Category: My studio

See the studio as a working space over time. See the work as it shapes.

The square series

lightningtilesea_web

Heavy rain on sea swell. Multiple exposures of lightning cracking through foggy stormy sky. Irregular chopped waves.*

I used to stare at the tiny tiles in my shower and see endless pictures – faces, animals, ghosts, landscapes. Our builders have trashed all the little pictures, but not before I saved a lot of them.

I have about 800 of them. I’d like to paint them all as part of ‘the square series’. [The square is very appealing to me at the moment.]

Whenever Eckersley’s has a canvas sale I buy some more square canvases. And that’s why I needed to do some renovating—to accommodate the square canvases. I’m not kidding!

There’s a direct relationship here with previous paintings. I’m still exploring water and related themes. But the square series is more about pulling the image out of the tile, whether it be heavy rain on choppy waves, or a rabbit.

* The image above is the actual tile, manipulated in Photoshop (colour, tone and contrast). It’s the sketch that I’ll use to inspire me as I paint.

 

 

Renovation!

demolition

I’ve lacked a bit of focus lately (work wise) because we are renovating. There are a couple of reasons for renovating but mainly I hope to have some more storage space because I can barely walk in my studio. We’ve had the garage fitted out with storage cabinets, Chris’s workroom is having a huge makeover and the ‘wardrobe’ in my studio will have a wet area and lots of customised storage space. Also new bathroom and kitchen, just because we’re gluttons for punishment.

We’ll be finished mid-year, and I can’t wait to get back to working in my new space. Meanwhile just have to be content with doing some digital work, some knitting and maybe even some drawing!

 
Image based on Frances Hotel being demolished 1911 by Seattle Municipal Archives, CC-BY-2.0