Feb 3rd, ArtUK Tagger and painting

 I've started keeping ArtUK open on my laptop to tag a few minutes a day between things. I figure a little often will make an impact to the site and I get to see new artworks. I looked into why there are so many classical depictions of rape after finding another painting with rape in the title. 

Mythological scene with the rape of Proserpine   Shared this article with Jay in case she's interested in relation to her own practice.

I've been looking at these 2 portraits in the studio - I was focusing on the expression of the girl and thinking about how to make the work more activated and the expression defiant/suspicious. I'm not thinking that I like the idea of oil pastel on the first portrait because the contrast and weight would swamp her - reading as heavy and almost choking. 

I got some more black oil pastel from an art shop in Liverpool but have put them somewhere safe! ( I'll find them)

                 

Spent some time on this painting - I like the build up of layers and textures - so far this has a rough gesso base that you can see the brush strokes of, I've lifted and rubbed with thinners, blocked out sections, scratched, and repainted. Right noe I'm happier with the expression thats coming out and some of the bolder brush strokes but there was a moment where the detail was only lifted from the centre of the face that I liked - the more I balance out a work the more I feel I loose - so maybe I should treat different areas differently ? 

it's got some really dark areas now and has more of a caricature style - but I still prefer this over the one on the left - but I did like the contrast where the thinners lifted the paint on that one.

I need something that allows me to rub and get a relief of brush strokes without just lifting the entire paint. 

I'll keep going, finding marks that I do and don't like. 

I think I need it to dry and then I can mask the figure and put some broader brush stokes and treatment behind - then reverse the process and mask the back and repeat on the figure.

I want the tones to be right but build of different abstract marks and textures.