different note, I went to the Hunterian Museum with my sketchbook today (on the recommendation of my drawing teacher, George). Located in the Royal College of Surgeons, this small museum houses hundreds of gruesome jars and slides, collected in the name of medical science: everything from preserved monkey heads to malign tumours and human foetuses. Dark. I turned my attention to an enormous rat in formaldehyde (dissected to reveal its stomach and intestines), and a jaw bone. Not the most conventional subjects, but interesting/atmospheric to say the least.