Seascape Learnings

I am currently working on my first ever seascape. This is not an original, I am working through it along with an instructional DVD called 'The Wild Sea' by Byron Pickering. I am learning heaps and can't wait to get some photos of the sea so that I can apply these techniques to my own work. I'm probably about two thirds of the way through now and there are still a lot of highlights to be added in the back and all the front waves and the rocks still need to be completed. I'll post a picture of the completed painting.

Photo of finished painting

I decided that this one was finished today so it has been signed and given a coat of re-touching varnish (which really gives a lovely effect on oil paint). It is called 'Lady Dawn' which came from Sappho (Greek woman poet/musician from about the 7th century BC).

I've started another one which is one of Rangitoto and is for a commission for a family friend. He is in a rest home so I am going to try and make it more summery colours rather than just the blues/browns that I am fond of at the moment. When I get a little further I will post a photo of that - it's not at a very interesting stage right now.

I think I do have an idea for the NZ Art Guild Awards challenge which as you may recall must include the following 4 themes; cool blue, equality, circular and stamp. It;s still working its way through my mind but hopefully I will be in a position to start that before Christmas as I really want to do a good job on it and it will take some time.

I think it's almost finished.......

Well here is the big one (as yet un-titled) that I have been working on. It is 900x750x40mm in oils. As you can see it has changed substantially from the early photo that I posted below. I think it's almost there but I will leave it for a couple of days before I sign it just to ensure that I don't want to make any more changes to it.

I couldn't take a decent photo today for the life of me. It is a rainy overcast day here in Auckland and the painting is still wet so I can't take it outside to photograph. I haven't cropped it as I also couldn't take a straight photo today to save myself. Once I have decided that it is finished, I will sign it, varnish it and then post a proper photo of it here.

Just a little one finished

I've just finished this little one entitled 'Friendship'. I may give this to a friend of mine at Christmas but not entirely sure yet. I used my favourite colour Phthalo Turquoise with just a hint of my other favourite colour, Burnt Sienna. I go through so many tubes of those 2 colours!

I am still working on that big one, I just can't get the colours right for the side panel. I need to re-paint it a third time and hopefully this time it will work.

I am also trying to come up with ideas for the Art Guild Art Awards. I have entered and have to have the piece completed in January. It is a Challenge-based award and you have to incorporate the following 4 themes - Cool Blue, Equality, Stamp and Circular. You can interpret these themes in any way you want. I am still trying to come up with the right idea. It is definitely a challenge!

Fortnightly theme challenge - results

Guess what! My 'Earthwomb' painting won the People's Choice and tied for Most Creative Use of Theme for this fortnight's challenge. I'm really pleased with that as it is the first challenge that I have won.

NZ Art Guild fortnightly challenge - Earthborn

Each fortnight the NZ Art Guild has a challenge which has a theme and a technique that must be incorporated. This time the theme was Earthborn and the technique to be incorporated was Stamp. This is my attempt called Earthwomb.

The trees are being nourished and are implanted firmly at both ends in earth's womb. Yes a little abstract for me I know. That is why I enjoy the fortnightly challenges in the Art Guild. I try and use it as an opportunity to try something completely different to what I would normally do. This one didn't take me long and I really enjoyed the process. For interest's sake, it is oil on canvas, 600x300x40mm and I made a stamp out of wood and used that for the foliage on the ground.

Paint while the babies are asleep!

It is great when it is evening and tea time is over, baby bathtime is over, the two of them are sound asleep and I can PAINT! I used to find it easier to put down the paintbrush when I painted in acrylics but now I'm using oils I find I have to clean up properly and that takes time so I try and make sure that they are definitely asleep before I pick up a paintbrush as I don't want to be trying to settle them while having oil paint all over my hands (and clothes).

Here is a photo of the big one that I am working on at present, I managed to complete the trees and hills tonight. Once that is dry I will do the side panel. I used masking tape to separate the three panels but some of it bleed through so I will have to tidy up that as well.

On a positive note, the Obi art auction raising money for breast cancer research was on Monday night and they raised over $7000 in total. I went along to see how it all went and my one sold. YAY! It's a great cause and I am really glad that I was able to participate in it. Thank you Jo for being my model (even though you are the other side of the world). Yay for the Internet and the ability to email sketches and photos.