new piece

This is the beginning of a 4 portrait piece.
I started it a very long time ago but had a confidence problem and was scared to carry on.
I'm quite pleased with it now.
Got to keep it up.
I seem to block myself again and again. Only to do the artwork, wonder what I was worried/scared about and feel so much better in myself.
It's almost as if I've found something I can do, something I get a great deal of satisfaction from and don't feel that I deserve it, so muck it up.
Definately got to work through this one as soon as possible.

This is for someone else and I feel I've let them down by not getting it finished ages ago.
I'm now really looking forward to handing over the finished piece.

Yes!, I can do this....

confusion

Managed finally to pick up my assessment pieces from uni.
Was so good to be back there, missing it already. know I need a break but really need to be getting on with something new.
Aha!, get on with the brief we have to write ourselves over christmas break.
Want to laze around, then I feel guilty but also want to be creating and visiting friends/family.
Not all possible at the same time. Needing a clone to help out.
Time off= energy for more creative stuff.

Happy Solstice to all
Merry Christmas
Happy Hanukkah
and a
Happy New Year

Assessment

Assessment time is here again.
That time when there is an air of quiet panic everywhere.
So, we all got a place to set up our pieces, which we thought were our best.
I ended up putting up a quite a few because they all had something I liked about them and it looked good in a display.
One had been finished on the day and was still wet....
got dust on it and had to be touched up a little.
I'm most pleased with the carvings.

It all comes down again in two days, then the wait for our feedback and grade.
Whatever happens, I know I've learnt a lot.

assessment

It's that time again.
I've once more gone over my essay and I think now it is finally finished. whew!
It doesn't seem to matter how much I do before assessment, I always think that I haven't done enough. Making sheets up of photos to show the progression of my sculpture, sorting through the sketchbooks...... I still feel nervous.
There's always the feeling that I could have done more. Actually, I could always do more.
Trying to get used to that feeling that if I was really good (or if this really is my path in life), I would want to be drawing, painting, sculpting all the time.....and I don't.
Sometimes I want to run away from it all and hide... not possible I know.
Maybe time to express that feeling... escaping from life, getting away from myself, space!!!!

More on this later.

more oils

The blocking in stage.. loose and rough but I like it.
this took three days. Had a terrible time with the face but persevered and am fairly pleased with it.
I've been using a pallet knife for some of the areas, robe and purple drapery.... It scared me, I don't have control of which way the paint goes which for me is annoying but, gives a completely different feel.
and the last pic. I could spend a lot longer refining the image ut have decided that I wouldn't learn anymore about the paint that way. So have moved on to another picture, this time just the head.

I'm aiming on pushing myself out of the comfort zone to do a picture with just the knife.
lets see how I feel.
I'm really enjoying painting with oils and want to do more.

nude- oils

The first one of a series.... also the largest.

As I said, I got the back view... but really enjoyed finding the colour.

The last one and because I'd seen an Alison Watt exhibition in Edinburgh, I went for the cloths, although the figure plays an integral part due to the reflections and warm/cool tones.
An experience that I learnt loads from.
Soon to be repeated, in fact, next week as we have a female model and 3 more weeks.
JOY!
Love life drawing and loving painting.

I've started the new block and tis painting... oils to be precise.
So, we had the talk and it was interesting, absorbing some info and writing notes.
Then... drawing the model.
I have a back view but because of the cloths lying around there is quite a bit of colour reflected onto his back.
We learnt to make a stretcher for canvas... what a brilliant day! I can now make my own.
Primed and ready to go.
The painting has been blocked in and now I'm starting to refine the colours and shapes.
Photo will be appearing, forgot to take pictures of the stages which is a pity but I'll remember next time.
Really enjoying it.