Just got back from a mini-holiday with my sister and 94 year old mother in the Lake District. I haven't been there for nearly 30 years-why not? It's fantastic! I didn't have chance to do much sketching but took photos and will try and do some work using these. The colours are what I am trying to retain, the bracken and the lime green of moss and the abstract quality of the fells and stone walls. Unfortunately the only gallery I went in was full of perfectly competent water colours, non of which in my opinion had any 'soul'! What seemed like hundreds of paintings which all looked the same except for the name of the location on the bottom. I must go back to find some more interesting artists, who I'm sure are working in, and getting inspiration from, that stunning environment. Of course photos, no matter how 'artistic' give a completely different 'feel' to what we see when sketching and what we see through a viewfinder. For me, they are only reference points; there seems absolutely no point in trying to 'copy' what the photos has captured in another medium.
Bruges-According to the natives, all we need for a healthy lifestyle is their beer and chocolates, so I just followed the advice. Got a bit satiated with 'Flemish Primitives', but those guys (and they were, of course, all guys) could paint. Mind you, after a while, one Madonna looks much like another...Would love to see the size of the brushes they used.Van Eyke on the left, Horst Becking on the right Not a lot else to see on the 'art' front, but came across a gallery with work by Horst Becking, who I had never heard of but liked. His work did look like it had been done in his sketch book though! Took some photos and made a few sketches myself, but not enough. I really am struggling with the sketch book work and think it might help if I but myself a really nice one! The buildings in Bruges are of course very picturesque, but I've never really been into buildings, unlike my old friend Caroline-have a look at 'To Market to Market'.
Progress on my proposed 'studio' (I use the word in a very general sense) has got asfar as arguing about the size of the garden shed/summer house. But pegs in the grass are a start and I'm hoping the spring weather will spur on my husband to his own creative urges-namely, getting the base laid. Today saw some basic drawing, finishing my 'texture' project and that old favourite 'the apple' as a painting subject. It's not as 'green' as this!
Born and bred in Leyland Lancashire; escaped to Manchester and Art College in 1965 and gained a Dip AD in Graphics. One year at Reading University gained me an Art Teaching Dilpoma (teaching was something my family could see the point of!). 3 years teaching art up to A level at a comprehensive in Woking developed my 'skills' for dealing with troublesome kids and oddballs who were often sent to the art room as a last resort, no-one else knowing quite what to do with them. Marriage and motherhood turned me to occasional water colours and odd scribblings, in a vain attempt to keep up the pretense that I was still some kind of an artist/draftsman. Help came with freelance design work for local museums and galleries after moving to Chichester in 1973. I later worked freelance for English Heritage and the National Trust and worked with author Elizabeth Newbery on various publications for heritage sites. When the children were older I took a job as graphic designer with West Sussex Library Service and stayed 19 years as Publicity & Promotions Manager. Voluntary Redundancy in 2007 has given me the opportunity of going back and starting again at the painting/drawing 'thing'.
will try and do some work using these. The colours are what I am trying to retain, the bracken and the lime green of moss and the abstract quality of the fells and stone walls. Unfortunately the only gallery I went in was full of perfectly competent water colours, non of which in
my opinion had any 'soul'! What seemed like hundreds of paintings which all looked the same except for the name of the location on the bottom. I must go back to find some more interesting artists, who I'm sure are working in, and getting inspiration from, that stunning environment. Of course photos, no matter how 'artistic' give a completely different 'feel' to what we see when sketching and what we see through a viewfinder. For me, they are only reference points; there seems absolutely no point in trying to 'copy' what the photos has captured in another medium.
