Diamonds and Pearls

Diamonds and Pearls
(Acrylic on board, 11 x 11 in)

This weekend’s work. My Regular Reader will know I'm rather fond of the shop as subject matter, so this new painting of a little jewellery shop I spotted in a quiet square in Trogir, Croatia, should come as no surprise. 

I painted it on a panel I prepared long ago with pieces of paper pasted down and that has given the painting a nice texture appropriate to the old walls of the town.

Speciality Coffee Bar

Speciality Coffee Bar

(Acrylic and collage on board, 12x7 in)

A small painting begun as a distraction at the turn of the year. It shows one of the derelict doorways I found as I wandered the streets of Chania on one of my many visits there. I enjoyed bringing the textures of the wall and door to life.

After today’s changes, I think I’m done with it now.

Nine Textured Paintings

 

Nine textured paintings on a continuing, if occasional, theme of distressed doors and walls.

Untitled (Bari)

 Untitled (Bari)

(Mixed media on board, 30x30 cm)

Now that the painting is finished, I find myself yet again surprised at the way a random layer of paint and torn papers can influence the eventual appearance of a painting.

Discerning Eye Success

 

Blue Door

(mixed media on board, 30x30 cm)

Closed Indefinitely

(mixed media on board, 30x30 cm)

Iron Box

(mixed media on board, 30x30 cm)

I was delighted to learn today that these three paintings have been accepted by the Discerning Eye Exhibition at the Mall Galleries.

"A virtual gallery will open on 19 November and run until 31 December 2020 showcasing the artists’ shortlisted works with commentary and introductions by the selectors and a new platform for viewers to buy the artwork directly. All exhibiting artists will be included in a fully illustrated print catalogue. Awards will be given out to the winners in a virtual prize giving."

Nine Doors and Walls

 

Nine Doors and Walls

Using an app, I've put together the nine paintings in the Textures Series, all mixed media on board, 12x12 in (or 30x30 cm).

I'm so pleased with the look of this arrangement that I'll be uploading the image to my Greetings Card collection.

Secure Fastenings

 

Secure Fastenings

(mixed media on board, 12x12 in)

I felt I knew where I was going at the beginning of the year but somehow got lost along the way. In attempt to get back in the groove I began a new textured piece, laying down a base of torn paper and paint.

From there I began to layer with more paint and added texture with acrylic gel and some pieces of card, before going on to the final resolved work shown at the top of the post, including patterned paper and more textured paint.

Outcrop

Outcrop

(acrylic on card, 10x10 in)

I discovered this rocky outcrop on a painting holiday in Bishopdale nearly ten years ago and the collection of rock and tree root shapes has hung around at the back of my mind ever since. Bringing them to life in a painting has been fascinating, as they continued to evolve with the paint.

 

Roy's Italian Door

Roy's Italian Door

(mixed media on board, 30 x 30 cm)

As I said last month, I enjoyed making the painting, Door Textures, and decided to make more of these texture pieces. This one uses acrylic paint, paper collage, Posca Pens, coloured inks and acrylic gel.

Door Textures

Door Textures

(mixed media on board, 30x30 cm)

Although I'm in the middle of several paintings that I'd like to get finished, I was attracted to last Friday's programme challenge at Gateshead Art Society: Surface Textures. 

For many years I've been fascinated by the effects of sun, rain and wind on doors, walls and ironwork and have made one or two paintings based on those effects. So rather than get on and finish an existing painting, I began work on a new picture of part of a weathered door, using as subject matter one of many photographs collected on my travels.

The hardboard panel was first covered in black gesso which I allowed to show through some of the layers of acrylic paint and gel applied (and sometimes scraped off) with palette knife, rags and fingers. There are several pieces of watercolour paper stuck on too, so that the end result is one of actual texture and implied texture. 

I like it and will do more, I think.

Chalice (WIP)

Chalice (Oil on canvas, 12 x 12 in) Work in Progress

The Painters' Group is holding its final meeting of the season on Saturday. Because of other commitments and not a little to do with poor health I've missed most of the meetings this year, so I thought I might make an effort to catch this one.

I could go without any work, but I do like to take something when I go, so I pulled this one from the racks and had another go at it. It's been through various stages and the addition of the chalice is only the latest attempt to make something of the painting.

I actually find it interesting and it certainly looks better than the photograph might suggest. The photograph is picking up too much of the texture of old paint and dropping the background away from the chalice. I'll look at it again later and get another photograph.

Old Drawings #21

Wall (Charcoal, compressed charcoal on A2 cartridge paper)

I've always been fascinated by walls, by their textures, by the way they show a history of changes, decay, repair. If I wanted to be pretentious, I might suggest they stand as a metaphor for the human condition, but I don't, so I won't.

This drawing probably dates from 1995 or thereabouts. I made one or two paintings at that time that were based on images of walls and relied heavily on applied texture. Come to think of it, "heavily" is quite apposite, given that they were made on board and had surfaces built up of cardboard, Polyfilla, wax, wallpaper, sand and pieces of brick.