Friday, January 25, 2013

A very busy year

My year was a busy one, exploring new things, trying to learn new techniques and above all, trying to get my hands to do the things my mind's eye can see.

Sculpture-
Last year was my 17th Century Lady with her Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. this year, I am trying out carving. I have some chisels and some knives, bought over the years with all the intentions of doing some exploring. You know how that on goes, "I'll get around to it one of these days". Well, I finally did just that. First, a Bas-relief of Gannets.






I wasn't sure how to proceed with the carving so sculpted it in clay so I could work out the sequence of material removal. This is after getting  book on sharpening and honing. Very important to learn. This is carved in basswood and varnished. About 8" x 12" x 2".

Then came the owls.




They were fun, as they started out as fat sparrows and demanded they become owlets. About 3" x 4" x 8".

I've been using the pieces of wood that support pallets. This all works out as a recycling project, no?

I then moved on to my favorite subject, pelicans. These are five roosting birds, done in fir and glazed with a very slight touch of color. About 3" x 4" x 18".





The latest of my carvings, though not completed, is my snoozing polar bear. He may end up as a story, on a platform with ravens mocking his repose. We'll see. About 3" x 4" x 7".















This year's paintings.

I keep working on that exploration of loose, but I struggle between that (looking too loose) and back to the overly realistic representation. I guess I'm still in love with the idea that I can paint realistically as opposed to putting down what I imagine it could be. A bit of fear and a lot of risk taking to put some of this stuff on a very large canvas.

Parrots on a decorative background.


Keas (New Zealand parrots) on decorative ground.






A watercolour sketch for the following painting. This painting is 3 feet x 3 feet.


Then followed by two other pelicans. The first a 2ft x 3ft painting and the second a 1ft. square.





Now and then, I see a wonderful dog and get to paint them in a way I see them. This is Molly on a 16" x 20" canvas.





The Landscapes.

I always thought I wanted to be a landscape artist, but found that I didn't feel for it as I do the birds. Sometimes, they come out in a way I like, but a lot of the time, I feel they have no life in them. I am still exploring how I voice them. These are some of them from the year.





This is the sketch (top) and here is the finished studio piece.





Another sketch.





I thought, as an exercise, I would try the classic type of painting. A still life in acrylics. This was quite fun.


A house portrait from my summer in and around Cambridge Ont.





As a landscape, this was actually more satisfying than the "big views".