Monday 28 April 2008

The English Lakes

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.

Sunday 6 April 2008

Beer and chocolates

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 as
far 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!