Saturday 16 June 2012

Painting, Drawing, Painting

Spring Willow Warbler; watercolour, 22"x15"
Everything has gone off to the States now so I can concentrate on the next couple of upcoming shows, starting with The Loft Gallery, St. Margaret’s Hope (Orkney) which is scheduled for the last week in July.  I expect to be making a range of work for this One-man show, including a few large charcoal pieces and some ‘Sharpie’ paintings. 
Tangled Love: watercolour, 28"x23"
Working in different media I think helps me to keep my ideas fresh and maintains my interest.  But it does sometimes pose the question of ‘signature’ work; from time to time I’ve heard visitors to the gallery remark on the disparate nature of the work on show and I recognise that it may not always be apparent that they all come from the same hand.  But I enjoy the change . . . so, I’ve recently been making efforts to try and bring several ways of working together.  I’m drawing directly onto paper with an umber conte pastel and simultaneously painting with watercolour.  This, I think, retains a certain freshness to the painting and also starts to bring together the drawing apparent in the charcoals and Sharpies with the colour I use in my paintings.  It’s not really a diversion, but again, maybe just another way of making an image. 
Lapwing in Marsh Marigolds: conte and watercolour, 30"x22" 
 
Ringed Plovers in Tangles: conte and watercolour, 30"x22"
Wrens and Butterbur: conte and watercolour, 30"x22"