Luke Maitland's Blog

A Digger called Larry

2010-09-25T14:23:00.002+01:00

These diggers and dumpers are all made with pearlescent inks on MDF blocks. I plan to do quite a few of these and place them into sets of vehicles. Also decided to give each vehicle a name.

ROLAND (above) a local Bath dumper truck

LARRY a Milsom St digger

FLOYD a notorious local digger

TIGER near the old hospital

Diggers and Dumper Trucks

2010-09-17T20:09:00.004+01:00

Here is the beginning of a heavy machinery series. All the diggers and dumper trucks were spotted locally. The images are painted as usual on MDF using inks.

Digger (above) on the Bristol Rd, Bath

Dumper Truck (above) on the London Rd, Bath.

The greens above the truck have become fainter in this image.

Diggers (above) on the London Rd, Bath

Dumper Truck (above) on the Bristol Rd, Bath

Balloon Inflating in Victoria Park

2010-09-08T11:49:00.002+01:00

Balloon Inflating in Victoria Park is a series of five would block paintings. Each painting measures 12 by 12cms. The wood blocks use inks painted onto MDF with a layer of white emulsion in between. This balloon happened to have a lady posing in underwear printed on the side, I didn't realise this until semi inflated.

Balloon Inflating in Victoria Park (above) 1/5

Balloon Inflating in Victoria Park (above) 2/5

Balloon Inflating in Victoria Park (above) 3/5

Balloon Inflating in Victoria Park (above) 4/5

Balloon Inflating in Victoria Park (above) 5/5

The Five Fords of Union St

2010-09-03T12:43:00.007+01:00

The Five Fords of Union St are a series of ink paintings on woodblock. The series depicts all the Ford cars parked on Union St, Bath, when I was walking past last week.

The Blue Ford of Union St 1/5 (above)

The Yellow Ford of Union St 2/5 (above)

The Orange Ford of Union St 3/5 (above)

The Red Ford of Union St 4/5 (above)

The Shiny Blue Ford of Union St 5/5 (above)

Shadowlands 3: Update 11

2010-08-28T10:49:00.002+01:00

Here is the finished picture...

The third in the Shadowlands series (above) called The Dreaming

Shadowlands 3: Update 10

2010-04-19T08:48:00.001+01:00

(above) A few afternoons worth of tiling and bricking in sections...

Shadowlands 3: Update 9

2010-04-12T09:36:00.002+01:00

The third Shadowlands is under way again... I aim to get this finished by the end of April.

Organic forms and patterns with in a city.

Sark Colour Gardens

2009-08-07T16:22:00.003+01:00

My last day on the island of Sark. Here are the three finished paintings begun in the previous posts.

La Seigneurie Gardens ink on paper (above) A3

La Seigneurie Gardens Veg Patch (with accidental ink pot included) ink on paper A3

Sark Gardens ink on paper A3

La Seigneurie Gardens Veg Patch

2009-08-05T18:53:00.002+01:00

La Seigneurie Gardens Veg Patch is the final drawing in the Sark Gardens series. Tomorrow I will begin adding colour.

La Seigneurie Gardens Veg Patch (ink on paper) A3

La Seigneurie Gardens

2009-08-04T09:27:00.002+01:00

My stay on Sark continuous. Sark has only just become a democracy. Before Sarks first democratic election, taking place earlier this year, it was a self governing feudal state. In the feudal system the only people with a vote or say in how the island was run were land (tennement) owners. The Seigneur was the head of the island taking a share of all land sales. The only person above the Seigneur, in the old feudal system, being the Queen of England. In this drawing you can see the Seigneurs house in the back ground. I will add colour in the next couple of days.

La Seigneurie Gardens, ink on paper (above)

Sark Gardens

2009-08-03T11:14:00.003+01:00

Sark is a small pin cushioned shaped island in the English channel, with a population of only 500 people. Sark has no cars, street lights or tarmacked roads and is even self governing. The only motorised vehicles on the island are tractors which are something of a status symbol. The residents get around on bicycles or by horse and cart. This ink drawing depicts the Seigneurie Gardens which are the islands main tourist attraction.

A3 ink drawing on paper of Sark Gardens (above)

Bath Portraits

2009-07-16T10:21:00.003+01:00

Phew, its good to be back. Below are three portraits for an exhibition coming up next week. The exhibition has been orgnanised with a group of four others. Each artist chose a subject that reflects Bath to them in some way. I chose a volunteer at the Bath Abbey, the curator of the American Museum just outside Bath and a waitress from the Pump Room which is Bath's poshest place to have tea. One of the challenges was that the portraits had to be A6 in size, so these are all small pieces of work.

Volunteer at Bath Abbey (above) ink on paper.

The Curator of the American Museum just outside Bath.

A waitress at the Pump Room Bath's poshest place to have tea.

Roses, Marlborough Buildings

2009-06-23T16:29:00.006+01:00

Roses in Marlborough Buildings Allotments are the initial dip ink drawings to be painted later this week. The pen I use is a piece of bamboo that I whittled in Australia when I first began drawing outside using inks. One of the benefits to using dip ink pens is the opportunity they allow for mistakes to occur (the act of making a happy mistake is called serendipity) such as ink drops or ink trickles.

Above Roses in Marlborough Buildings Allotments, A3 Ink on Paper

The soon to be white roses in Marlborough allotments.

American Museum, Bath

2009-06-19T09:22:00.003+01:00

Cowboys is set in front of the American Museum, just outside Bath. The museum often has reenactments taking place in the grounds that lend themselves to some fun compositions.

Cowboys A3 ink on paper (above)

Emily, Portrait

2009-06-17T17:42:00.003+01:00

The portraiture class was relatively quiet today with only three people, which is why there is so much floor space. For the last few weeks I have shied away from painting proper portraits, instead depicting interiors. This leaves my teacher to work on his own drawings skills which is why he is sitting opposite drawing the model.

An empty protraiture class in acrylics and charcoal (A3)

Royal Crescent, Bath

2009-06-05T09:53:00.002+01:00

The Royal Crescent is Bath's largest and most famous crescent. I have included the steps leading up to finished painting from the initial drawing. This will be my last blog for a week or so as I'm going away, so will catch up later.

The final picture. A2 ink on paper.

After the first wash has been added.

The initial drawing made with a variety of dip ink pens.

Girl in the Hat

2009-06-03T19:52:00.003+01:00

Another Wednesday portrait painting class completed and here are the two results. The class lasts for 3 hours which, after breaks is around two and half hours of painting time. The first couple of hours I spent on the larger horizontal picture, drawing in charcoal then working back in acrylics finally finishing with charcoal lines over the top. The second picture was done in the last half hour. The model was actually a beautiful young girl, but the portrait makes her look old and frumpy, albeit with golden shoes.

A3 portrait. Charcoal and acrylic on paper.

A4 portrait. The sitter was actually young and beautiful, although you could never tell from this : )

RAIN

2009-06-02T16:21:00.005+01:00

Here is the first picture for Paris's inch by inch project this week the subject is rain. To find out more about inch by inch follow this link.

Rain 3 by 3 inches ink on paper as part of inch by inch.

The Parade Gardens, Bath

2009-06-01T18:20:00.003+01:00

The English Summer. Optimism on a Stormy Day. This ink painting depicts the Parade Gardens, Bath, at the height of a British summer. The weather has been very hot here, so it provided a good opportunity to take some photos of packed parks. I decided to give this picture a twist with the dark sky and red triffid like plant shaking in the foreground. The loose fast brush strokes give the impression of something brewing.

The English Summer. Optimism on a Stormy Day. A2 ink on paper.

Roman Baths, Bath

2009-05-29T14:39:00.005+01:00

This painting depicts tourists in front of the Roman Baths (after which Bath is named). You can see the statues in the back ground, these over look the one of the hot baths. The baths were originally built here as a hot mineral spring surfaces at this point. Translucent inks are great for creating lighting effects. The painting has a strong sense of the layers making up the fore, middle and background due to colour tints.

Tourist in front of the Roman Baths, Bath. Ink on paper (A3)

Bath Abbey with a blue sky.

2009-05-27T17:13:00.004+01:00

Well after much deliberation, I painstakingly cut out the golden sky then stuck in on an additional piece of paper to the back of the original and painted it blue. So now the abbey sits against a blue sky. The final version of this picture has more work done in the sky with a little white moon but I forgot to photo it before taking it away, so this gives an impression. Over all I think the blue helps to define the shape of the abbey, lending contrast to the picture. Thanks for the comments Teresa and Paris. Tend to find if I can't stop fiddling with a picture then either I'm over tired and going circles or there is a big change that needs to take place (like cutting out the sky) but rather than biting the bullet I make small changes (like changing the shade of gold) which can and did go on for hours.

The Bath Abbey in colour with a blue sky ( this is not the final version, but gives an impression of how the blue sky looked.)

The original with sky of gold, which is heavy by comparison.

Bath Abbey People Colour

2009-05-27T12:44:00.004+01:00

Bath Abbey People has been provided a morning of frustration. Trying to find a balance with the colour of sky. Initially it was blue but this seemed a little on the weak side as the drawing is heavy in terms of thick black outlines. So I have opted for this yellowy gold and can't decide if it works. Otherwise I think it looks fine.

Bath Abbey People (above) ink on paper A2.

The initial drawing. The ink was very thick which made some of the lines awkward to get down.

Pulteney Bridge Day, Bath

2009-05-26T11:38:00.004+01:00

Here we have Bath's most famous bridge looking particularly cheery. Not to mention charmingly wonky. The medium is ink on paper. The water effect is created with pearlescent inks with washes of colour on top to create a shimmering effect. I'm not sure if the use of shiny inks looks a little kitsch, but I do enjoy the effect so will persevere with them.

Pulteney Bridge Day, Bath, (above) with shimmering river Avon.

Pulteney Bridge Day, the initial drawing.

The Circus, Bath

2009-05-25T20:21:00.004+01:00

As a break from the big ink drawings here is a print called Number Three The Circus, Bath, At Nine Fifteen on a Sunday. I drew this on Illustrator in mid 2008. I plan to make a series this year.

A digital print that I drew on Illustrator (above)

Bath Abbey in Colour

2009-05-24T19:00:00.003+01:00

Bath Abbey in full colour...

Bath Abbey drawn on A2 paper in inks (above)

The initial A2 drawing for Bath Abbey in colour.

Pulteney Bridge, Bath, Evening

2009-05-24T11:46:00.004+01:00

Not blogged for a little while as the last week has been artistically uninspired. So yesterday was the first day in seven that being in the studio seemed like a happy idea. To get things underway I turned the large A2 drawing that has been lurking for some time, into a painting. Below we have the before and after of Pulteney Bridge, Bath, Evening.

Pulteney Bridge, Bath, ink on paper A2 (above)

Pulteney Bridge, Bath, the initial drawing.

Studio Building, Bath

2009-05-15T13:29:00.004+01:00

This is a slightly washed out version on of the rear of my studio building in Bath. The tree is a magnolia in the garden below. My studio window is the one with the red curtain. This is painted on wood.

My studio window, Bath, (ink on wood).

Bath Abbey Drawing

2009-05-14T19:16:00.002+01:00

Bath Abbey with Parade Gardens in the foreground. This is a large A2 size drawing made today. This one is now also awaiting painting. I seem to have a back log of large drawings with colour requirements.

A Bath Abbey seen from across the Avon with Parade Gardens in the foreground. Ink on paper, A2.

The Portrait Painters

2009-05-13T15:01:00.003+01:00

In todays portrait class our model was a Polish girl called Mboushka (wild spelling guess). Since starting the course I have discovered that I do not possess a great aptitude for traditional portraiture. So for these pictures I decided to focus on the scene and not just the model.

Mboushka in mixed media (acyrlic paint, charcoal, pencil) on A3 watercolour paper (above)

The class of portrait painters (above) on A3.

Pultney Bridge, Bath

2009-05-12T17:05:00.002+01:00

Here is the second of the Pultney Bridge drawings ready for painting. This one will be painted as an evening scene in purples and blues.

The second of the large Pultney Bridge, Bath, drawings.

Pultney Bridge, Bath

2009-05-11T19:19:00.003+01:00

After making a point of working on wooden blocks to avoid the pains of framing. I now find myself making this drawing of Pultney Bridge on a large 59 by 42cm piece of paper. There can be and is only one reason for such a sudden reversal of technique. Commerce. It seems the world wants drawings on paper. I could do this on a wooden board but it would weigh more than me. So here we have the initial drawing of Bath's most beloved of bridges, which I will paint tomorrow.

A large 59 by 42cm drawing of Pultney Bridge, Bath, on paper (above)

Walking down a Bath hill at sunset complete

2009-05-08T17:15:00.003+01:00

Here are the final two images in the Walking Down Bathwick Hill at Sunset series. You start with the image shown first in this post. I tried to give the impression of moving down the hill by making the distant houses bigger in each picture. The colours also get subtly darker in each frame to show time lapsing, as the sun goes down.

The first in the series of Walking Down Bathwick Hill at Sunset (above)

The second. This picture focuses on the slightly dysfunctional car rather than the view.

The final picture. I have made the shades deliberately darker in this picture to give the impression of the sun setting.

Walking down a Bath hill at sunset

2009-05-07T17:21:00.002+01:00

Here is the first in a series of paintings, depicting the descent into Bath from a near by hill. I will post the other paintings as I finish them.

Another block painting as shown in previous posts. In this one I'm building up layers of ink to create the effect to of light at sunset.

Blocks and Blocks

2009-04-29T20:12:00.004+01:00

More paintings on MDF blocks. I have included the initial drawing for Ducati (motorbike) in the Circus (double crescent building in Bath.) The two hare painting finish a set of three, the first shown in the last post.

Second in the Sophie Ryder sculptures in Bath series.

Third in the Ryder series. These sculptures of hares are life size.

The initial drawing for a new painting. I like the contrast of the modern motorbike against the historic back drop.

Block Paintings

2009-04-27T18:49:00.005+01:00

I have just moved from a large dark studio to a small light one, so its been a while since the last blog. Thanks for all the portrait feed back. Doing the portraits has sparked a slightly different method of working. I know a lot of people who will only ever draw from life. This seems to make good sense as you are able to view your subject in three dimensional space, rather than a photo which is flattened. When doing the portraits it occurred to me that I'm not really interesting in modeling with light or trying to make things look round. A photo makes it easier to pick out pattern and contour which I prefer. Combined with this I have decided not to draw on paper any more. I find mounting and framing clumsy. So begin work in the studio by drawing on wood blocks.

St Mary's in Bath painted in ink on 5 by 5cm wood block.

The Bath Abbey courtyard. The hare and bull are two large sculptures currently installed by local artist Sophie Ryder.

The latest block painting with Bath Abbey in the back ground. The inks come out very bright when painted onto wood.

Portrait: Sweet Seller

2009-04-17T12:55:00.002+01:00

Following yesterdays busker is a portrait of the owner of Bath's Humbug Sweet Shop. Looking rather like a sweet.

A6 portrait of the a sweet seller in Bath (above) painted in inks.

Portrait: Busker

2009-04-16T18:33:00.002+01:00

I'm currently working towards a group portrait exhibition to be held in Bath during July. The theme is to choose local subjects that represent Bath in some way to the artist. All the portraits are very small, no bigger than A6 in size. My first is this portrait of a the Jamaican busker who stands on Bath's main shopping street singing loudly. Due to his loud and constant singing I have yet to discover his name, or anything about him.

A6 portrait of Bath's Jamaican busker (above) painted in in inks.

Archive: Aerial

2009-04-14T13:07:00.003+01:00

Thought I would begin an archive series, showing work produced a few years ago whilst the Shadowlands pic trundles on. Arial is a piece produced in Australia made in mixed media with string, ink and 3D paint which recreates the stained glass effect. I began by making an abstract pattern with the string then added in the lines and colours. The result reminded me of the view seen from the plane window as I flew into Australia.

Aerial, imaginative take on Australia seen from a plane window.

Shadowlands 3: Update 8

2009-04-14T12:54:00.002+01:00

A couple more hours worth of dots, lines, dashes, fills and deletes. I find these big pictures come in waves. Sit down one day and they are enthralling to do, on another day they progress tediously. Today was tedious which requires more discipline. Yet the quality of what was made remains the same. A case of trying to remain focused regardless of what the games your personality starts to play.

Shadowlands 3 so on so forth...

Shadowlands 3: Update 7

2009-04-09T12:43:00.002+01:00

Almost a week since the last post. Enjoyed a mini pre Easter break. The Shadowlands picture continues to rumble on. I have been drawing it in short bursts so the changes between updates can be hard to spot, especially on this scale. Thanks for all the comments left, makes a big difference when the projects are large and slow moving.

Yet more often tiny differences to spot.

Shadowlands 3: Update 6

2009-04-03T12:50:00.001+01:00

Shadowlands 3 another day. 3 hours this morning.

Australian Grasses

2009-04-02T17:03:00.002+01:00

As a bit of a break from all that heavy black and white work here is something a little different. One of the experiences that has most influenced my art practice was the time spent on a mango farm in Broome, Western Australia. I would get up in good time and go drawing in the orchards when it was quiet, spending the rest of the day picking, eating and boxing mangoes. This culminated in getting the terrible mango rash, that left me stricken with itchy welts. Grasses below is one of the pictures that I made from memory of sitting out in the blazing sun.

Grasses (above) from my time spent on an Australian mango farm.

Shadowlands 3: Update 5

2009-04-02T16:57:00.001+01:00

Shadowlands 3 so it continues...

Shadowlands 3: Update 4

2009-04-01T17:19:00.002+01:00

Many parts of the drawing now need to be refined, breaking down the thick black areas with white.

The drawing goes through a heavy stage (above).

Shadowlands 3: Update 3

2009-03-30T20:20:00.003+01:00

A couple more hours worth of dots and lines this evening...

Spot the additions (above)

Granada

2009-03-30T15:50:00.002+01:00

In my early twenties I spent a Christmas in southern Spain. One of cities that I passed through was Granada. I remember doing a drawing from a youth hostel called the Naked Cat of all the telephone wires hanging between buildings. This drawing, made some years later, is a mixture of the Granada city scape with one of the hills over looking Bath.

Ink on paper, Granada (above)

Shadowlands 3: Update 2

2009-03-27T12:02:00.002Z

Slowly, slowly. Here is the drawing after working on it for around four hours this morning. Watching these sorts of drawing develop is a fairly organic process. As you can see I have made changes to areas completed yesterday. I may do another update today depending on how the afternoon shift goes.

Shadowlands 3: Update 2 (above) after a 4 hour morning shift.

Shadowlands 3: Update 1

2009-03-26T16:24:00.002Z

So here is the beginning of the third in the Shodowlands series. I begin by outlining in gray on one layer then fill in with pattern on another. The drawing is done with a Wacom tablet. Using this method of printing means that I can change things easily, providing flexibility and speed. The final image is then printed digitally onto canvas. The Shadowland series are all 1m square.

No 3 in the Shadowlands series. Drawn digitally onto computer using a Wacom tablet.

Sculptor Jo Part 4: Oil Pastels

2009-03-25T14:39:00.009Z

The saga of Sculptor Jo continues. The fine features of Sculptor Jo have proven a hard task to capture over the past four weeks. Following on from the modest success of last weeks oil pastel portraits. I decided to use the medium for a second time. In the picture below I'm making an effort to follow my teachers description of the drawing process. My portrait teacher describes the process of drawing in three stages:
Stage 1: Describe the subject as a 3D object using simple line. So if you were drawing a cow this would mean focusing on the out line and shapes that make up the cow.
Stage 2: Using shade and tone to describe the different planes of the object.
Stage 3: Finally you add the bells and whistles. This could be describing the texture or surface pattern of the subject. If the cow has spots you add these now.
I enjoy stage 3 far more than 1 and 2 so have a tendency to leap straight into pattern, with out building the structure first.

A more methodical Sculptor Jo (above) in oil pastels.

Damascus

2009-03-24T16:55:00.008Z

I went to the Middle East in my teens. Damascus combines highly decorated mosques and Moorish architecture with dilapidated streets and ramshackle buildings. This drawing of Damascus is from imagination. The black and white work that I make, has a tendency to become very obsessive very quickly (see Shadowlands in a previous blog). There is the possibility when drawing cities to indulge in a childlike enjoyment of pattern. Not to mention the childlike pleasure in designing weird and wonderful structures, that pander to imaginative use of pattern and shape.

Damascus section (above) ink on paper.

Damascus drawn from imagination.

T & R's Kitchen Table

2009-03-19T21:05:00.005Z

My Uncle Tony is an artist who I went to stay with in January 2009. He suggested I try oil pastels on coloured paper. This seemed like a sound suggestion. So every day, during my three day visit, I did an A5 sketch.

Day 1: The Kitchen Table (above) A5 oil pastel on paper.

Day 2: Reading the paper in the comfy chair.

Day 3: Looking into the kitchen, from the sitting area.

Sculptor Jo Part 3: Reinvention

2009-03-18T15:12:00.004Z

Following on from the obliteration of Sculptor Jo last week, this week I decided to take a gentler approach. Instead of last weeks acrylics I decided to use oil pastels, with the emphasis on drawing. As an artist I have a strong bias towards my own personal vision of a subject. All artist have this bias to a greater or lesser extent. The aim with these drawings was to try and focus on the subject, rather than leaping straight into the picture building stage which I'm so fond of. The first effort is an attractive drawing, but not a very good portrait. There isn't a strong likeness. The second portrait is better. I have two more sessions with Jo to try and improve this.

Sculptor Jo first effort (above) oil pastel portrait.

Sculptor Jo second effort. Oil pastels on paper, A4.

Sculptor Jo sitting for the class.

Wood Blue

2009-03-16T17:19:00.002Z

Wood Blue was originally drawn in a purple oil pastel. Finding repeat patterns in leaves and organic forms is something that I find helpful when building compositions. This drawing is A4 in size, the electric blue base note sets off the hot colours.

Wood Blue (above) oil pastel and ink A4.

Affordable Art Fair

2009-03-16T08:18:00.004Z

The Affordable Art Fair in Battersea Park, London, hosts commercial galleries from all over the UK. All the art on show is under £3000. I trundled into the big smoke early on Friday morning, finding my way to Battersea from Victoria. The fair was enormous. I wouldn't say these sorts of shows are highly inspirational, as a lot of the work seems to repeat from stand to stand. Over the course of the day I must have seen hundreds of seascapes painted in loose bright acrlics/ oils. But they do give a good indication of what people are prepared to buy. Occasional you come across a great commercial idea that is also works as a great visual set piece. One such artist had done a miniture oil painting everyday of the year as a kind of visual diary. They were all the same size, painted onto a square block of wood, hung in rows covering every inch of the stand. Costing £250 a picture, well healed yummi mummies were happily buying four at a time to be hung together. The picture you see below is my print of a London street scene, produced in one of the free demonstrations taking place at the show.

(above) The dry point print I made, of a London street scene, at a free printing demomstration during the Affordable Art Fair.

Marlborough Buildings Allotments

2009-03-12T14:36:00.002Z

Looking up the hill towards St Stevens church, over the allotments that I enjoy drawing so much.

Colourful allotments (above).

Sculptor Jo Part 2: Obliteration

2009-03-12T08:13:00.007Z

In this blogs description I promised a running journal of my artistic triumphs and failures along with the methods used to get there. Well the portrait of Sculptor Jo, first described in last Wednesday blog, falls into camp of trying and failing. I have three weeks left with Jo and will have to test a new method of depicting him as the current method, used successfully in the Mambri portraits (depicted in a previous blog), does not suit Jo's refined look and personality. The first picture that you see below is my initial attempt to block in colour. Jo has a pale complexion. The unnatural skin tones that I've used, combined with the bright green orange and red on his top, make him look a little like Freddy Kruger. The second picture is the stage I'm at now, where I have white washed the image using acrlics and begun drawing again. The question is where to go next and how to take a step forward. Find out next Wednesday in Sculptor Jo Part 3.

The refined Sculptor Jo (above) has become a halloween nightmare.

Starting again. Sculptor Jo whitewashed.

Little Salisbury

2009-03-10T15:20:00.002Z

With its flat top and conical shape, Little Salisbury is the most distinctive of the seven hills that surround Bath. I began this painting by experimenting with a slightly different drawing technique. Usually I pick a single colour to make the entire drawing with. The colour of the drawing medium gives the painting its underlying flavour. Looking at Little Salisbury I decided to use a different colour for each level of the hill. Although subtle, this directly impacts on the translucent colours that are then painted on top. Some of the inks used are opalescent so have reflective qualities.

Little Salisbury (above) the most distinctive of Bath's seven hills.

Red Day Update

2009-03-09T17:02:00.004Z

Hurrah! Colour restored. After posting the last blog I found a way to take off the red glazes, so you can now see the full range of colours in the under painting.

Red Day

2009-03-09T16:05:00.004Z

Today I have been having a very red day. The process of giving pictures glazes is where you can quite easily make or break what has come before. The method I use is to block in areas of colour then put a glaze of a single translucent colour over the top. Obviously if the glaze is yellow all the blues turn green, but greens and oranges and warm colours become very bright. The end product has an incredible depth of colour, but too many glazes and it can become dark. Cleveland Bridge is a drawing which I began some weeks ago. Today I began with a yellow orange glaze which worked well, but then became carried away with adding pink and red glazes on top. The result is an incredibly intense red.

Cleveland Bridge (above) the oringinal drawing.

Cleveland Bridge following multiple glazes. The reds are much deeper than this.

Bath Allotment

2009-03-07T16:13:00.005Z

Like all UK cities Bath has its fair share of allotments. Allotments seem to have more ideas and things happening per sq meter than any other any other outdoor space. Something to do with high concentrations of like minded people, a whiff of competition and small plots. Below is my representation of one such space.

21 by 15cm Ink on Paper (above) Bath Allotment (Marlborough Buildings).

Red Trees

2009-03-06T15:43:00.006Z

Red Trees was drawn in the woods near to the Dundas Aqueduct a couple of weeks ago. I have been eye balling it for some time, before deciding to complete the colour work today. The golds are painted in opalescent inks, reflecting and catching light as you move around the picture. Of all the colours the bright reds are proving hardest to photograph. I borrowed a high quality digital SLR to take this photo and still had to work hard in post bringing out colours. The original reds really glow, following multiple glazes.

Red Trees (above) created using ink and oil pastels on paper, 15 by 21cm.

Limpley Stoke Valley

2009-03-05T15:35:00.008Z

Today has been a day of copious inking. Depicting the Limpley Stoke Valley from the Kennet and Avon Canal, the initial drawing was made in oil pastel.

15 by 21cm ink painting (above) looking over the Limpley Stoke Valley.

Oil pastel and ink on paper.

Sculptor Jo: Part 1

2009-03-04T16:12:00.011Z

Today I have begun work on a portrait of Jo. Jo is a sculptor who contrasts his dreadlocks with delicate, effeminate features. I began with a series of fast pencil sketches that help to get a feeling for the subject. The first image below is of a quick A4 drawing, below that is the rough outline of the A2 painting. The process for the A2 painting was an initial pencil drawing, followed by an oil pastel outline. Followed by acrylic paint. Any classically trained artists out there are probably shaking there heads at such a contrary mixture of materials. Heavy pencil repels oil pastels, oil pastels repel water based paints. I find having a bit of fight with the materials exciting, as they tend to do unexpected things... tune in next Wednesday to see if Sculptor Jo's fine effeminate features have become a mixed media nightmare. Jo's painting already looks nervous about it.

The initial A4 drawing (above) of Sculptor Jo.

The contrary start of a mixed media A2 painting.

St Swithen's Complete

2009-03-03T14:43:00.005Z

Following on from The Spire of St Swithen's (Thursday's blog) which continued a drawing begun on Monday (Drawing on Cleveland Bridge) here is the completed picture. St Swithen's is now far more defined amid the waves of colour.

A completed Spire of St Swithen's (above) distinct above Bath's roof tops.

Portrait of Clementine

2009-03-02T15:34:00.005Z

A project currently on the boil is a group portrait exhibition that I'm organising in Bath. The rules for the show, as they stand at the moment, is that all the portraits are A6 in size and depict people that the artist thinks represents Bath in some way. This portrait is of my sister Clementine and is a dummy run for the real thing. I decided to get Clem to sit for ten minutes, did the rough sketch that you see below, then took two photos of her. Returning to the studio I used the pics as reference to add the colour, make the eyes level, soften the chin ect ect. The result has left Clem with volumised hair and a sad expression.

The initial drawing (above) of Clem drawn in oil pastels.

The finished A6 Clem looking inexplicably sad. The right eye appears crooked in the repro due to colour loss : (

Little Red Booties

2009-03-01T17:05:00.006Z

Firstly thanks for all your feed back and comments. I have thoroughly enjoyed my first week as a blogger. As for the little triangular man in his little red boots. I had a number of responses saying that he could not be found in either of the Shadowland pictures posted yesterday. As I settled in front my laptop I discovered that I could not find him either! Usually his little red shoes are a dead give away. I then realised that a) his red boots had turned grey and b) that he was so tiny that even the most eagle eyed wouldn't stand a chance. So to make things right here he is...and he's happy to see you which is always nice.

At last, (above) the little triangular man in his little red boots.

Apologies to any one now suffering from eye strain.

Shadowlands

2009-02-28T08:02:00.003Z

Here is something a little different that I produced around a year and a half ago. The Shadowlands were created by drawing using a Wacom Tablet onto the computer. They are designed to be printed at 1m sq. I have two of them printed onto canvas hanging on the walls at home. Each picture took 6 weeks of afternoons to make. The only points of colour in either picture are the red boots of a small triangular man hidden in the landscape. At present I don't have immediate plans to make another as they are extremely labour intensive, and too obsessive for most people to live with on their walls :) Bonus points to anyone who spots the little triangular man in his little red boots...

The Farmer (above) the first in the Shadowlands series.

White Rose the slightly gentler second picture.

Two Dogs

2009-02-27T12:00:00.012Z

Decided to blog about a one of the pictures that I finished on Tuesday. Called Two Dogs. The initial drawing was made at Claverton Weir. I like creating the effect of sunsets hitting landscapes. At this time you see the world through a tint (in this picture) of bright yellows and oranges. The second dog is hard to make out as the reds and oranges have become over saturated in the reproduction. The dogs have been cut out, painted then added. Collaging figures sets the narrative apart from the rest of the picture. The drawing tends to be loose, intuitive, fast where as the collage is slow and laborious.

Two Dogs (above) created using wax crayon, ink and collage.

The Spire of St Swithen's

2009-02-26T18:37:00.006Z

I find picture making goes in phases. The out and about phase is fun, the hermit like phase intense. Today begins a mini bout of playing the hermit. Hermit life generally involves looking at all the drawings made when out and about and giving them colour. Today i looked at St Swithen's (a picture seen in the Monday blog). I generally get an impression of a colour for a particular area of the picture. The aim is not to think about the colours. The less thinking the better. The hardest part is being open to destroying the picture. Destruction is often where the most creativity is to be had. Colour then can be quite violent. Which is why hermit life is so intense.

The unthinking Spire of St Swithen's (above), still to be finished.

Mbari Portrait

2009-02-25T14:35:00.010Z

The subject of the portraiture class is Mbari. Mbari is Kenyan with amazing dread locked hair swept forward into a couple of horn shapes. These pictures are around A2 in size. I began with a charcoal drawing which was then fixed and a burnt sienna wash applied. From this point on all the painting is done in acrylics and water colours. In the second Mbari I then went over the painting with charcoal lines for more definition. In the third picture I ran out of time, so didn't manage to tone down the hot colours. Giving the impression of a sun burnt Mbari peeling.

Mbari (above) looking like he has something to say

Soulful Mbari

The last picture. A bored, tired, unfinished Mbari.

The studio with a sitting Mbari

Abbey Complete

2009-02-24T16:14:00.008Z

Sat in the Abbey as the organist belted out a practice session. Completed the Friday blog sketch looking towards the Abbeys main doors. Using the dark brown paper as a base meant the colours are very bright in places, although the oranges aren't as loud as the photo looks. The blues and browns are darker.

The Abbey (above) looking towards the main entrance in oil pastels.

Drawing on Cleveland Bridge

2009-02-23T17:42:00.014Z

Cleveland possibly one of Bath's busiest bridges. Nosily look down into sculptor Peter Hayes studio which is situated on the river bank. The first drawing, with the bridge shaking as lorries trundled over, is the usually story. Beginning with belief, a mid point of doubt and a final hoorah. Finish by attempting to depict the sculptor at work in his yard. Somehow the perspective alludes me, as does the fast moving Peter Hayes.

First view down the river (above), soon to be given a wash of colour in the studio.

Looking up the right bank from the bridge, towards the spire of St Swithen's.

Finally the drawing which went a rye. The manic dark patch is where Peter Hayes kept moving.

Abbey Afternoon

2009-02-20T18:40:00.003Z

Continued a drawing in the Bath Abbey this afternoon using oil pastels. Growing up in Bath I hardly ever came in here, but its an incredible light airy space. Enjoy sitting in the pews listening to volunteers helping kids doing the Abbey quiz.

Finished drawing (above) looking towards the alter

Beginning of the second sketch (above) this time looking away from the alter

Canal Sketching

2009-02-20T11:08:00.006Z

Experimenting with wax crayons today as a drawing medium. The oil pastels give a rich creamy colour but are so soft they blunt easily. The over cast sky is drizziling slightly, but thats ok. The canal is looking pleasantly bleak with last years growth rotting away. The bull rushes manage to stay up right even though they are long past it. Enjoy the trip out here riding my sister's bike which is really too small. Make four small drawings all in different coloured crayon. Two are drawn beside Claverton Weir, a horse shoe shaped weir in the bend beside the rail way track. The last drawing is of four cows in a field on the other side of the canal. There are only four cows in the field but they kept moving, so I added a couple more to my drawing. I will post the drawings on my website when finished.

Cows in field