Still Sketching

Although I've been trying out a few new things on the drawing front, I'm still sketching out-of-doors, despite the dreadful weather we've been having. I think my recent drawing exercises are making me a little bolder, looking for different shapes as I sketch. I thought I would share some recent sketches.

Last week there was a blink of sun and I decided to head out to East Lothian, on the lookout for some interesting landscapes to draw. I first found a stubble field so I thought I'd have a go at it in pencil and watercolour. I felt that it was a bit of a challenge trying to capture the essence of the rough stubble and the vehicle tracks. But I had a go. Used a bit of pastel as well as the pencil.

East Lothian Stubble Field Sketch

Then I drove up into the Lammermuirs and had a go at sketching the raggedy moorland up there. It was getting a bit gloomier by this time and it started to rain. I think I may have been on the 'Herring Road'. I tried hard to capture the patterns using conte and pencil. But there was a light ochre colour I couldn't capture. I think this sketch looks quite cold, doesn't it?

Lammermuir Sketch

 On my way back down from the Lammermuirs, I found a place to stop for a sketch looking north over East Lothian. The rain was just holding off and the views of the three Laws and the Bass Rock were clear.  Again this sketch was in pencil and conte (too cold for watercolour on the spot). I think this is quite an interesting view and I'm now trying to paint it.

East Lothian Sketch

These were my best sketches of the day and I did them on a large watercolour pad. I'm thinking of continuing to work on these rather than re-draw them. I'd like to see if I can make them into pics that I'm satisfied with. Watch this space.

Trying Something Different

I hate standing still. There's so much I don't know I don't know. As far as art is concerned I want to learn and understand more. Now that I'm a full-time artist I feel that I need to delve a bit deeper into theories of art and art history.  Reading Vasari is not enough. I also want to try new things and experiment.

I was reading Herbert Read on Th Philosophy of Modern Art and things started to fall into place for me. He discusses art in terms of realism, symbolism and expressionism: although I knew the basics, reading more about them - and more importantly how artists have moved from one to the other and back again - is giving me more to think about. Up until now I have felt that I cannot move away from observation, that I will always be representational to a certain extent, but I feel a bit liberated having read this.

I had bought a book on 'Expressive Drawing' some time ago, but I didn't feel inclined to dip into it. Now I've been reading it and working through the exercises. It's taking me back to square one, starting again with drawing, but a different kind of drawing. I thought I'd share a few images with you. The starting point was to draw without thinking, drawing with an empty mind. So I started with this.

Then I had to add a little more.

Then I had to add a little more.

Probably a bit too messy in the end. I found it difficult to draw without trying to represent something.

Another exercise was to draw different feelings. For example, here is 'confused'

And here is 'rhythmic'

And so on.
In another exercise I had to create a picture using only one type of mark -making marks and rubbing out/covering over -  in this case using straight lines

And then create another picture using contrasting lines.

Continuing the idea of contrast, there were some exercises relating to the direction of lines - horizontal, vertical and diagonal, and I had to create 3 pics using all 3 lines but with a different direction dominating.
Here is HORIZONTAL

Here is VERTICAL

And here is DIAGONAL

Looking over these drawings now I find them quite interesting. I want to note this all down and keep a record of it. It is so different from my usual practice, but very enriching, I think. And, I suspect, a route to greater expressionsm and abstraction. Anyway, more anon as I'm planning to work through the book gradually (at the same time as continuing to paint!)

In the meantime, I found this link to the book and the artist if you're interested
http://aimoneartservices.com/expressive-drawing-book-/view/378.

An Etching Session

Sometimes I'm asked to explain what an etching is. There's quite a lot on-line about etching that's worth looking at.  However, the last time I went into Edinburgh Printmakers (Thursday) I took my camera with me.  I thought I would try to give a bit of an idea about how I make an etching.

I had decided to make this new etching using a polymer plate rather than the more traditional metal plate. The product is called Toyobo plate - it can also be called 'solarplate' - and it is a type of photographic plate.  I like using it because I can make an ink drawing as the basis for the etching.

Here's the drawing I started with.  It's an ink and pencil drawing on film (the film allows the light to pass through it and make the marks on the plate). 

I cut the polymer plate to the right size and exposed it on the light box. There are quite a few steps involved in this, but there's not a lot to see 'cos it all takes place in the dark room!

Once the plate is ready, it can be inked up. (You'll note that the image is now reversed).

Got the gloves out and decided what colour of ink to use.  This time I chose a mixture of black with brown and blue to make an interesting dark colour. At the same time I was soaking the paper in a bath of water (the ink is oil-based and has to be printed on to damp paper).

I inked up the plate - spreading the ink across the plate and then wiping it off carefully, allowing the ink to remain in the etched lines - the drawing lines. The ink also sticks to the plate, and as I wanted to achieve a good contrast between the dark etched lines and a pale background I had to wipe the blank areas of the plate quite thoroughly. I have learned that there's quite a lot of skill in inking up plates and that I have to take a lot of care.

Then it's ready for an impression to be made (the 'print' is really an impression of the plate on paper).

Here's the plate on the bed of the press, ready to roll. It's lying on tissue paper to stop the press bed getting inky.

 I then placed the paper carefully on top of the plate, drew down the blankets, and got the press rolling. Once it's gone through the press I finally get to the exciting bit....I lift off the paper and see how the print has turned out. Here you can see the finished print and the plate.

The prints are all laid out on boards to allow the paper to dry, keeping it pressed as flat as possible.  It's quite a challenge to get the prints all looking as similar as possible. You can never get two prints looking exactly the same - that's part of the charm of etchings - but we all try to get them looking as close as possible. These are not bad for me!

So that's it really. Quite a lot involved in making a print, isn't there? I feel that I'm still learning the skills, but that I am improving with practice.

I'll pick these prints up next week once they are dry.  Hope you like them!

Year End Thoughts

This will be my last blog post of the year. I have let the blogging lapse a bit this year, so my resolution will be to get back to some regular postings in 2015. Apart from anything else, I think blogging helps me to reflect on my work, to give consideration to what is good and bad about my painting, and to develop as an artist. Here's a few pics from 2014, some finished, others maybe not...

I'm coming to believe that focus is one of the most important elements of being an artist. There are so many things that grab my attention in the world about me, and a part of me wants to try and capture them all. But that's a sort of scattergun approach and I don't think it will allow me to develop in a meaningful way. I find that when I spend time painting 'distractions' it makes me feel dissatisfied. I realise that I much more satisfied if I focus on a few themes in greater depth. But what are these?

Shed with Green Roof - currently for sale as unframed pic

Fishing huts and sheds is one theme. I keep coming back to these rickety buildings: they excite and fascinate me, their individual histories and how they stand up to the elements. I want to continue to explore them as a theme. Linked to this are old pieces of machinery like petrol pumps, and walls and piers. Machinery as a subject is more of an exercise for my drawing skills and probably a good challenge for next year.

Red Roof - now framed.

Sheds at St Abbs - not sure if it's finished yet

I continue to paint sea scenes, but sometimes my beach paintings bore me, so I think I shouldn't overdo this theme.  This (below) is one scene that excited me in Lewis. The exposure and feeling of being on the very edge of habitable space.  I wasn't surprised to learn that there's a bit of surfing done on this beach.

Stormy Beach, Lewis - now framed - one of my favourite pics!

Applecross is a bit closer to home....

View from Applecross Bay - restricted palette holds the interest (not framed)

Maybe I'd be better to focus on hills. I've definitely not done enough hillwalking in 2014 and I so want to get back up onto the high tops. 

Beinn Damph and Upper Loch Torridon - not sure if it's finished yet

 I feel that I want to explore landscapes which are more complex and seek out the abstract patterns in the world around me.  This next view is perhaps not complex enough?

High Riggs, Summer Morning - now framed

Whereas with this other pic I made a real effort to capture the essence of the moorland by focusing on the ground cover....that beautiful 'deer grass' which you find in the hills up here in late autumn.

Deer Grass Above Achintee - a WIP

However, while I want hills and landscapes to be my focus next year, I know that inevitably I will come back to the sea, its moods and patterns and the challenge of portraying the movement of the waves.

Dark Island - Charcoal and ink and conte to reflect the moody day - now framed

Loch Carron in stormy mood - a WIP

And then again, I do like to draw faces – they are all so different – and I wonder about doing some portraiture. I don't think this would ever become a main theme, but next year I'd like to draw and paint more figures and faces. One possibility is putting figures (or animals) into landscapes and urban scenes – this is always a challenge. Perhaps I should do a few more drawings of Ness the wolfhound and see where it takes me.

Ness - a drawing recently exhibited at St Margaret's House

 See what I mean.....this is already quite a diverse mix. When you add that to my thoughts about media – how much printmaking?...should I make a serious attempt at oils next year?....Or should I focus on working with graphite and pigments? So many questions to be addressed. One thing I think I've learned is that it doesn't pay to be too serious in one's approach. It's important to play with materials and concepts. Whilst I know I must be disciplined and work hard, this does not mean that I should be dull and heavy-handed. Enthusiasm, energy and exploration shall be my themes for next year!

A Head Full of Hills

Just back in Musselburgh from Lochcarron with lots of images of the hills in my head. I did a pile of sketching and a bit of work. Now I have to make decisions - what should I focus on next?

I tried working on this image of trees beside a lochan. I really thought there was potential for a moody pic with lots of abstract textures. It started off like this.

Then I added more colour.

 I think this photo makes the pic look better that it really is.  I wasn't very happy with this result, so I started again.

I think I've used a rather confused palette, and I'm not confident about the composition, so I still wasn't happy and set it aside.
I moved on to Beinn Alligin.  I drew a motif out first in charcoal, based on an earlier charcoal sketch I had done at the roadside at Annat. I love this view of Alligin with the seaweed shore in the foreground!

Then I moved onto paper that I had previously prepared with gesso and ultramarine and some pva, and I drew it out again.

Then I added gouache and acrylic, and more pencil marks.

Actually, I quite like the palette I had used on this, but I thought it needed a bit of orange and green for some reason. Clearly I was not thinking clearly!

On reflection, I realised that the extra colour did not help the painting and at this point I thought the hill looked a little too high - as if I'd distorted the perspective. So I painted in more sky.

But then I noticed that the angle of the hill was now wrong....it looked as if it had been tamed! And I realised that there were too many different colours. So back to the Prussian Blue in order to recapture the drama.

I think this is closer to the result I was after - moody and dramatic. Sadly the colour is not as pure and exciting as the earlier version (but maybe more realistic?) and I'm still not sure about the foreground marks, but I feel as if this painting has had enough attention. So I've set it aside for the moment.

I did try a couple of other images.
Here's a stab at Beinn Eighe viewed from the path to Slioch. I used acrylic, gouache, pencil and conte.

And here's a stab at Slioch - a view looking up from the path, again based on a charcoal sketch I did on our walk.

I like the little bit of colour on the hill.

But it was back in the studio today, thinking about what to take forward. More anon...

My First Commissions!

I'm afraid I've let my blogging slip a bit. I've had a busy and interesting time. I've completed a couple of commissions - my first ones - and that has been a great new experience for me.

One of my commissions was to do a painting of the Mar Lodge near Braemar. It was fun to go on a trip to Braemar and do some sketches in situ.  I first did a sketch looking down the valley towards the Mar Lodge, but sketching was curtailed by the onset of rain. Look at the raindrops on the paper!

So we carried on to get much closer and walked over the bridge to the Lodge. I was rather stunned by the building - almost overcome with the challenge it presented - it's the most amazing pink granite concoction. We got a quick tour round the interior and it is rather fantastic. Another National Trust treasure. Anyway, I opted to make a detailed pencil sketch of one of the wings and took a few photographs. The detailing of the roof and the dormers particularly appealed to me. And that tree.

 Back in the studio I sketched out a few ideas. I found it a little difficult, but difficult is good, I think; confronting a challenge is a good thing artistically. I was trying to find an artistic treatment which conveyed that fairy-tale look of the building without resulting in an architectural drawing. I came up wth three views.

Mar Lodge Study 1

Mar Lodge Study 2

Mar Lodge Study 3

 I also did a study of the longer view looking down the valley with the river and the larch tree in the foreground. I quite like this view, but the Mar Lodge does not figure too prominently in it.

Dee Valley Study

I was a little unsure of what kind of view was wanted.  In the end a photo provided an idea for a better treatment with a bit more drama and I combined this with the details I had noted in my pencil sketch. So the painting has turned out like this. Not so much a fairy-tale, more of a real-life drama isn't it?

The other commission was for a view at Kishorn. Again I approached this in the same way.
I already had sketches and produced this study.

Loch Kishorn Study 1

However, this did not quite fit the bill, so I went back and did a few new sketches and produced a couple of new colour studies.

Loch Kishorn Study 2

Loch Kishorn Study 3

I decided to take both of these forward to the next stage, so the finished paintings ended up like this.

In the end, that view of Loch Kishorn with the Bealach in the background won the day - I'm not surprised, it's such a dramatic view!

I did enjoy doing these commissions. They provided a clear focus and I knew I just had to get them done - no changing my mind or leaving them unfinished etc. And I did enjoy speaking to people about the work and what they wanted and why they wanted it etc. However, now that I've finished them I'm back to thinking 'What to do next?'  Well, I think it's back to working and blogging, and maybe I need to arrange other little forays to new places for some intensive study to inspire me. More commissions? Bring it on!