The joys of S & M

Well, I'm ready for it.

I've been a long time getting myself ready for this moment. I've almost forgotten my promise to do it, its been so long. But, a promise, is a promise.

And I so want to do it.

I've been keeping it close to me...............savouring it. This delicious moment. When I take this big step. Into the unknown.

Into S & M.

Or...............more to the point "S" and "M"........

And for those of you who know what I'm referring to - you know I'm talking about the watercolour painting I promised to do for the newly weds - the one of the French village landscape with the letters "S" and "M" hidden within it. Its been so long since I've done a watercolour, I've got to think how I'm going to tackle to style of the painting to get the effect I want. But, I shall love looking how I can hide the letters within the painting. So, they're not easily seen, but can be found by those who know where to look. I love hiding secrets in my work!! And this one is going to be fun!!!!

So, if it looks like its going to have me tied up for a bit........................................ :)

The art of voyeurism

I've had an interesting conversation recently with a friend regarding the joys of voyeurism - we agreed that watching someone else doing something erotic is very sexy. And that got me to thinking about how I would portray that in a drawing........ Its an interesting concept, and since we all like to look at things that are erotic, we ALL do it to an extent......

So I set my model up in a pose that I thought might portray that thought. I liked the shapes that were formed in the composition, I liked the way the light worked within it, and I liked the idea. And it flowed as I drew it so I knew it was working as a concept within the drawing. And as I drew it, I realised that there was one part of the drawing that TOLD the story, and it isn't the obvious bits. The obvious parts are the way she's looking at herself in the mirror, the nape of neck, the way the open blouse is just starting to fall off her shoulder, the way her hand is near her nipple, almost about to brush it. But all of those are a woman looking at herself in a mirror, women do it all the time, there's nothing particularly erotic about that. No....... its the thigh. The fact that when you look at the thigh, you realise she's sitting on the floor, with her leg agape. And that starts to make you think...................why is she sitting on the floor, why is her leg wide open.............where is the other leg.......................................

And then you learn that the drawing is called "Playing to the audience".

And that makes you think even more.................................

What audience? You wonder. Is it herself, is she about to play with herself infront of the mirror?

Or is there someone watching her? Who could that be? A man? A Woman? A group of men? Or women? Or a mixed group?

Or..........................are ..........you............................ the audience?

Is it...........you......................she's doing it for.....................................?

Mmm....... now that's got you thinking hasn't it...............................!

Don't you feel like a voyeur now.............................?

Have I achieved my aim???!!!!! LOL

The birth of siblings

Well, I'm happy.


And Fitzy's happy.


So, that's good then isn't it!?


The pictures are finished. The "Tarse" and "Fitzy Living flame". And they look good together, I'm happy to say, so that last week of me brightening tiny areas of colour, increasing tone, and keep putting the two paintings side by side to see how they looked as a pair has really paid off. I'm delighted. Its been three months of hard work, on and off, in the production, and I think Fitzy and I had a few weeks of discussion before that before I even started the painting. But he tells me he's thrilled with them, and that's what matters! That means I can relax, with a warm feeling and content smile, and know I've done a good job on them. And I also know that the finished painting is far better than the original working painting. There are more subtleties in it, and the flame is more fierce around the body. I think it adds more to it because of it, especially as its a man in the painting, it makes it more masculine and strong, I think. My favourite bit is the bum on it - the way the bright colours add form and interest.


I've shown the "Fitzy Living Flame" here on its own, and also along with the Tarse painting so you can see the comparison. They are bright and beautiful, vibrant and strong, and although the "living flame" style of painting is subtle it stands strong against the bright and vivid abstract of the Tarse painting. And it certainly didn't when I originally *thought* I'd finished it! Of course the canvas's also bring out the colours of the acrylic paint, which you can see when you look at them in real life but they look slightly muted in these photos. They are painted on box canvases, and I explained to Fitzy that the paintings go around each of the four sides of each painting which I think gives it more of a 3D effect when its hung on a wall. I also had to put an "optical illusion" in the "living flame" painting. As you can see the painting stops just below the knee, if I had carried on the natural tapering of the calf, the picture would have looked like his legs were "pins" and would have looked really silly. So, I had to carry on the calf at the same width when the image carried over the edge to give it more substance. No one would notice particularly when its hanging on the wall, but it would have screamed out as a glaring error, if I'd done the natural taper.


And just as a matter of interest, to me anyway, I have shown two women friends, on two different occasions this week, the two paintings, and asked what they thought, and both liked the "living flame" painting best, particularly the bum on it (!) and NEITHER could see that the abstract was a "willie". Not at all. Now, that interests me, and delights me. That was exactly the response I want - the shape IS hidden! YAY!!!! I've done it!!!!!!!!!!!!!