The creation of ‘Mr Ram’
A number of people have admired my new painting, ‘Rammed In’ and have asked about the techniques I’ve used in painting him… now rather than subject you to a lengthy conversation, I’m putting together a number of progress shots here with a brief description of the action so that you can see how the end image slowly builds up both in layers of colour and detail…. I hope you enjoy the process as much as I did…..
Materials – Atelier interactive acrylic paints, canvas panel, assortment of standard brushes, copious café noir coffee…..
Starting point
The main parts of the image are drawn in using a standard pencil – this is to freehand position the main proportions… no details are referenced at this point as they will be drawn directly with the brush at a later stage. The reference photo (courtesy of Jessica Crighton) is blown up to A4 to enable the details to be seen clearly.
stage 1
Using Red Black, Naples Yellow Light, Titanium White and some Burnt Umber, I complete the blocking in process of the main elements.
blocking in continued…
blocking in continued…
blocking in almost done….
being daft
At this point I realised that I could pose as a Viking Maiden with my newly painted horns….. The moment quickly went after another coffee, and painting resumed!
Underpainting complete
I’m now ready to start adding the more precise colour changes and begin layering up the detail. The purple on the sheep’s forehead is a simple scrubbed in base for the details to lightly go on top… The speed of the blocking process has quickly produced a semblance of the final image… the progress now slows down to a crawl as the detail starts to go on…..
fore head detail
more detail
adding detail to nose area
about there
I’ve touched in the bright highlights on the horns, added more blue to the shine, added fine hairs to the nose, eyelashes, ears etc…. This is the point that I need to sit and look more that I paint….
He’s now framed and headed off to Cheshire for The Association Of Animal Artist’s Annual exhibition at The Castle Park Arts Centre in Frodsham….. Hope he doesn’t headbutt anybody while he’s there!
Thanks for joining me..
Jane xx
Off to market (exhibition ready!)
New work = more colour
I’ve been a little quiet on the blogging front… I’ve been beavering away in the studio and have created 16 new paintings to date.
I’m sending four off next week to The Association Of Animal Artists exhibition in Cheshire (5th April – 13th May), then will be heading a few other new works to Obsidian Art Gallery’s exhibition, The Horse In Art in July, The Great Sheffield Art Show also in July and Holmfirth Art Exhibition, again in July…
There is such a cluster of exhibitions that all overlap in timescale, I’ve been really pushing myself to have enough new pieces to spread them far and wide!
The paintings headed for the AAA in Cheshire are exploring colour and light effects- I’ve strayed a little off my usual horsey track and broadened my subject matter. I’m delighted to report that all 4 submitted images have trotted through the selection process….
I seem to be ‘on a roll’ in the studio, my technique is becoming stronger and I’m braver and more adventurous with my colours, the Atelier Interactive paint is really working in partnership with me at the moment, allowing softer shading and glazing…
This increase in confidence has allowed me to create what I feel is one of my best pieces of work – Midsummer Night’s Dream…. a piece which I still smile at with delight when I enter the studio every morning – I’m so proud of it! I was given permission to paint the most beautiful photograph by talented artist and photographer Lesley Thiel, and to be honest, with such breathtaking subject matter, the pressure was on to ‘do him justice’, so here is my most recent work, a portrait of the mouthwateringly beautiful Indomito……
Thanks for popping in to see what I’m up to!
Jane xx
Please respect the artists copyright on ALL images displayed, no unauthorised usage whatsoever without prior permission. Quality art cards will shortly be available for ‘Rammed In’ and ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’. Please email me for details if you are interested.
When is an artist not an artist?
When do we have the ‘right’ to call ourselves an artist? Is it;
- when somebody else calls you ‘an artist’
- when you feel that you create art
- when you feel that you live and breathe art everyday
- when you sell some, or all of your paintings
- when it is your primary ‘job’
- when you live from the sale of your art
Is it a label that we put on our creative hobby activities? Or just a label to justify sporadic extra income to the Tax Man……..
Is there a right or wrong answer to any of the above?
Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.
Thomas Merton
Art is the only way to run away without leaving home.
Twyla Tharp
The artist belongs to his work, not the work to the artist.
Novalis
Does somebody who has never experienced the release and near meditation of being totally immersed in creation,
have the ability to understand what fuels an artist?
I can remember as a child, people asking me what I wanted to be ‘when I grew up’…. My answer was always ‘an artist’. I think in my mind and childhood naivety, I most probably glamourised this profession into creating great pieces of art with little effort, paint brush behind my ear with a beret at a jaunty angle, being rich with every sale of a painting….
How far was I from the truth?
The truth of being an artist is that it is a challenging and difficult path;
- hours spent in frustration glaring at a few streaks of paint on a canvas
- pushing your personal boundaries and techniques at every opportunity
- never really knowing what is right or wrong
- becoming obsessed by your art, sometimes foregoing both food and sleep in your immersion in a project
- becoming more or less a hermit in your own studio
- the elation and disappointment of exhibition
- becoming a self promoting marketing whiz-kid
- people passing opinions on your most personal creations, good and bad
- feeling an overwhelming need to create
- living on very little, infrequent income
- becoming fluent with admin, marketing, sales, advertising, accounting and time management systems!
I am sure we can all add to this list ad infinitum!
One question, if an ‘artist’ (classed as a professional) does hobby art- work not directly associated with their line of professional art, is this art a hobby?
Or is all creative output classified as one?
Is it a matter of if this hobby art sells?
An odd question to pose, I know!
The majority of artists I know have either a part time job to keep some financial security in their lives, or a generous partner who is the main breadwinner, enabling the artist to enjoy creating without worrying about monthly sales…..
I invite your comments from both hobby artists and those that have pursued art as their chosen career path…. your opinions are needed!!
The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.
Pablo Picasso
Open Studio part of Open Up Sheffield 2012
I’ve just completed day 2 of my 5 days of opening my painting studio up to members of the public…. This year I am the only studio based in Barnsley, all of the other 62 studios participating are in the Sheffield area. Check out the catalogue online for a colour image of each artists work, there are 150 artists! Just click on the web link below:
It is now my 4th year of this event, my visitors have been trickling in to my secluded countryside base, quality not quantity I say! I can happily report that 3 originals have now found new homes. I have over 60 paintings on display and have converted my studio and dining room into gallery spaces complete with white voile drapes and matching labels (really pushing the boat out here!)
Over the course of the last few days I have completed some new works shown below…
Watching. 12 x 16″ coloured pencil. For Sale
Whizzy Woo and Ferg, 10 x 12″ acrylic. NFS
It has been lovely to open my private space to visitors and to talk about the inspiration and techniques I use, my last year’s artistic journey and also my plans for the future.
I’m a stones throw from The Yorkshire Sculpture Park and welcome you to pop into my secluded countryside base and have a cuppa and scone….. it would be great to meet you!
The BIG commission…
Whilst busily working on my 100 day challenge, I’ve also been quietly working on my commissions…..
The latest of which had a few faltering starts……
It’s top secret, which often does not bode well for obtaining the best photographs available! I’ve had to take a photo of two provided photos with my zoom lens, just to get enough detail to work with… the third photo was acquired via two MMS photo to phone transfers, over a 3 week timescale, put through Photoshop and still then, provided me with only the bare essentials of the animal…. I’d waited and waited to receive the full set of photos, and with the deadline getting close, we had to just bite the bullet and get on with it…….
- first session
session 2
third session
fourth session
Dubloon
Maximillion 381
Rembrandt
Trying new techniques, my GSD commission
Whats on the easel this week?………
I’ve been busy with my 100 challenge as you know, but I’ve managed to make some good progress on my latest commission. I stopped commission work while I was ill last month, but I’ve now regained my energy and brain power, and I’m hard at it!
My first stage is to draw my outlines; I try to be as accurate as I can at this stage….. The photo is a little dark as I was burning the ‘midnight oil’. A4 photo used as reference……..
Stage 1
My next stage is where the fun starts! I start by blocking in loose areas of colour until I have the majority of the animal and background area with a basic ‘undercoat’ of colour…..
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage 4
As yet, the nose and tongue areas need a lot more work, and I need to adjust my tones further and add detail to the neck and chest areas….I’m happy with the progress so far, it’s just that I now need daylight studio hours to complete this portrait, rather than midnight under electric lamp hours…..
Will update you on my progress…….
Rantings, ravings and paintings 