I even have a Brandy Toreador

Brandy Toreador Fiesta, 16 x 17cm, pastel on  paper, 

I didn't go to the carboot sale today, instead I put together some of my carboot sale spoils along with the first zinnias, nicotianas, daisies, carnations, and bachelor buttons.  When I painted with Alex Fowler and Tessa Coleman recently, Alex's technique of putting coloured paper to break up the spaces was something I thought I'd try at some point.  What a good trick, now I don't need to rely on the fabric I own.

The brandy toreador was one of someone's collection, hawked at the car boot.  It still has a little brandy to the glass figurine's knees. The book in the front is something I will alter one day; the embroidered shirt is something my mum brought back from Mexico and all the other things I've gathered here and there.

The drawing isn't very big and I worked on it all day so that thing where even when you erase and the colour doesn't want to adhere happened. Still I was pleased with the overall depth of colour and the way I created surfaces .  I had to change a plane because the reality was disturbing, though. 

** If you read my last post you might be wondering why I am back to pastels.  Actually I have been working in pastels all week but I guess I'm feeling a bit less determined to stop working the way I do, here and there, with this media and that because another person I respect (the husband of the other person who gave me advice) told me not to worry, to just keep drawing in whatever way I want to…

Exploring egg tempera landscape

Walking Around the Island I, egg tempera on panel, 16 x 23cm

Walking Around the Island II, egg tempera on panel, 16 x 23cm

At an exhibition opening this week I had a conversation with someone I respect who asked me the reasonable question… 'who is Rebecca Guyver going to become?'  She went on to point out that what I was presenting was going in lots of different directions at once and she wanted to know which way I would choose to go.

Unsurprisingly I found it difficult to declare a direction and as I stood in that uncomfortable place, knowing someone is right but not wanting to narrow, I remembered my conversations at Stanford.  Was I going to declare english, photography or painting and drawing? and would I please just focus on one with all my stamina and energy.

I woke up the morning after the exhibition opening with the task of making something based on the sea because I wanted to submit (something within those parameters) to an open call. Based on feedback lately, I decided to work in egg tempera. I had been to Manningtree recently and felt that would be a good place to start.  I had no drawings so I drew from a photo in the first instance and then worked from general to specific, trying to get my egg tempera muscle memory active.

The resulting image is OK, (not included) but I knew that it wasn't what I wanted.  I worked from morning until dinner on it … I may return. Since then I have made  two more but these are based on a place that is important to me, a place where I have lots of drawings and memories (above).

Drawings below are how I got started and are some of the resource material I used.

Walking Around the Island II,(preliminary) pastel on paper, 11 x 16cm

drawing in book (last summer) to information

preliminary oil pastel for Walking Around the Island II

Walking Around the Island II drawing for earlier painting 23 x 30 cm

Walking Around the Island I, oil pastel sketch, 12 x 18cm, 

So I guess I have a direction.  None of this was easy for me.  The egg temperas are always a struggle but for now the feel like a way to do and say what I am interested in. While I can't imagine forgoing the impulse to feel weepy about colour and form in a bouquet while using soft pastel (in an altered book) I think I can run with this and it will give me a focus

Deben, egg tempera on panel, 16 x 23 cm