Food Station

Food Station
(acrylic on canvas, 8x8 ins)

This painting has been sitting propped up in my studio for months. My Regular Reader will remember it began as a sketchbook drawing done in Durham Market Place:

Some time later, I tried making it into a painting, but didn't like how it was looking and put it to one side.

A bit later, I decided to get rid of the buildings in the background and replace them with a big sky and some sea, but even that didn't satisfy. Today, for some reason I can't honestly bring to mind, I saw the picture and immediately thought of bunting. So that's what I added and to me it's the perfect answer to a very problematic painting.

Path to the Sea

Path to the Sea
(acrylic on canvas, 20 x 20 cm)

Leaving the Envelope and Jar to stew for a while ("marinade" might be a kinder term), I've returned to what's becoming a theme of mine - paths or tunnels through woods. This one is based on a photo I took this year on the island of Lopud, but I've allowed myself a good deal of liberty with reality.

I used the technique I learned from Lesley Seeger's workshop in March, laying down a layer of gel medium and thin paint, then working into it. Previously I used the pointed end of a brush but this time I thought I'd give a Colour Shaper a go. I've had these things lying round the studio for ages and never known quite what to do with them. The taper point tool made some really interesting marks that, when I came to work on the painting after the gel had dried, began to suggest quite exotic plant life. Some kind of cactus or succulent appeared from the top of the wall at the left and I encouraged its growth. 

The actual path on Lopud did lead to the sea but the path was very high up and we never reached the end or saw the sea. It seemed appropriate, then, to let me get a glimpse of the sea in my painting.