New Album Artwork: Fire by Velvet
New Album Artwork: Fire by Velvet Read More »
This is another nude, painted in acrylic on a deep edge canvas. It’s another attempt to investigate methods of representing the human (female) figure in a style which seeks to emphasize the planes of the figure in space, as well as the interlocking shapes between the planes.
It’s based on a study from a recent life drawing class. The thinking behind the painting developed during its execution. At various stages I was thinking of works by Philip Guston, Jean Helion and Paul Klee. Once again, I was also thinking of Douglas Cooper’s (1970 p.33) book, “The Cubist Epoch”, in which we read that Picasso said of his own pre-Cubist painting entitled ‘Dance of the Veils (Nude with Drapes)’, 1907, that it should be possible to “‘cut up’ his canvas and having reassembled it ‘according to the colour indications… find oneself confronted with a sculpture.'”
This painting is part of a developing series in which, once again, I’m seeking to investigate and understand how to use those – notionally ‘simple’ – colour dimensions of hue, value and saturation so as to encourage the viewer to confront the contradictions inherent in representing a 3 dimensional subject on a 2 dimensional surface.
If the viewer is made to feel that the image portrayed is oscillating between abstraction and figuration, whereby, one minute a particular bounded plane is simply an abstract flat colour shape, then the next is recognisable as a foreshortened thigh projecting into space, then this painting will have achieved its objective.
Dimensions: 60cm x 80cm, supplied ‘unframed’ on a deep edge canvas which have been painted, so it may not need framing, depending on personal taste.
New Painting: Reclining Nude II Read More »
This is a painting of a reclining female figure reading a book, which was developed from a study produced during a recent life drawing class.
It’s part of a continuing series in which I’m investigating how far it’s possible to push the use of flat colour and interlocking shapes to represent the planes of the human figure in space without mutating into completely unrecognisable abstraction.
In this particular painting I tried to simplify the planes as much as possible and to reduce the representation of shadows to the absolute bare minimum required to make a coherent picture. I’ve also tried to reduce the geometric aspect of the shapes to try and create a ‘softer’, more organic, feel.
As well as my ongoing meditation on (/arm wrestle with!) Josef Albers’ book, ‘Interaction of Colour’, and a current interest in the work of Milton Avery, I was also inspired by a brief section in the Chambers Arts Library book, ‘Movements in Painting’ which discussed a French group called OuPeinPo (Ouvroir de Peinture Potentielle). Apparently, OuPeinPo “did not present itself as an artistic movement but as an inventor of constraints, structures, systems and methods”. As an example of their work, the book displayed a work called ‘Sleeping Kangeroos’ by Aline Gagnaire, in which coloured paper shapes were cut out and weighed, to ensure the exact same quantities of colour were used, which sounds like a fascinating idea.
This work is painted in pastel acrylic colours on canvas board.
In case it’s of interest, I’ve included a picture of the original study I produced below, but please bear in mind that it’s a (large A2) sketch completed in under two hours, so is rather loose and unpolished!
New Painting: Reclining Figure I Read More »
This is nude study developed from a painted sketch produced during a recent life drawing class (which can be seen in the background of the photograph of this drawing in my studio). The painting itself attempted to capture the light and colour of the model, whilst this drawing is an attempt to reinterpret that scene in order to emphasise the shapes and planes of the model in the space.
Whilst producing it, as well as my never-ending fascination with Picasso, I was trying to take inspiration from the delicate, spidery drawings of Cy Twombly, and the sensitive, yet tremendously sculptural, Shelter Drawings of Henry Moore.
It’s drawn in pencil on cartridge paper, is A2 size (84cm x 60cm) and is supplied unframed. As per my previous Seated Nude Study, I’ve purposely left the drawing ‘sketchy’ and unpolished as evidence of the process of discovery and of trial and error.
New Drawing: Seated Nude Study II Read More »
This is a painting developed from a previous preparatory piece, Seated Nude I Study.
I was thinking of the faceted figures painted by Picasso & Braque in their early Analytical Cubism phase and trying to seeing what would happen if I increased the number of planes/facets portrayed compared with my attempts at less faceted paintings such as ‘The Sculpture Garden’.
I’m keen to investigate if it’s possible to find a mid point between the beautiful, flat – almost ‘colour field’ – Abstract Realism(?) of artists like Milton Avery and Etel Adnan, and the faceted, almost 3D approach of the Cubists, in order to try and produce work that looks 2D and 3D at the same time.
It’s painted in acrylics on canvas board and is supplied unframed.
New Painting: Seated Nude I Read More »
This a study for a potential painting of a seated nude, drawn in pencil on cartridge paper. It’s A2 size (84cm x 60cm) and is supplied unframed.
In it, I’m considering how to represent the planes of the human figure using simple monochromatic tones and varied mark making and smudging as opposed to previous investigations using flat colour.
I’ve deliberately left the drawing ‘sketchy’ and unpolished as evidence of the process of discovery and of trial and error by the ‘hand, eye and heart’ to quote David Hockney.
I was thinking of the faceted figures painted by Picasso & Braque in their early Analytical Cubism phase and trying to seeing what would happen if I increased the number of planes/facets portrayed compared with my attempts at less faceted paintings such as ‘The Sculpture Garden’.
I’m keen to investigate if it’s possible to find a mid point between the beautiful, flat – almost ‘colour field’ – Abstract Realism(?) of artists like Milton Avery and Etel Adnan, and the faceted, almost 3D approach of the Cubists, in order to try and produce work that looks 2D and 3D at the same time.
New Drawing: Seated Nude I Study Read More »
This painting was inspired by a life drawing class in the sculpture garden of the Ucheldre Centre, Holyhead, on a beautifully sunny July day this year. It’s painted on canvas board and is supplied unframed.
Its conception is based on a number of books about colour theory I’m reading which have led me to become obsessed with the ‘interaction of colours’. Furthermore, in recent work, I’ve also been focussing on accentuating the abstract planes ‘of’, as well as the interlocking shapes ‘between’, things, rather than just on the things themselves, so this painting is an attempt to further investigate those two, fundamental, topics of colour and shape.
By painting flat areas of colour that, of themselves, are simply abstract jigsaw pieces, but which together, can be interpreted as recognisable objects, the purpose of this painting is to encourage the viewer to go beyond passively viewing what, at first glance, is a calm and serene subject, in order to actively confront the contradictions between the flatness of the picture surface and the coloured shapes, compared with the three dimensionality of the image being portrayed.
In Douglas Cooper’s (1970 p.33) book, “The Cubist Epoch”, we read that Picasso said of his own pre-Cubist painting entitled ‘Dance of the Veils (Nude with Drapes)’, 1907, that it should be possible to “‘cut up’ his canvas and having reassembled it ‘according to the colour indications… find oneself confronted with a sculpture.'”
‘The Sculpture Garden’, is a first, crude, attempt to pay homage to that ambition.
New Painting: The Sculpture Garden Read More »
This is my latest painting, which is entitled ‘Up and Down South Stack Steps’. It’s an imposing triptych painted in acrylics on 3 large cradled panels (see picture below for an idea of scale). It’s painted primarily from memory in an effort to recreate the experience of descending South Stack‘s 400 steps.
The panels represent stopping at various points down the steps, gazing up at the vertigo-inducing cliffs of Holy Island, then soaking up the beauty of the low sun burnishing the quicksilver sea, before clambering down to experience the thrilling sights and sounds of the roiling waves in the narrow channel between Holy Island and Ynys Lawd.
It was inspired (once again) by David Hockney’s theories on alternative approaches to monocular/photographic paintings with a single viewpoint. Each panel is intended to encourage the viewer to feel that they are able to look in multiple directions both within each panel, as well as between the three panels (which, hopefully explains the title being ‘Up and Down…’ rather than ‘Down and Up…’) The ultimate goal is to induce a slight feeling of vertigo, as if one has been tied to a ship’s mast.
I hope to submit it for inclusion in the Art for All competition in the Ucheldre Centre in Holyhead where it will be on sale for £1200 (EDIT: price adjusted after *ahem…* ‘advice’ from my wife…) The exhibition opens at 5pm Thursday 20th July and runs until 5th September so please drop in as there will be a wide range of work on display by a number of artists.
In the meantime, please see the image below for an idea of the scale of the work.
New Painting: Up and Down South Stack Steps (Triptych) Read More »
Here’s another linocut reduction print test from a while ago, just to try out a simple/bold image.
New Linocut Reduction Print: Red Head Read More »