What Comes Next in a Series?

Car Boot Oranges, egg tempera on panel 23 x 16cm, 

A few weeks ago I made a still-life  Jugs where I was exploring how to balance light using layers of pigment vs white mixed with pigment. The egg tempera class I'd taken with Mick Kirkbride was focused on using layers of pure pigment mixed with egg to create luminosity. Ruth Stage uses milky/eggy colours.  I had the idea that by using both kinds of painting you might be able to create light in a particular way.

I set up a new  still life up a few days ago but it wasn't until yesterday that I had time to work. The still life was made up of objects I have bought at the car boot or from local charity shops as well as a few of my brighted spined art books. My goal was to create a companion piece for Jugs.

What you can't necessarily understand is that in Jugs the light is coming from behind and the pattern at the back is a kantha folded on a radiator under a window.  This time the light is primarily natural  but I also pointed lights from both sides.  I chose similarly coloured objects to  Jugs  and this painting was made working from life.

Objects as inspiration

Jugs, Egg tempera on Panel, 23x16cm

The husband of one of my friends is giving a course on hoarding.  We went to the car boot sale on Saturday and I couldn't resist a few more ceramic objects.  The vase below is one of them.  My mother is drawing objects too. She sets them up and creates beautiful zen brush drawings on her iPad. So does my sister and my brother and our daughter buys jugs when she can. My mother tells me one day she will take all her objects back to a charity shop for others to be inspired by.  Whatever, I can't help arranging my own and working in all kinds of media to create a story with them.

Sympathy in Green , pastel on paper, 46x46cm