Mothers, brothers, and tears

I had visitors over the weekend.

Well, technically, they weren't really coming to see me as such, as in a social visit to see how I was. They were actually coming to see themselves.

In paint.

David and Martyn came all the way from Bath to view the painting I'd done of them. They had made arrangements to stay in this area and brought along Martyn's parents who are also depicted in the painting.

They arrived full of good cheer, and it was a delight to see them all and welcome them in to my new house. They admired the paintings hanging on the walls of my hallway, which I count as my mini gallery, and then looked askance at me. Where was it?

 I smiled, and led the way to my studio, opened the door and was hit by an overpowering smell of oil, turps, and paint. And said that I was pleased that the painting had now been hung and was residing upright on the wall rather than horizontal on my workdesk. And nodded towards it, although I didn't really need to do that, since it was quite obvious where it was. "Oooh it's big, bigger than I thought!" was the first comment, and they stood looking at it in silence. Then the comments started as they took it in turns to stand away from it, to view it better. They asked for the piece of wallpaper they'd sent me to view the painting against it, and could see that it would be fine against the heavy patterning. They were surprised at how deep the canvas was at 3 inches which is a bit deeper than usual, but it added to the dramatic aspect of it, and their room was easily big enough to take it,  and it added to the viewing experience in that where ever you stood or sat within the room the painting would be in 3D because of the deep edges.

I showed them the working drawings, and the preliminary sketches I'd done. And described the painting process of the acrylic underpainting, the thicker coats of acrylic to give the oils depth, and then the oils themselves, the the silver paint of the jagged wind applied with palette knife. As were the thicker parts of the paint to give it more texture.

They loved it. All of them.

But, the best bit, for me, was the fact it caused tears and upset. Instant tears on the first viewing. The tears of a mother as she sees her first born depicted in paint, her first born who although a man died too young, way too young. That's something that no mother should have to experience and is tragic for any woman to have to contend with, and will probably never fully recover from. So, when she burst into tears at the first sight of it that was the best reaction there could have been for me. Because it meant I'd got it right, it meant I'd got the right feeling in the picture, it meant it was the right face, the right expression, the right depiction, and the tears were the best affirmation for me, to prove that. A mothers tears for her first born. And I'm sorry that it made her cry but pleased as well. Really pleased!

After that, the positive comments, the hugs of thanks, the smiles of wonder, the silence as they stared at it, and the words they spoke afterwards, added to the whole wonder of me making a painting for someone. A special painting, that means so very much to them, and always will because they designed it, picked the subject matter, colours, setting, that it would be in oils on a large block canvas, that it would have various family members in it, that it would be a happy painting celebrating their past, but looking towards the future too. They will spend many hours staring at the painting when it goes to hang on their wall, and will love it.

And I stood there, quietly pleased with myself that I'd done it for them, and that they had asked me to do it. But then, the mother said she knew I'd do a good job, and named the other paintings I'd done for the family in the past. Paintings that they still have on their walls, treasured paintings, bringing love and happy memories... I'd forgotten about some of them, since it was so long ago that I did some of them, but remembered them instantly when she named them of course, they are my creations, and well loved by me as much as them.

We had tea and biscuits after that, and sat chatting about many things, life, love, friendship, fun. And all of it was done with laughter, and an ease of jovial conversation when you know that everyone is on the same wavelength, and of a job well done. And they are convinced I will get more commissions through it, as various friends of theirs are intrigued to see it, and have heard so much about it. I hope so, that's always my desire.

They didn't take the painting with them, it stays with me a while longer whilst its still drying. So, I have the pleasure of it, before it goes to Bath to live. 

And maybe it'll be the spark of a new idea, a new painting, not yet painted, but just a thought, in someones head....

Going up in the world

I had a real good painting session yesterday on the Royal Crescent of Bath painting that is my current commission. It's taking longer than a painting would normally do, but that's because of two reasons, which together make a larger practical problem. Firstly, its in oils, so its taking ages to dry between stages, and secondly, its a block canvas, which means that I can't keep it vertical AND stand it on a surface if all of the sides are wet with drying oil paint. So, you would think, put the canvas horizontal then, and that would be the logical answer. Except that's not how you paint pictures. If they are painted lying flat on a horizontal surface the verticals in the picture get lengthened to compensate the eye. Painting it on the vertical, or at least a strong diagonal will help to view it better for painting. But, a picture isn't viewed from close up, its viewed from a few feet away, so the artist should always stand back a bit every so often to make sure that it looks good still from that distance away, and that the tones are right, the shapes are right, there aren't too many "coincidences" (that's where things in the foreground fit exactly into something that is in the background, like if  a cloud shape is exactly the same shape of a tree its behind,  or if a house roof in the middle of the picture ends exactly where the horizon ends, that sort of thing) and that it just "feels right" to the artist.

So, all in all, the picture has to be painted vertical, and from a distance a way. And I can't do that, because of the wet paint.....

I'd done as much as I can, up until yesterday, and I stood contemplating the picture, with a mug of tea in my hand (one of my best thinking times, whilst drinking mugs of tea!!!) and I was itching to get on to the next stage, and knowing that it might be a week or more away before I could do anything whilst the paint dried. MMm..... that's not good enough, I want to paint it NOW, whilst the momentum is there, whilst I feel like doing it, whilst I'm in the floooooowwwww....

I know!

I've got an idea!!!!

The obvious one really!

And easily remedied...

....I'll stand on a chair, whilst the painting sits on my work surface on the flat, and I can both let all four of the sides dry, because they're not being affected, and see the whole of the painting from a distance, because I was far enough above it, to see the whole picture from a distance of four feet or so away. YAY! Ingenious!

And because I was in the flow, and able to carry on with my momentum, and was playing the right sort of rock and dance music that gets me going, the painting went well, the colours were right, the paint went on thick, and fast, and now has movement within it, with the texture as well as the flashes of colour put here and there.

Who'd have thought it! My best painting aid this week, was a chair!

Explanations and updates

New friends came to visit last night to have a drink with me and my man and chat about life, generalities, specifics, people, work, families, hobbies, and all other diverse subjects, and have a bit of a laugh as well, as is usually a case of a social visit. They hadn't been to my house before, but they did know I am an artist and about the piece of art I am currently working on.   So, it was nice when they sat in my lounge, drinks in hand, and he immediately commented on my art hanging on the walls. Most of them are landscapes of one sort or another, although a couple of them are somewhat surreal. He really loved them, and said how talented I was which was very kind of him, and went on to say that his father is a watercolourist, so that made the compliment even more of one, if he had some understanding of the technicalities of painting. His favourite picture in the room was "Midnight Blue" as shown here, and he said he really loved the deep blue of the sky in it, and he nodded in smiling agreement when I said that I wanted to depict the feeling of a couple going out for a drink in Venice, and almost being able to hear the muted sound of music coming from a bar nearby (as in any music, not the one with Julie Andrews, nuns, jack boots and the goats!).

 I indicated one of my favourite pictures - Enigma -  the one of faces on a black stormy background and asked them both what they could see in it. They both looked at it, from a distance, and shrugged, as they couldn't see anything, then she said an interesting thing. She said "She's a lighthouse, and its a sea picture". I looked over to it, and tried to see what she was seeing. He could only see the faces he said. and she replied "You've got to look deeper than that, beyond the surface..." And went on to explain that the woman with the brightest face at the bottom is a lighthouse, and the others are lost at sea, and she's leading them back. Wow! I'd never looked at it like that before. And that is why I love this picture, because other people see such diverse things within the art. Things that I never intended, but they see them as clear as anything. How wonderful!!!

We spent a pleasant evening, and it was only after they were about to go when she said "I want to see the picture!!!!" and I knew she meant the one I'm currently working on - of the Royal Crescent in Bath with the spiritual, surreal, abstracty feel to it, and limited colour scheme. I took her to my studio and she and he stood before the picture, and the smell of oils and turps filled their nostrils as the room is rank with it. They stood in quiet contemplation of it, as I explained the thoughts behind it, whilst trying to keep my fingers off it, as its still wet and drying slowly, as oils do. They loved it, and could see how it was evolving, and how the picture is developing. I need to make it more dramatic though, and lighten the whites, and darken the darks. It also needs more movement within the picture, as it is depicting a windy day, and it needs more leaves blowing around in it, and more depth of interest in the grassy areas. But, I'm really pleased with the way its going. It's just that I can't work on it as fast as I'd like, as I have to wait for bits to dry before I can work on the next stage. Not helped by the fact that it's a block canvas and each of the four sides have to be painted as confidently and completely as the front of it. But, I think its going to be a good one.... its going that way!

Sea air and feminine responses

Well, I've had some fabulously positive reactions to the last blog post about International Women, so that's been a wonderful response to the talk I did. A couple of teacher friends have told me it was well written, and friends from far and near have praised it. And just to show how International it is, I've been contacted by a woman in South Africa whose friend went to the talk and told her all about it. How good is that!!!!

Since then I had a small break in Devon on business relating to my Mum's death, and although it was poignant and sad, it was a nice break too. I've missed the sea air. I knew before I went how much I'd missed it, but when I got there I  spent as much time as I could by the sea, taking photos and just soaking up the ozone to replenish my spirit. And it shows how much the artist is in me. I look at a scene, and I might like the overall landscape of it, but its the little things that excite me. Like the shape and colour of stones on a beach. These in particular excited me because of the pinkness of them, as much as their texture. The five foot high sticks embedded in the beach at Dawlish Warren also stopped me in my tracks. I think they are old wooden posts to stop the sand shifting down the beach from the Exe estuary, but the aged weathered look of them as dark verticals against the lighter background of the grey sea was the thing I loved most. A pity that the sun wasn't shining at the moment I took the photos as the horizontal shadows would have really added to the exciting geometric designs. And I absolutely adore the picture of the sea steps at the harbour at Brixham because of the light on the water and the gorgeous green of the sea against the ochres of the stone in sunlight. Wow! I want to paint it!!!!

So, I've come back all fired up and wanting to paint! Which is  a good job since I have an important commission to finish - of the landscape/portrait/spiritual portrayal of the Royal Crescent in Bath in oils. I was working on it til almost midnight last night, and have finished the acrylic underpainting. That means I've got to the exciting bit. The part where the oils go on the canvas. And I shall smile to myself as I use them, because I love the buttery feel of them, and the way the paint just happily moves over the canvas blurring, and merging, and creating fabulous cloud effects. Which is a good job really, since half the painting is of a dramatic and cloud filled sky. And my house will smell of oils and turpentine!

How wonderful.

Oh, and just as an aside. I've been watching the growth of a clump of daffodils outside my office window for weeks now. They have slowly sprung up during the snowy weather, and each week have filled out their leaves, and their delicate buds have formed. I knew when I got back from my weekend in Devon that they would be out in their full golden glory. Except they weren't. Because someone has nicked them! They have gone. And presumably are sitting in a vase in someones house. Which is a shame, because it means that they won't last so long, and only one or two people are enjoying them, instead of the passing world. So, I went to the local garden centre and got three pots of my own, which are  now sitting in my garden for me to enjoy. And their bright yellowness makes me smile each time I see them. They are sunshine itself on these grey days. And when they have finished flowering I shall plant them in the garden so that they'll come up year after year. Bringing fresh hope for springs to come.

Music and movement

I don't like to rush the design stage of a painting. Having said that by the time its come to me, its quite easy to sketch some ideas out to see how they work, and then adjust the colours or tones accordingly to make the painting better in as many ways that I can. But the basic concept will usually remain the same from the original thoughts.

The painting I'm working on at the moment, is the oil painting commission of the Royal Crescent at Bath, with various people, alive and dead, within the picture. The painting won't be fully representational, but also it won't be fully abstract either, but an amalgam of them both. But it will also have more of a surreality to it as well, in that the wind that is blowing around the people within the picture comes from the two much beloved people within the clouds of the sky. That is the concept. It took three full days last week for me to get to the point of being happy with it, along with a couple of long phone calls with the clients, in Bath, to agree the design and make any adjustments accordingly. I know the days were intense, because I woke a couple of times in the night (a rarity!) with ideas rushing around my head, and thoughts for the planning stage fresh and running free.

The reason it was done that way, was because the clients are going on holiday for a fortnight, and I didn't want to have to put the painting on hold whilst I awaited for their return. By having three very intense days of designing it, it means that it has freed me more for the week ahead and being able to plan the colours at my leisure. When I asked the client what colour palette he wanted - the reply was that he'd sent me photos of the room, so I could see where the painting was going to hang, and since I was the expert, and he'd already given me the brief, he wanted to leave me to make the final decisions and didn't want to interfere with those decisions, giving me free rein.

So, after emailing him the first design and then hearing his thoughts on it, adjusting the second design accordingly the next day and emailing him that drawing with the new changes, he loves it! And I've got the go ahead! Yay!

That always makes me happy, when it's all positive and upbeat.

The client said "That didn't take long, did it?" and I smiled! But he was right, and more to the point, he was happy. And that is what I'm aiming for, always!

So, now, I can think of the colours. I know to a degree what they will be - cream, brown, plum, black, red, and silver. And I know the silver will be the wind, blowing diagonally across the painting, full of love, and connecting the people, but also with a power, a spiritual power, as well as a physical one.  I don't think at the moment that anything else in the picture needs to be silver, as that will detract from the wind and that is one of the most important aspects of the painting. So, the next stage will be working out the layout of colours for dramatic effect. As the painting certainly will be dramatic, and it also needs to stand proud from the heavy and dark Georgian style wallpaper that it will hang against.

Then, I can start painting it, properly.

But yesterday, I did something that although not obviously connected with the painting, it is something that will affect it, totally and absolutely. Fully, and instantly.

It was my choice of music, for my iPod.

Loud, rocking, with good rhythm, and the stuff that instantly fires me up!!!!!

Connections

I've not been able to blog for a while - I'll explain why on the next post, but just to let you know and maybe keep you intrigued until then (cos I'd hate you to get bored!) I'll then tell you the connections between what I've recently learnt about being unnoticed and noticed at the same time, what happens when you watch the watcher, what's sexual to some and not to others, and how as an erotic artist I found egg cups to be of very great interest! And how a bath created a different slant on erotic art.......

Oh......... and also about a how I was fascinated by a conversation over dinner with an architect and a psychologist............