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!

Continuing The Struggle....

Still up north, and finally, yesterday, it was good enough for a proper sketching trip. I headed over to Sheildaig and turned off into Applecross.  I thought the clouds were coming over so with no time to lose, I stopped and did a couple of pencil sketches. Sheildaig was looking lovely in the sunshine, with a snow-capped Beinn Alligin rising in the background.  Had to sketch in pencil for speed as it was a bit cold.

In terms of composition, I was keen to try and capture the pine trees in the foreground. There was a lovely specimen close by, so I had a go at sketching it too.

By this time I was freezing, so it was back in the car, and on to Fearnmore, to visit my favourite corrugated iron hut. I thought I should sketch it from a different angle, so here's my first attempt.

Fearnmore Shore (sketch)

I thought a composition with the boats in the foreground might look interesting. I then followed up with a closer view, making more of the old wooden posts.  This time I used some wax crayon to get the rusty colour of the hut.

Fearnmore Fishing Hut (Another sketch)

I was quite pleased with this composition, and I was trying really hard to capture the birch trees slightly silhouetted against the sea in the middle distance. Again I was a bit cold after this, so it was back to the car to warm up. Then another couple of sketches of Fearnmore before heading off again.

The Road Past Fearnmore (Sketch)

I like this view of the road at the entrance to Fearnmore and have sketched it before. There are some nice little shapes of colour.

Abandoned Cottage sketch

And I did this abandoned house very quickly - I liked the little window and took photos of the textures....there may be a painting somewhere in this.....

I was a bit sketched out by this time and headed back to Kenmore, by the sea.  Had a walk in the adjacent woodland and then came across this lovely group of mature birch trees clinging on to the edge of the hill. I loved the angle of tilt, thought they were a crazy little group, showing so clearly how they struggle against the effect of the wind. It was beginning to get dark, so this was definitely my last sketch of the day.

Old Birch Trees (Pencil Sketch)

On reflection it reminds me of Cezanne's picture of Olive trees. I'm not sure of the title.  Actually, I just tried to find it in google, but couldn't see it; however my search has alerted me to just how many paintings of trees Cezanne did, and Van Gogh too. Gosh, I've got a long way to go...

Mustn't Forget about Composition!

Back in the studio after a lovely time at Edinburgh Printmakers. Keeping the painting going. It's a little difficult thinking about Wester Ross back in Musselburgh, but the sketchbook helps.  I decided to focus on the sketch I had made of the old fishing station at Ardaneaskan (just to the west of North Strome).
I had done a sketch in ink while sitting on the beach, and I re-drew this in charcoal and graphite.

 Then I decided to do some colour studies.  The day of sketching had been one of those overcast days - a bit threatening, with blinks of sun from time to time. I had been looking west, into the sun, and wanted to try and recapture that look - the colourless look of the shed and the dark tree shape.  I was also very keen on the fishing poles (where the nets used to dry). I've seen these poles in a few places (they're a bit sad, I think, reminiscient of ways of working that have disappeared - and they look a bit like dead trees), and at Ardaneaskan, these poles are intact (amazingly).  Anyway, my first effort, using acrylic and pencil marks, was a similar composition to the sketch, but I've cropped it a bit.

 The composition with the poles is a bit difficult. Also, I thought the palette was a bit red, so I tried again with a slightly different palette - introducing ultramarine.  Quite a different look - more far away, less brooding?

 In my earnestness to capture the beach, I may have overworked this version.  However, it has a nice 'coldness' about it (which was not really the look I was trying to achieve).  Anyway, undeterred, I've tried the motif again, in larger format, and (so far) without the poles.  Have gone back to the red brooding palette.

I decided to introduce an orange (corrugated iron) roof which seems to work quite well.  And I quite like the colour relationships relating to this.  I think the colour is close to what I'm seeking. However, I don't think this is finished yet.  Maybe the composition is not interesting enough without the poles. But I like the angle of the hut better. It's on different paper too, which affects the quality of the mark-making. (Actually, I don't like this paper - it's too rough and raggy.)

But the big decision is the poles - in or out? I'm still not sure.

Exciting Times at Edinburgh Printmakers!

I've waited a long time to do an etching course, and finally I've done it this week at Edinburgh Printmakers with Bronwen Sleigh as tutor.  It's been brilliant...but my brain is tired - so much to remember!  Here's a selection of the prints I've produced so far.

This first is a photo-etching I made by scanning in  a charcoal sketch I did of a boat at Dunbar - at Cromwell Quay.  Using this image, I did a photo etching onto a copper plate, and then I added some textures, under Bronwen's supervision. A bit of a pick and mix - some textures work better than others, don't you think?

Being a bit of a purist, I was keen to do etching in a more traditional, hands-on way, directly into a copper plate.  I had my favourite image of the Applecross Fishing Hut in my mind and etched this freehand into a 'soft ground' on top of a copper plate.  We then did aquatinting as a follow-on (to provide more tone) and it turned out like this (printed in Raw Umber coloured ink - to be sepia-like)....

I then decided to re-ink with Prussian Blue and reprint on a white paper, resulting in this image which to me looks a bit more interesting and bold......

Now I'm not sure which is better - I suppose they are just different!

Today was the last day of the course, and we were to use Toyobo plates.  In the class we had talked about this yesterday and in advance I put together a base plate using an old sketch I had done in the Old Town, one of my printed images, newsprint, white acrylic and indian ink.  Of course, I didn't get round to doing this until 11 pm last night, and this morning I wasn't sure about whether or not to use it, but I was persuaded to do so in the class.  The print which I pulled from the Toyobo plate turned out like this.

It's kinda interesting, isn't it?  Quite different from my drawing-based images.

So I have now applied for Associate Membership of Edinburgh Printmakers and hope to develop my printing skills further in the weeks to come.  So exciting for me!