Snow Tabby

(Above) Snow Tabby (Eddie)
December 2011
9cm x 11.5cm
A hand-drawn image produced using the Handwriting App, stylus and tactile pad of the Sony e-Reader and reworked on the computer in Paint. Printed on acid-free, artists grade cartridge paper and signed in ink by hand. 

Portrait of a Woman (in her make-up)

(Above) Portrait of a Woman (in her make-up)
December 2011
13.5cm x 17cm
Mixed media on 100 % cotton rag, acid-free paper.

Pink Soprano

(Above) Pink Soprano
14cm x 16cm
Mixed media (Faber Castel Albrecht Durer watercolour crayons, Windsor & Newton Indian inks, Daler Rowney FW acrylic inks, Caran d'ache Neocolour II water-soluble wax crayons) on 100 % cotton rag, acid-free paper (200g).

Reclining Nude

(Above) Reclining Nude
15cm x 18cm
November 2011
Mixed media (Windsor & Newton Indian inks, Daler Rowney FW acrylic inks, Faber Castell Albrecht Durer watercolour crayons, Caran d'ache Neocolour II water-soluble wax crayons) on 100% cotton rag, acid-free paper (200g)

Upside down

(Above) Updside Down
9cm x 11cm

A drawing produced using the Sony Reader tactile screen and stylus and printed on artist grade cartridge paper; signed in ink.

The Sony Reader is a hand-held electronic reading device. The Reader comes equipped with a stylus that can be used with the Handwriting App to doodle. Regular visitors to the blog will know that I often use my Sony Reader to produce drawings that I then develop into paintings


(Below) The French Singer
9cm x 11cm

Green Olympia: Sold!

(Above) Green Olympia
April 2010
15cm x 16cm
Mixed media on paper.

Always very encouraging: I've just heard that this painting has been sold by the Enid Lawson Gallery, which has recently moved to new premises in Great New Street, New Street Square, London. The gallery hosts exhibitions of work by various contemporary artists. Click here to find out more:

The Enid Lawson Gallery.

The original post with Green Olympia is now in the blog archives; if you would like to see the post, keep scrolling dow to the bottom of this page to the archive contents list and click on the link for April 2010. The post is entitled "Two Nudes in Full Colour" and dated Thursday 15th April 2010.

The Blond Girl in the Black Dress

(Above) The Blond Girl in the Black Dress
November 2011
14.5cm x 17.5cm

A lithograph on Somerset paper reworked in mixed media (Daler Rowney FW acrylic inks, Windsor and Newton Indian inks, Faber Castel Albrecht Durer water colour crayons, Caran d'Ache Neocolour II water-soluble wax crayons).

If you follow my blog regularly you may recognise this as a reworking of one of the lithographs that I produced early in October whilst on a lithograph course run by printmaker Simon Burder at his printmaking studio in Oaks Park, near Croydon. Scroll down to the post for Monday 10th October to see the original prints.

Again, from the liferoom

I was back in the liferoom again this afternoon for an afternoon of drawing with the model. As before, the session started with some quick 3 minute poses (above and immediately below) before continuing with some 10 and 20 minute poses (further below). The drawings posted here are in (Daler Rowney) Indian ink and Faber Castel Albrecht Durer water colour crayons on acid free, artist's grade cartridge paper (A4). 

The Girl in the Red Hat that I Know Through Picasso

(Above) The Girl in the Red Hat that I Know Through Picasso
October 2011
Mixed media on paper
14cm x 16cm

Another vicarious portrait. I have a calendar in my studio showing some wonderful portraits of women by Picasso.

From the liferoom

Yesterday I was back in the liferoom. Eddie Armer from the Tudeley Art Group near Tunbridge Wells has been leading weekly life-drawing sessions.

The afternoons start with quick poses.
Above: this was the first, 2 minute pose.
Below: a slightly longer pose - 3, maybe 5 minutes.

Below: and again, a longer, 10 minute pose.

All the drawings have been done using indian ink and Derwent Albrecht Durer watercolour crayons on bog standard A4 office paper.

To find out more about the Creative Cartel and The Tudeley Art Group, click here:

http://thecreativecartel.org/

The Girl at the Cabaret

(Above) The Girl at the Cabaret
October 2011
16cm x 18cm
Mixed media on 100% cotton rag, acid-free paper.

Some Encouraging News

I've just heard that I've had two paintings selected for the second round of judging in the National Open Art Competition. Last year I had two paintings accepted for the competition exhibition in Chichester. Fingers crossed that I'll get through to the exhibition again this year; it's a very good event!

(Above) The Arab Boy I know through Kees van Dongen 
December 2010
14cm x 18cm
Mixed media on 100% cotton rag, acid-free paper.

(Above) The Black Beret
2011
14.5cm x 18cm
Mixed media on 100% cotton rag, acid-free paper.

To find out more about the NOAC, click here:

http://www.thenationalopenartcompetition.com/index.php

Lithographs

 

 

I've just completed a second 4 day course in lithography with printmaker Simon Burder at his studio in Oaks Park near Croydon. To find out more about Simon's work and the courses he offers, click here:

Stone Lithography

The Girl at the Swimming Pool

(Above) The Girl at the Swimming Pool
October 2011
Mixed media on paper
15cm x 18cm (or there abouts)

The Spanish Model (reworked)

(Above) The Spanish Model (reworked)
September 2011
15cm x 17cm
Mixed media on paper

A reworking of a painting that I posted earlier in September (keep scrolling down).

The Grace of an Odalisque

(Above) The Grace of an Odalisque
September 2011
15cm x 17cm
Mixed media (Windsor & Newton Indian inks, Daler Rowney FW acrylic inks, Faber Castel Albrecht Durer water colour crayons, Caran d'Ache Neocolour II water-soluble wax crayons) on 100% cotton rag, acid-free paper (200g).

Marie-Therese

(Above) Marie-Therese
13cm x 16cm
September 2011
Mixed media (Windsor and Newton Indian ink, Daler Rowney FW acrylic ink, Derwent watercolour crayons, Caran d'Ache Neocolour II water-soluble wax crayons) on 100% cotton rag, acid-free paper (200g)

The Girl with the Pony Tail

(Above) The Girl with the Pony Tail
14.5cm x 18cm
September 2011

This painting has grown from studies after Picasso's paintings of Sylvette David or "the girl with the pony tail". Sylvette David now uses the name Lydia Corbett and lives and works as an artist in Devon. Her paintings can be viewed online at:

http://www.lydiacorbettart.com/

The Model Wore Red Lipstick

(Above) The Model Wore Red Lipstick
14.5cm x 18cm
September 2011

A painting in mixed media on paper developed from one of my liferoom sketches (see the previous post).

From the Sketchbook

The posts have been rather infrequent of late. I haven't been getting a lot of painting done - en raison d'une crise de confiance. Nothing that can't be remedied (hopefully) by some work in the life drawing studio. Here then are a few pages from my sketchbook. 

Mother and Child

(Above) Mother and Child
Mixed media on acid-free cartridge paper.
11 x 13cm
August 2011

If I haven't been in the studio much lately, I've still been busy drawing.
I did these two sketches earlier today.

(Below) Mother and Child
Mixed media on acid-free cartridge paper.
11 x 13cm
August 2011

Vicarious Portraits

I have just completed my submission to the National Open Art Competition 2011. I had two pieces accepted for the Competition's exhibition in Chichester last year. It was a very good event and I am hoping to have work accepted again this year. Fingers crossed!

Click here to read more about The National Open Art Competition

(Above) The Arab Boy I Know through Kees Van Dongen, 2010

Kees van Dongen is one of my favourite painters and I often look to his work for guidance.

The 6 pieces I have entered into this year NOAC share a common theme: The Artist's Model. This is a reoccurring subject in my work: people whose image has been immortalised in the collective consciousness by the artist. So, I have never met the sitters in these portraits but I know their image through their representations by other artists. I think of my paintings as vicarious portraits.

All 6 pieces are in mixed media (Indian and acrylic inks, watercolour crayons, water-soluble wax crayons) on 100% cotton rag, acid-free paper and are all quite small, typically (before mounting and framing) about 14cm by 18cm.

(Below) The French Sculptor's Russian Muse 2011

This painting was inspired by images (photographs, paintings and sculptures) of Dina Vernay, a Russian woman who lived in Paris and posed for (among others) the sculptor Aristide Maillol.

(Below) Picasso's Girl 2011

A painting inspired by a black and white photograph of Picasso's model, the artist Françoise Gilot.

Click here to find out more about Francoise Gilot.

(Below) The Black Beret 2011

This painting references various images: a photograph of Brigitte Bardot sporting a black beret, a portrait of the actress by Kees van Dongen and “the red scarf” portrait of Aristide Bruant by Toulouse Lautrec.

(Below) Jacqueline III 2010
This is the third in a series of paintings that I did in response to various portraits by Picasso of Jacqueline Roque.

(Below) La Martiniquaise 2011

And finally, a portrait of a woman whose image I know through the wonderful lithographs of Matisse.

Martha (in her big red hat)

(Above) Martha (in her big red hat)
9.5cm x 12cm
August 2011
Mixed media but mostly Caran d'ache Neocolour II water-soluble wax crayons on acid-free cartridge paper. 

This painting has developed from a drawing inspired by portraits by the German Expressionist Otto Dix of his wife Martha, who seemed to like wearing big hats as much as Dix enjoyed using carmine red.

Vicarious Portraits

(Above) The Little Dancer in Blue Stockings
2011
Mixed media on paper.

My work often references images from art history. The painting above is an obvious nod in the direction of Degas.

I think of these paintings as vicarious portraits as clearly I have never met the sitters but know their images through art history.

Paintings at the exhibition

The four paintings posted below are going on show at the Tudeley Art Group's Annual Exhibition, which opens shortly at Marle Place Gardens, Brenchely, Kent.  To find out more about the art group, click here: The Tudeley Art Group html

(Above) Femme nue, femme noire
July 2011

This painting references a poem by Léopold Sédar Senghor. 

To read more about the painting and the poem see the post, now in the archive, dated Sunday 10th July. 

(Below) The Seated Nude

2011

(Below) The Woman from Somalia
2011

(Below) African Woman
2010

Head of a Saint (Dora)

(Above) Head of a Saint (Dora)
14.5cm x 18cm
Mixed media on 100% cotton rag, acid-free paper (200g).
August 2011

This painting was inspired in part by Georges Rouault's Head of a Saint (below) and in part by the many portraits by Picasso of his lover, the photographer Dora Maar. Picasso was reported to have been attracted to Dora's jet black hair and eyes. I've posted a drawing by Picasso of Dora Maar further below.

(Above) Head of a Saint by Georges Rouault.
(Below) Dora Maar, a drawing by Picasso.