Playing with subjects in Egg Tempera and then the Frame

Pink Pussy and POTUS, egg tempera on panel, 16 x 23

Back in the studio after almost a six week (forced) hiatus.  It was visitors, visits, housework, laundry, cooking and clean-up and flu that stopped play but as soon as I was able to, I was back: finishing things, and getting to things I'd been thinking about.  I've put them up in the order I completed them, from most recent to oldest.  If you have seen me in the last few years you will know that I have become something of a militant middle-aged sceptic about the state of the Union. Is this an appropriate subject for the media I chose? Should I work bigger, develop the idea to include more plonkers?

Orchid and Bowl, egg tempera on sintopia ground on paper, laid on card, 15x21cm

In this one, I wanted to focus on two of the most beautiful objects (orchid and bowl) that made their way into my studio over Christmas. As presents, I got a silverpoint holder, some pieces of silver in varying sizes and sinopia, cassein gesso, that is meant to work well with silverpoint.

I painted several pieces of paper with a few layers of sinopia and composed what later became this egg tempera.  At the National Portrait I saw that the Pre-Raphaelites painted with egg tempera on paper, so thought, why not? Until I had built up a few layers, even after I'd glued it to a board, I found that it wasn't as nice a surface to work on as my rabbit skin glue/gesso panels, but ultimately, it worked well and I like the outcome. Using a matt and framing an egg tempera drawing under glass will be a different type of experiment.

Christopher Lucas, egg tempera on panel, 16 x 23 cm,

Christopher sat for me months ago and I never could find the time to complete the portrait. I dedicated myself to doing this over the first two days back in the studio.  The real piece is richer than this. I like the way I have made him recogniseable but stayed loose. His hands are key to the painting, I think.

I dropped off for the Pastel Society early in Jan but that drawing was not ultimately successful.  Last week I dropped off for round two selection of the Royal Society of British Painters (RBA). The painting above died in a white frame so, working with Jo Hollis we decided on this ornate frame. As I had a pair, I framed them in the same way.  I hear tomorrow. 

While at the Gaugin, with Gabriella, I noticed the space above subjects.  Gaugin played with this.  I found this painting very difficult to resolve because of the space above, but will try to find the fun in point of view in the coming months and think of Gaugin!

Low footfall, why not paint?

I thought about making badges during the down time of my open studio today.  That was the plan but when it came down to it, I wanted to paint or draw.  My flowers are starting to flower and it seemed to me that it might be interesting to visitors if I was doing something that reflects my current interests. While I was working on my little egg tempera, Fiona Camp, a fellow artist and sort-of neighbour came by. She was interested in egg tempera and had even done some herself.  She watched me paint, something I never really understand, but was willing to do. I was fine. I haven't finished...  something to do tomorrow if it's not too busy. I was pleased that I was integrating the various strands of what I am doing: portraiture, still life, egg tempera, painting on the spot and story telling.

What was also intersting about the day was that the picture I almost didn't frame was the favourite of three people. - an egg tempera of Lyra and Patrick on a cold morning. Who knew?

Little sketches in cracks of time

We had a lot of rain in Maine and as my mum had injured her back there was just that little bit more to do in the garden...so this year so I drew less and had less 'headspace' in general for imagery. I carried my altered sketch books to Maine, so was determined to use them when I could. Hopefully I will use these notes later.

We went off the island to do chores. My mother and I collected new vessels from Goodwill.  Back home when it rained, we made bouquets from whatever we could find in the garden. The hellebore was the star of the counter.

One of the things I did in my 'spare time' was to renovate my travelling pastel 'kit'. The pastels have been in saggy cardboard boxes that were falling apart for the past few years - all held together with elastic bands. This year the elastic bands broke in my hands and my backpack was a big grey mess. At the workshop I took with Felicity House, I discovered the power of using rice to keep the pastels from turning grey so I searched for some new clear screw-top holders and it is like magic! It was so hard to say goodbye to this new system that on the way to the airport I stopped to buy another set and have replicated it here.

Back home I'm just coming out of catch-up mode. In the 20 mins when I should have been heading to the house to get on with dinner prep, I paused and drew the stuff at the other end of my studio. One day I went to draw with the IBBAS artists at Old Hall in Southwold. Yesterday Christopher Lucas came by and sat for me.  When I have a chance I will return to the egg tempera portrait below. Today I called into the Handmade shop.  The work by our trail looked fabulous!

Fig comes back tomorrow and It's Suffolk Open Studios soon so it will be a struggle to find even little cracks of time to sketch in...

Colour and nightlight

I've been talking about nightlight  and still yearn to make more night light drawings, but drawing at night is difficult if you don't have your head torch… Towards the end of 2017, while in London, I made a few evening drawings before going to a drawing session at the Mall. The cold, the fading light and just standing outside in the dark didn't have much to recommend it.  But I was still mezmorized by the light and the colour, so took a few pictures to remind me, with the hope of using them to trigger a memory to paint from later.

A few times a week I promise myself that I will get in a car and draw with my head torch. It's still just been too busy, so to date it's a wish not yet realised. Yesterday I found the images I'd taken on my phone and did some quick studies in my Silent Traveller in London altered book, to see where that idea went. 

Keeping on the theme of light and lack of it, this afternoon I went to Carol's to draw David.  Carol has a studio at the end of her garden and the light was a beautiful pink while it lasted. I thought about James Bland and his red ear and looked for the highest and lowest key colours. I didn't erase anything and feel the resulting drawing (above) shows that struggle a bit.

As the session wore on the light disappeared.  At one point we really only had a silhouette of David to work from. I was working in charcoal, trying to establish the darks and the darkers. Then we switched the light on .  The drawing is about the tension of light, colour and value, (and I think I lost).

Fused plastic portrait 2

I am wondering about creating a Victorian photo album of fused plastic portraits? How would that work? Or are these icons? Should the people be real or imagined - they have been invented so far...   What other materials would I need?  Would it be interesting?

I have a new sewing machine and I'm not sure what I was doing wrong yesterday but the stitches were not right.  Today it worked dreamily. I even used the knee lift! I will have to go back and prick out the other stitches and correct...

Fused Plastic Portrait 1

Working in the Bob Lahotan school or finding shapes that mean something to you in playful application of colours, I began dipping my toe in plastic again. First I selected some pieces with colour and patterns I liked.  My plastic bin is overflowing and I brought pieces of choice plastic back from America.  Jane Lewis brought me some recently too.  The shapes said Victorian frame, the Madonna figure followed.  Then Patrick suggested a touch of gold.  I hadn't set out to make portraits but I like the idea; will take the shape of this as a starting point for a possible new series.