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!

Painting an essence

As an artist, I'm always trying to capture the essence of the subject rather than just the superficial image infront of me, so it was interesting yesterday to meet a spirit artist and clairvoyant, who talked about the importance of colour in painting the soul. She sees people's auras and paints those colours in her paintings, as well as trying to capture the spirit of the person within the facade of the face. The face is the life we've lived, as well as what we've inherited genetically, but within that facade is the life we want to live, the fantasies within us, the hopes and dreams, desires and emotions that drive us. How to paint that? How to look beyond the surface? To paint the spirit within us?

I know that I'm motivated by particular colours, and some colours are a turn off for me. I can never be motivated by dull "brown" as a colour in clothing or paint (whether its in a painting, or on a wall) but I love shiny "brown" in the hair of a stunning brunette, and as the colour of highly polished antique wooden furniture. I adore turquoise as a colour and am attracted to it as a moth to a flame, its a clear, bright, wholesome colour for me, and I adore it! So when I next paint a portrait, I'll work on gut reaction to colour for that person, whether they are a moodily intense dark chocolately colour or a lively light and airy shade of pink, a vibrant passionate crimson, or a calm and serene mint green.

And I'll spend the next week looking at people I meet and trying to just concentrate on one colour that eminates out of them, to me. Mmmm..... that's going to be interesting, I don't think I'd equate too much to lavender, lemon, beige and brown people, I hope I meet some magenta, scarlet, antique gold and midnight blue people......

Castles in the air

Thats much better! I've just done a non vanilla painting, and one for Lucy too! Hope she likes it. I'm pleased with it anyway, and the basic idea I had for it followed on into the image -a fantasy castle in the air, amid swirling clouds, and two faces, one male, one female, half concealed with their expressions slightly indistinct. Lucy asked for a fairytale castle to illustrate her fairy tales some time ago, but I wasn't exactly sure how I wanted to tackle it until today. Sometimes it takes time for the idea to work through. Its worked well though but I'll leave it overnight and look at it fresh tomorrow, and in daylight, because watercolours always look better in natural light, and see then if it needs any more work doing on it to enhance the colours or add more tone anywhere.