progress as of May 13, 09

I had my first one man art show in a Toronto Gallery in the prestigious Yorkville gallery district over 20 years ago. I was in my late 20’s and on top of the world creatively, so I thought. It was a reasonably good show, I sold a few works and I thought I was on my way in the art world. After the show I went back to my studio and began producing more art. When I approached the gallery to show again, they did not seem to be overly interested in the work. I didn’t quite know why until a few years later when I took a good look at what I was painting and I realized it was very mediocre and not really “finished” art. Ever since then I have had a fear of showing my art publically because I never think it is complete or finished.

Read More »

progress as of May 6 - turqouise and purple layers.

Colour to a painting is like touch is to the skin. The subtlety can be electrifying, sending sensations through the body as the colour slowly meanders across the canvas. Finding those hidden areas that call out for colour, for touch, is an artist’s desire, deciding on that exact tone, exact mixture of touch, of pressure, of feeling as your hands glide over the canvas, brush and sponge in hand… or just the fingers as they delicately work the paint into the skin of the canvas.

The subtlety of colour is the art of touch.

Today was about the subtlety and gentleness of colour and how it interacts with feeling on the canvas. Each layer of paint was applied with care, tenderness and feeling.

I will continue with these soft, diluted layers for a few days to see where they take me, hopefully bringing me back to that early morning in Venice, along the water’s edge.

Read More »

Venice as of April 27, 09

I have to admit I am feeling somewhat vulnerable right now. I have never been this open about a process that usually happens within my mind, by myself, within the confines of my studio. There is comfort knowing that you can have a bad day, screw up or just hide when things aren’t going well, not that today was a bad day. It is a slow process with some days finishing without much being resolved. A lot of change, but not always resolution. You do develop patience though.

I began as I do each session, with a coffee, sitting in my chair (pic below) looking at the painting wondering what colour, layer, technique I will begin with. I started with a blue layer on the right (below) applied with a dry brush. After that I used a wet sponge to drip and throw paint on to the canvas.

In any work of art you need to create tension. I quickly realized that I needed to begin creating some kind of visual tension on the canvas.  Tension between the left and right sides, tension between colour, tension within myself. This work when finished will have a balance  of  stress and strain between the left and right sides of the canvas, between the muddy yellow/green/greys on the left and the grey/blues on the right. How this ultimately plays out, I have no idea, though it does appear that I am losing Venice, the town.

  Read More »

The first wash layer

I am now beginning the most difficult, frustrating yet creatively rewarding part of the painting process. I have no idea what to expect during this phase. I will have good days (layers) and not so good layers. There will be moments where I will think I have lost the painting and will want to give up, but there will also be moments of magic and wonder as the colours unfold. As a viewer and participant in the process I ask for your patience as there will be many posts detailing the process. I never know when a painting will be finished. I just know when it is not. Your assistance and comments will be greatly appreciated. It may even influence the final work. Inviting the world into my studio is indeed a new creative experience. It has always been such a solitary journey as it is for many artists.
Read More »

first layer, red ochre

Here you see the painting after the first layer of paint. I work in a “fill in the blanks” style of painting during the first phase. My art professor in university, Ronald Bloore always impressed upon me the importance of “just getting paint on to the canvas.” Think of those old paint by numbers painting kits your mother bought you when you were a kid only I don’t have any numbers. I use a 1mm and 2mm brush to create whisps of colour and line. This layer and most successive layers (below) will take about 2 hours each to complete.

Read More »