Feb 17th, Fundraising, apples, finishing Jacks painting and a 121

 Tagged a couple of Artworks on ArtUK - trying to stay in the top 10 league and it only takes a couple of minutes. 

• Made some progress with fundraising stall dates and had some conversations about who could cover the actual stands. 
• The degree show dates are now confirmed, spoke to Casey about some fundraising promo.

I was asked to take some photos of the fundraising items whilst I was in the studio so tried to make them look at promotional as I could and shared so that they could be used to promote the stand.

I took some photos of apples in the morning after my chat with Anna Francis - I think they're a really nice visual language in relation to pagan, christian and female subjects... I'm thinking about the daisy witchmarks and and these apples seem to tie everything together.

 

 

 

Started a painting using charcoal (and fixative) on stretched and primed canvas. IBlocked in the first colours, the charcoal was a little heavy and the paint is thinned with linseed - so there's some grey in there. I like the charcoal lines - made me think about Ian Mood and how he uses the oil pastel for the pre draw and leaves these lines.. I'm going to have to try that!

Interesting to see the paint pallete change colour drastically - I only usually use a little of these colours - it's nice to get stuck into them!

 

 

 

Spoke to Michael Day about this painting, I didn't know what to do with the right side of Jacks face (as you look at him/ the blurred area) but after discussing, I'm going to leave it. If I work detail or brush strokes into that space, it's going to remove something so I've just finished the detail on the centre left section of Jacks face and Michael suggested that the bottom section needed something - I tend to paint up to a point on the canvas and don't always go to the edge, but blocking in the bottom section has balanced it out. I've worked into the tonal values that I want and I'm happy with how its come out.

I really like that I've got different textures and marks in different sections of the painting.

I showed it to the hubby when I got home and checked that Jack was ok with me painting him like this (he is) but Trev poiinted out that the shapes below Jacks nose - look like he's holding his fingertip under his nostril... I can't unsee this.

I'd taken pictures to submit to New Contemporaries over the weekend but I'm going to have to get back into the studio to change it...

We also spoke about hurdles in my practice. I feel that I get confused around the context that I'm exploring. How personal is it? How much do I want to share and why? What would that do?

Talked about coding and the broader picture. I'm really interested with what I can do with apples as a subject within my work

Discussed the New Contemporarys and talked about a submission of Jack. 3 lecturers have mentioned this painting to me now. MSB also mentioned it to me today.  There's something interesting in the composition and brushwork. I'd been struggling with the right section of Jacks face and was fighting with myself around whether I should change the brushstrokes or add detail. MD suggested that I just leave it - it is what it is and to change it undoes how it operates.. so I'll leave it. 

ACTIONS: 

• Look at Rosie Martin and Joe Spence
• Michael also suggested that I look at Emily Hess Tetley Exhibition Institution which was really interesting and challenged his thinking. 

Talked about substrates and canvas as I explained that I really didn't like shop brought canvas because of the lack of nap. I much prefer to use my own but had tried to save time by using what I had or could buy quickly - but its not worth it. Its too detrimental to my practice.