Reflection on this years painting and planning for the next year.

It has been a busy painting year and after six months I have completed a series of paintings based on Santorini at dusk and night. If you have visited Santorini you will understand what an incredibly mysterious place it is, emerging from many volcanic eruptions with a history that goes back thousands of years.

These four large canvas are the biggest I have made so far and quite a challenge as heavy to move around. Also completed are some smaller canvas boards and some cradled panels. Just waiting for them to dry before varnishing.

The more I paint the more I discover the importance of rest and how crucial that is for allowing the creative side of the brain to unwind. With more time to ponder, explore ideas, be inspired and generally experience life, a more satisfying way of painting emerges. Now thinking of limiting painting time to six months of the year with extended periods of time away during the colder months and also in the height of summer when frankly the lure of the beach and sunshine beckons. Here are some of the ways I intend to recharge with some of my sketching books, coloured pencil and palette inspirations.

Intuition versus planned approach TO PAINTING.

Over past few months I have moved away from a planned out approach to painting to a more intuitive, see what happens way, leaving critical evaluation towards final stages.

This feels much more joyful and allows the painting to evolve and develop at its own pace.

When I have approached painting other way round, ie planning out design and values, it feels laboured, contrived and frankly boring, leaving no room for spontaneity and surprise.

I hope this approach will allow me to keep moving, changing, continuously searching for the new. Turning out variations on same theme would be a creativity kill joy for me, more like painting by numbers than making an authentic original piece of work. In these photos you will see new work developing, beginning with a mood board influenced by Northern seas. First small oil paintings made on wooden panels, exploring interesting designs, textures and atmosheres. The paint I am using deepest, darkest indigo, pale blue and gold. Some large canvas also in progress.

Next newsletter Spring 2024

When is a painting finished?

Towards the completion of a painting I slow down, sometimes for quite awhile, evaluating what is pleasing and not so pleasing .

Does the composition look interesting? Is there just enough variety to intrigue but not so much to confuse?

What is the dominant colour? Is this mainly a light or dark painting?

Do the values work, in other words are the ratio of lights and darks pleasing and effective?

Are there some areas of textural interest?

Does the colour palette work?

Variety between saturated, unsaturated, warm and cool colours?

Most importantly of all, is the painting expressing me and what I set out to achieve here - mystery, beauty, clarity? Fundamentally do I love it? If not should I spend more time on it or revisit it later?

Sometimes time apart can bring new insight almost as if allowing time for artistic growth. As I stand back and weigh this all up, decide to work on them a little more, a tweak here and there before letting them go.

Should be ready to put on website soon.

In photographs shown, Santorini at night, small canvas panels and Santorini at dusk.

Keeping creativity alive

How do we keep creativity alive when there are so many outside distractions, especially during the very busy summer holiday period?

It is easy to feel lost on return and wonder where you were going with a particular painting. This is something I find following a break and it is hard to re focus and pick up where I left. Quite often I will feel bored or uninspired at this stage and its hard to resist the urge to start a completely new body of work. Boredom and repetition can be the kiss of death to creativity, so I try and look at the painting afresh. With my current work in progress ( paintings based on night time in Santorini ) I try to imagine how I would like it to develop. Stronger design, different colour palette? Does it convey. a feeling of dusk or nightime? Does it convey mystery? What makes you. think of Santorini at night? The volcanic rock darkening in a deep Aegean sea, lit up by many dwellings some built into the rock itself? I think of the beautiful sundown time where the island is surrounded by the pinky, mauve and deepening blue sea, with the last of the sun catching the surface with its golden rays.

As you will see from photos I have approached the darker night time paintings by reversing the volcanic rock from a lighter to darker tone. Over next few sessions will aim to bring out some interesting areas to excite the eye.

The dusk paintings are being re worked with a change of design and proportion of lights to darks. Looking forward to seeing how far it can be taken……… watch this space!

You will see that I came up with idea of changing composition of night paintings by exploring the idea first on small canvas panels, shown in the bottom photo.

Problem solving

I find painting a continuous problem solving exercise. What am I trying to convey? A feeling of place? An emotion? A feeling of mystery? Or beauty? Maybe all of those? It is so complex at times and the answer not always easy to solve.

I am not seeking accurate representation as it does not interest me, I seek a less obvious, ethereal idea. In a world of technology it’s so amazing to produce something so nebulous and other worldly.

Here are some of my latest paintings in the Santorini night time series, going to have fun naming these individually later.

PROGRESS SO FAR ON SANTORINI SERIES

New paintings well underway now, four much larger canvas 75cm x 75cm , three boards and some very small canvas boards. Here initial layers put down to give a rough outline of composition and tonal contrasts. These can be adjusted as I go, using intuition and aesthetic feelings to guide. First layers are quite thin and following layers will get thicker with more oil paint to give a richness and lasting quality.

Here. some of the preliminary ideas, colour swatches and small boards trying out some compositions and effects. Really enjoying some ultramarine blue, quite a change from my usual turquoise.

Exciting new inspiration for a new series.

The gorgeous recent weather has reminded me of fabulous visits to Santorini, one of the most beautiful and unique places on earth. I remember the sublime way the atmosphere in the air merges with the sea, bouncing wonderful colours between both land, sea and sky. Dusk and night time are particularly stunning and as the sun sets golden electric lights appear like fireflies.

Thumbing through old photos and looking through this book ignited a spark for a new series of paintings. Decided it would be great to record entire process from start to completion here in this newsletter. Will be sending updates on progress monthly here in this newsletter.

Taking inspiration for colour palettes and compositions from both my own holiday snaps and ideas from this book I began with some colour swatches and trial paintings on small canvas boards in oil.

Some time to recharge and regenerate

With the Artists Open House shortly finishing my mind is already thinking ahead to new paintings. So many ideas, colours, new techniques to try! However I shall firstly down tools and have a short breather, time to allow new ideas to gain momentum and percolate.

Will keep you updated on how I generate those ideas into paintings in my next newsletter.

For now here are some photos from the current Artists Open House. 2023 @artistsopenhouses

Artists Open houses 2023

With just a week to go before the annual Brighton Artists Open Houses, much to do. Now finishing framing, labelling and hanging, great to see it coming together after months of planning. A fun, exciting experience and a wonderful opportunity to meet fellow art lovers.

This May for the Artists Open House I will be showing some very recent paintings, again inspired by Brighton and Hove beachfront, but with a much bolder and vibrant colour palette and mark making. So curious to see how my painting is evolving and changing over time, just allowing the creativity to flow unhindered.

Already anticipating new ideas for after the Open House. Painting with oils the colours and textures seem infinite, enticing and always surprise.

The continuous search for change and growth

Since hosting my first Artist Open House last year, painting seems to have become my main occupation and now with a second Artists Open House approaching fast, much to do, such as naming, painting edges, finishing touches.

As busy as it is, always embracing search for new and interesting ways to describe the mystery of the sea in a non literal way, one that inspires emotion.

For myself, allowing new ideas to come through and to try them out is key, exploring all the time to keep work fresh and interesting. I suspect that with paint, the effects that can be produced are limitless, and one I’m excited to explore. Sometimes this can be quite hit and miss, but without allowing space for mistakes I suspect no growth or ideas would come through. Not an easy place to be at times and can be quite frustrating. I am particularly fascinated by visual texture, rather than physical texture and am always intrigued by translucency. At present trying out layering one translucent colour on top of another and getting some intriguing results.

It has been curious to watch my style evolve and change along the way. Keen to allow that to happen to keep painting fresh, unique and surprising, while keeping a contemporary modern feel.

Private viewing of FRESH exhibition at The Cameron Contemporary Gallery Hove.

Delighted to be part of the FRESH exhibition at The Cameron Contemporary Gallery Hove along with six figurative and abstract artists. They are @janecampling @grahamdean @kevinhendley @Liorahtchiprout @felicitygillartist and Sam Hewitt. Had a great evening and very inspired by the diverse range of art on show.

New Directions

Very excited about new direction recent painting going towards. Working in a more blocky style, and playing with gentle colour transitions next to stronger colour a more abstracted feel emerges. Here working on small canvas to try out new ideas.

Winter Exhibition at The Cameron Contemporary Gallery

So excited to have the three small paintings named Shingle, Submerge and Foam now showing at the Winter Exhibition at Cameron Contemporary Art Gallery. All semi abstracted impressions of atmospheric Brighton and Hove beachfront walks. These small paintings each just 20 cm x 20 cm on cradled panel were fun to make and also a great exercise in exploring visual textures possible with oil paint. This is something I intend to work with over next few paintings.

Three small new paintings

After a prolonged Christmas break back to painting with three small new paintings, revisiting Beachfront theme. All Oil on board. Unframed. 20 cm x 20 cm

SHINGLE

SUBMERGE

FOAM

Some last minute news

Very pleased to be showing some prints and three of my paintings from the Carribean series @ forthemanilove as part of the WinterAOH22 Brighton. Please take a visit as there are some great gift ideas being shown there along with some fabulous artists.

Summer Exhibition at Cameron Contemporary Art Gallery finishes

With the end of the Summer Exhibition at the fabulous Cameron Contemporary Art Gallery, it has been good to reflect on what a great experience that was. Some really inspirational artists showing there and delighted to have made a few sales of my own!

Now back to progressing with the new series of Beachfront paintings. These are coming along, probably nearing completion. More news soon.

More progress on Beachfront series

After the hottest summer in years painting slowed down a little, but now they are all coming together at long last. Should soon be at final editing stage, where last minute touches are made.

This weeks progress on the Beachfront series

Here are some photos of this weeks progress on the Beachfront series. These are all of course inspired by the gloomy, misty Brighton beachfront and not the gloriously hot summer one we have at the moment. Maybe an idea for a later series?

Very excited to discover with some experimentation with glazing that I achieved a really interesting glassy effect in parts. This is something that helps to add to the seawater feeling that I’m trying to convey. Abstracting this idea is certainly giving me a challenge, but it’s so intriguing to me and keeps me going.

New series in progress - Brighton Beachfront

With inspiration from Brighton and Hove seafront a new series of paintings are underway, named Beachfront. Will share progress as they develop on this page.

Some will have an ethereal underwater seaweed theme, others prompted more by walks along beach edge on gloomy, misty days and some by recent glorious summer beach days.

Two in the deep underwater theme are completed, they are called Barnacle, Sea tangle and Tombstoning. This last painting is being exhibited as part of Cameron Contemporary Art Summer Show 2022 running up until September 4th. http://www.cameroncontemporaryart.com/summer-2022-1

My objective is to capture something of the feel and essence of the Brighton sea and beachfront. The atmosphere, colours, and look of Brighton and Hove seafront are quite unique.

As home and birthplace, I have great affection for Brighton, and after taking up painting so wanted to make abstracted themed paintings that could capture all of the emotion and feelings it evokes in me. There is an immense sense of gratitude for having it all on my doorstep. This is not a quick process, but a long slow one, working with ideas, photos and colour swatches and sketches.

To be continued…….