Snooker Table (Charcoal on cartridge paper, 16 x 8 ins)
I moved into my current house in 1991 because it had a large basement room, nearly 26 feet in length. By then I'd been with the Open College of the Arts (OCA) for two years and was painting seriously (no drawings seem to have survived from that period), so I was looking for good studio space.
When I moved into the house, the basement had a full sized snooker table in it, which the previous owners had inherited from the people they bought the house from and which they didn't want. I wasn't interested in snooker and billiards, but for a while I kept the table for visiting friends, and tried painting round it.
One of the projects in Year 3 of the OCA course, was to "Make a Painting in the Style of ...". I chose Georges Braque a) because I like him, and b) possibly because he had made paintings of billiard tables. After drawing some pastel copies of a few of his paintings (I remember noting how wobbly his lines were), I set up a still life on the snooker table and made the drawing above.
The next step was to make a colour sketch, so, ever the one for cutting corners, I photocopied the drawing and worked over it with pastel:
Snooker table (Pastel over photocopied drawing, 16 x 8 ins)
Finally, the painting, which still hangs on my living room wall:
Still Life with Snooker Table and Mandolin (Oil on board, 28 x 14 ins.)
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11 comments:
I went to the exhibition of the late Braques a few years back at the RA - stunning work and lots of snooker tables :>)
also lots of surprising landscapes, a little Van Gogh-ish
I much prefer his work to Picasso - his use of paint/marks and colour appeals to me more.
Hi Vivien -- I agree with you about Braque: I much prefer his work to Picasso's, even if he didn't have the range.
I was at the late Braques exhibition too - wonderful show.
Congratulations! I'd say this is an excellent EDM #211...
it must have been exciting to do. Now I have to look up snooker table and read about that :-)
Thanks, Winna, I did get a lot of pleasure out of it. As for the snooker table, think billiards, or if they done't play that where you are, think pool table (only much bigger).
Wow, all those people not using a snooker table! My ex would have given his right arm for a snooker table! :-)
Love the picture - great use of colour and I like the shadow on the newspaper with reversed out text.
Although that glass is making me very slightly uncomfortable.... I blame my semi-OCD boyfriend! ;-)
The galss has been there for 20 years, Rachel, and hasn't fallen yet! Glad you like the picture.
fantastic. Great colours and lovely drawing.
Fab!
Sarah, Andrea -- thank you both.
I've been out of the loop a bit, so am unaware of EDM 211, but looks like snooker is IN! Fab painting here, Boogie. Wonderful!
Thanks, BMoon.
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