'Alison'

'Alison'

15cm x 15cm

oil on canvas panel

After many months of making charcoal, pastel and gesso drawings, (and if you remember, re-constructing drawings into mosaics) I have my oil paints out again...! Don't get me wrong, It's been exciting working in that way (and I will return to it soon), but I have to say it's good to smell that sweet fragrance of turps again! :) I have begun by re-working 'Alison' as I've always felt she needed further work as I never felt I had totally resolved her. I have softened some of the transitions of colour and placed some warmer hues into the flesh. One of the advantages of using a limited palette is that it's easier to carry on where you left off without struggling to recreate the correct colour mix. When painting the flesh, I change the blue on my palette from Ultramarine to Cerulean. Cerulean makes lovely cool flesh tints, and violet greys for some of the shadow areas. 

I'm satisfied that I've now managed to capture not only the softness in her skin tones but also the twinkle in her eye which is very much 'Alison'. :)

Pics of the opening of 'Healing Fibres'

'Healing Fibres' 

Sprinkler Factory 

 38 Harlow St., Worcester, MA, USA

The show opened on 5th October

Here are some pics of the opening.

What a fabulous gallery space!

My two pieces are on the far wall

The show opened with flamenco dancing...

   

Artists participating in the exhibition were:

Bayda Asbridge

Susan Black

Laura Cahalane

Charlotte Eckler

Jeri Gillian

Ann Hanscom

Patti Kelly

Ann Stoker

Mihoko Wakabayashi

Jill Watts

Here are my pieces 'Veil' and 'Veil 2 - the Girl with the Golden Hair' hanging either side of Bayda Asbridge's 'Kiss'

Below are a selection of pieces from the other artists in the exhibition

The opening was a resounding success and I only wish I could have been there :(  

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my dear friend Bayda for inviting me to show my work at the Sprinkler Factory and for all her hard work organising the exhibition. 

Here is a link to Bayda's Facebook page where you will find more pics of the show:  https://www.facebook.com/bayda.asbridge.7?fref=photo

Back in my studio at last!

This is the first day since our exhibition in September 'Aspects of the Feminine' that I've been in my studio working. There's been lots to catch up on but most of it's done now apart from one or two walls I promised to paint once the exhibition came down! I've started gently today by reworking a piece that in the show I called 'Feeling Nature'. I've added colour in the foreground which I feel has strengthened the composition and given the piece a definite focus. While it was hanging in the gallery I felt like taking it off the wall and working on it there and then! Teaching tomorrow....making studies for paintings with crayons, sketchbooks and IPads...should be a fun morning! :)