Into the S & M

I spent nearly all day yesterday sorting out paintings for an exhibiton at the end of August. It doesn't sound a lot, to sort out some paintings and fill out a form. But the problem is that I've not painted much new stuff for exhibitions this year as I've been working on commissions. I'd far rather work on commissions because then I'm painting exactly what someone wants. I always think of exhibiton work as "best guess" paintings. I "best guess" what subject matter, what style, what medium, what size, what frame, and hope that someone walking into the exhibition may like it enough, and may have a space to hang it, and may have some money to buy it, and may actually put all of those together and purchase it.

So, for this exhibition I've had to find ten paintings. Its no problem - I have ten, easily, but a lot of them have already been to this exhibitin in past years and its better if the artwork is fresh. So I had to search around for new paintings, and frame a couple, and that takes time. As well as that I had to write a 60 word "Artists Profile". Sounds easy enough, you'd think. But 60 words isn't a lot - when you've got a lot to say! I started with 240 words..............................and then started carving it up (or maybe it was down!) into 60. And that took about an hour!

Then I had to work out the sizes of the paintings as the hanging fees are dependant on the size of the paintings, and they're worked out on A4, A3, A2, A1 and above sizes. I know how big my paintings are, I just wasn't sure exactly how A2 relates to it!

Anyway, that was yesterdays job. Along with painting the "S and M" French village landscape. Which is going nicely.

When I first thought about how I was going to paint the landscape, I didn't have an idea at all about the way I was going to tackle it. Its not surprising in a way, since its a while since I've done a landscape in watercolours, as I've been concentrating on acrylic "tarses", "queyntes" and "living flame" type paintings for the last six months....................................!

But...........................I started drawing it out the other day, and then put the masking fluid on it to "block out" the white of the houses.................and as I drew, my mind was quietly working, and suddenly it all came to me very clearly how I was going to do it.............simple, really, when you think about it..............and know what you're doing...........................

Here's the photo that I'm working from, so you know what I'm talking about. It of Joyeuse in the Ardeche, in France and a lovely village.

I've been asked to take photos of the different stages as I do this painting, so I'm doing that, and so far its looking good!