I made a hack! Two Ikea wardrobes (jonaxel) doing a great job repurposed as art studio drying racks.
Spirited
I began this painting with expressive charcoal marks, moving quickly and instinctively. I mixed the paints and got started, I had a rough idea of how I wanted to start the brush marks but then it moves beyond that and it takes on its own energy.
Freeform, loose brushmarks
This mini painting began with loose charcoal marks. I used wide paintbrushes to be as expressive and free as possible.
Freedom
Freedom was painted around the time of the Winter Solstice. I moved while I imagined flowing rivers and looking through woodland into the sun, inky dark sky and stars are seen. There is an ending and a beginning. There is lightness and darkness. I’m proud of its luminous light. I love the movement and energy I captured.
Adventure
Adventure was painted at the same time as Freedom, around the Winter Solstice.
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Drawing intuitively
Drawing intuitively in charcoal. It wasn’t until later I noticed I had subconsciously drawn a covid19 molecule in there!
Ooooh!
Things are happening…
Invigorate
I took forward ideas and brushmarks from my previous paintings and mixed a dark grey again. I began with a circle form. I worked out colour by colour while the acrylic paint is wet, layering, spontaneously merging and mixing on the canvas, moving the brush slowly and purposefully to connect the paint with the canvas.
Funny influences
My latest painting work-in-progress. Possibly a little influenced by the scarf I was wearing?
Colour mixing
Mixing a dark moody grey from ultramarine blue, red, yellow and white acrylics only; it’s not as easy as it looks.
Experimentation
Experimenting with colour and marks, I love this section of the painting.
Explosion
In the early stages of this painting my children said it looked like slither.io (a video game) and so it developed. The yellow came in from explosions in video games; and often with my work there is textiles feel and rainbow colours.
Red Roses
I created this painting in September when the rose bush was in full bloom. I tried a new technique, dribbling ink across the canvas to create a web of rose stems, which looks very ‘climbing’ rose. I really like the end result, it has a dark, gothic feel.
Pale Pink Roses
This was an exciting experiment in discordant colours, which are colour combinations that contrast, clash, or “fight” rather than harmonize. Yep, got that! I also wanted it to be a simple multi-directional composition. I used painted newsprint for the stems which is surprisingly difficult to control. I love the unexpected result.
Winter Pansies
Who doesn’t love purple and blue pansies? The rich colours and velvety texture; nature is wonderful. I love how this has come together. I did a lot of work studying the distinctive foliage ‘clusters’ and feel happy with the form and how the leaves have blended into the inky, textured background to give depth. The colours are so fresh and bright.
Autumn Leaves
This is a view of looking down at newly fallen hawthorn leaves on the ground, the incredible surface pattern with pops of red, orange and yellow. I went to town on a dark, moody Turner-esque inky background to give depth, and because the actual ground was the tarmac of a kids’ playground. Creativity strikes anytime!
Winter Pansy
I’d been exploring darker, moody, Autumn colours and I really needed a blast of rainbow colours. I have created three paintings inspired by the winter pansies planted in my gravel pot garden which have flowered throughout the change of seasons.
Cream Roses
I love this all-over-design on handcut board featuring cream roses; the composition is influenced by my past life as a textile design student. I enjoy reusing and recycling materials and incorporating everyday life into my paintings; I printed these rose stems with Amazon packaging. Great texture!
Winter Pansies
This is the second of three paintings inspired by the winter pansies planted in my gravel pot garden which are brightening up Autumn.