Thursday 31 December 2015

31/12/2015 Thursday

A sleepless night of the sort that occurs when a painting starts  causing trouble but worked out what to do - begin again on a different canvas. There was another in the studio of the same shape, 5ft x 2. ish so I copied the layout and left out the satyr (that goes in last) and another thing grew. Dunno what it is. Happy though. though, la, sunsets??? How difficult can they be???? Insane. Really difficult not to get slushy.

Tomorrow not bad, have to give a lunch but the afternoon and evening will be clear - ditto the weekend, minus a visitor, a dinner, an apero. Anyway next week clear. Thinking behind the images not coherent but Im assuming it'll all clock into place sooner or later.


Wednesday 30 December 2015

30.12.2015 Weds


Voila! Holiday snaps... jellyfish were one of the few live things we saw in Cerebere except for the dog and an aggressive cat that followed me when I was trying to paint these things - near the diving centre, there were some fish too but too deep to see properly. Jellyfish roll around slowly on the surface and are quite fascinating.
These are acrylic on board and jolly difficult too, can't make acrylic work - too uncoperative.


Did some watercolours of the views too but have put them away before photographing as I dont think they'll ever be useful and I can't be arsed to find them again.
Jellyfish I can see being handy.

Today on the satyr, its OK, and the tumbling girl, its moving.

All not-very-satisfactory though.

Oh I did one sensible thing; wrote to the Sheffield Galleries where I had started my visual life and offered them a pic. Sent catalogues, forgot CV. Not holding breath.

Tuesday 29 December 2015

29/12/2015 Tuesday

finished - signed and dated - terrible photo but hey. Two more on the go, one from a vision in Cerebere of a centaur on the cliff-top taking photos, the other a long slow burning idea from Goya, based on modelling by Marie...'the old fool'.
Great to be back in the studio. Have a recurring fantasy that I will clean it out and replace my hardboard flooring which is now so old and damaged that the floorboards underneath may be being compromised. Next fallow time, when I've done the work for the August show, perhaps. Three pix done, blimey, only 37 to go

Friday 18 December 2015

18.12.2015 Friday

 On course... god knows where its going, but its moving anyway. And Leda finished.
Spending the weekend alone in Toulouse - had hoped to hang about the galleries and nick some ideas but the stuff on line is all closed or doing xmas fayres or something tarty. Nevertheless, hanging out in a big town will be stimulating. Perhaps.
Then on Monday away for a week on the coast. Plan to draw.
Today clear to try and pull the faux Tobais together.

Wednesday 16 December 2015

16th dec 2015

Wow. So much time gone. Been drawing - rather well, but nowadays I'm biased. Still startled at recognising my strengths - it'll pass but a little pleasure for the moment.

Have attacked the large Tobias-type picture and am in the strange position of having resolved it, but its not finished. Have palette knifed in the changes, they are clear, the composition and general structure is sorted. It just looks bad. Hmm.

Also fretting with the allegedly finished Leda, which fails at the last hurdle and I dont know why. And started a tumbling nude and its too sugary, these pinks and blues, where have they come from??

Am sleeping in the studio so they images are engraved on my retina. Hoping that they are getting resolved there.