October- What happened?!

As the end of each month approaches I always feel a sense of foreboding at the thought of writing this newsletter! I never think that I will have anything to write about, especially as it takes me so long to produce a series of work. However, fortunately, on the advice of another artist, I have a tatty diary in my studio where I jot down notes and write to do lists that either get ticked off or more usually have an arrow symbolising that it will be moved to the following week! So when I look back through my scribbles I am always surprised that I have at least 4 things that I can tell you all about!

The second week of October was a school holiday in Scotland, which meant that I had a break from teaching the primary kids. However I had the very new experience of teaching a group of adults at an art workshop instead. I nervously shared my techniques of how I use charcoal to create fur for my pet portraits. I was ‘petrified (!) even though it was only a group of 8 and a much calmer and interested set of students than I was used to. The 2 hours went very quickly and the artists were pleased with their results, some even claiming that they were off to buy some new art resources, inspired to draw more furry animals at home.

I learnt a few things from this experience and have made plans to be part of the Arran visual arts programme next year. So watch this space for future workshops that I will be part of.

Then I completed a commission for a double pet portrait, where someone had just lost their beloved furry friend. I am so grateful that I can bring some form of comfort to someone at such a sad time.

Remember the series of paintings called ‘Calm Reflections’ that I finished in March and uploaded onto my website? Well they have been taken off the website and I only have 1 left…. and that’s not because I sold the rest. I have painted over them!!!!!

WAIT…..you did WHAAATT!

Let me explain!

My process of painting starts with something that has caught my attention when I am out in nature. It may be the shape of a cloud or the horizontal lines of light on a calm sea. I use this as a starting point and work intuitively, not knowing what the outcome is going to be, being guided by the marks and colours that serendipitously happen on the canvas, but always holding onto the initial idea/image/ intention.

I work on at least 6 pieces at the same time, linking each one with similar marks and colours. But, there is always one that breaks away and doesn’t want to go the same way as the others, no matter how I try to force it. I call this my break out painting, which is actually developing an idea of what to put into the next series. So I finish the ones that are playing ball, put them out into the world for those that wish to purchase them. I then move on with the next series which will be going in a slightly new direction.

If I were to leave that finished series of work hanging in my studio, instead of wrapping them up and storing them away, then they would be susceptible to a paint loaded brush making a few changes here and there according to what I was now interested in.

So yes. This is what befell the 3 paintings from Calm Reflections. I was moving towards wanting to make paintings that made more of a focus on those horizontal lines across the sea, and instead of working on new panels I ‘adjusted’ the panels that were still on my wall!!

As you can see, I have adjusted them into completely new paintings!

I really love them, much more than the paintings underneath.

I really do hope to get them all finished and back on my website by the end of November (depending on how the pet portrait commissions go!)

The joys of being an artist means that friends or family think that you can:

a) paint the house to the same standard as a decorator

b) whip up a portrait that is needed as a prop for a drama class!

The latter of which did actually happen last week, where my son asked me if I could ‘paint a portrait of an old rich man’ that ‘looked like one of those real paintings in a mansion’ and ‘had clues as to where the diamond was buried’