ART, Everything you don't have to do.
When I started out trying to paint, I was convinced someone could instruct me, I spent lots of time trawling through the internet and looking at books.
This term at my art class I was set a project to paint a self portrait from a set of instructions, with materials all mapped out, a step by step guide, just what i had been looking for.
Not sure it was that successful just confirming what I now know, painting by numbers is a good way to learn but you need to find your own way.
My artclass had a rained off urban sketching lesson, so we ended up back in the classroom with afternoon tea as a subject.
Not sue if this was going to be my thing but ended up enjoying making a painting even created a darker brio and ink wash drawing.
Rainy days not so bad.
Had a go with clay at my art class, the idea was to make a tile to hang in the garden, we made the tiles and then glazed them.
I was not happy with the glazing so I ended up painting it with acrylics.
Thought I would create a design based on my tile, not coloured it yet but I have made copies to share round the class, looking forward to see what others make of it.
This term at my art group we have been looking up at the skies, trying lots of different media, pastels acrylics watercolour mono printing and lots more.
We started sky diaries looking up everyday from the same viewpoint well worth doing just to appreciate the changing skies.
Back at my art class and trying something new again. This week we were painting with credit cards, pushing scraping and dragging the paint around. Took me a while to get used to using this cumbersome little bit of plastic but I think l started to get it in the end. Using the card and a loaded brush dragging it over the paper worked well, wearing gloves is a good idea as it does get a bit messy, some finishing touches with a brush and some enjoyable splattering; I think it worked out ok.
I have been working on and off my senses project painting over the summer, started with a few sketches my first attempt didn’t really work, inspired by my visit to Upfest and all the wonderful urban paintings I had another go, this seams to happen a lot with my pictures, anyways its about done now.
Spent some time working out how to paint some of the elements, its been a good learning picture.
We have come to the end of our art class pathways project, its been another interesting term first looking at perspective line and colour, then looking at maps and aerial views finished up exploring something alternative.
Working with the idea that the body is full of pathways, I found some vintage anatomy illustrations and used these as the starting point for my painting,
Had a go using acrylic inks on paper in a very loose style, with big brushes and many layers, I am pleased with the results and it should create some reactions on the little gallery wall : )
7h
As part of our artclass pathways project we have been looking a maps and as a warm up exercise we took a square of map and extended it. Hoping to improve on my first attempt I had another go. started by leaving out the map square but in the end decided to include it.
I try to think of a different approach to my paintings and this idea came when I was photographing my pictures, I noticed the great distortion you get from selecting a strange view point. The idea was to start with the distortion and perhaps return to reality when viewing the picture.
It didn’t really work, l need to think this one out again.
like all my paintings it went through a few different looks, I am pleased with the final slightly graphic feel.
Been working on my art class pathways picture for a few weeks, this one has been a real journey, even with all my planning it kept changing direction , after the finish it made one final turn, l guess knowing where you are going in your pictures is not always straightforward.
I framed it up now so there’s no going back.
jeff coles art 