Last term! Don’t believe it, these 4 years have just rushed by. I am
so grateful to have been given the opportunity to explore my creative side.
It has been a privilege to have been able to take this time, to
paint, to have had access to such a high calibre of tutors and to rub shoulders
with such talented artists that the TLC attract.
Monday - Plain air painting – Thomas Robson
Of the first Monday we went to the very restful taita cemetery and
returned to it one other time. We also went down to the silverstream overbridge
and Trentham memorial park. There were plenty of beautiful vistas to render in
watercolour, and oil but I was not enamoured with the results of my efforts, I
think mainly because although I love the’ landscape’ of New Zealand, I feel my renditions
of it does not do it justice, and to keep my interest I need to put in the
human element somewhere.
My most successful pieces were an oil that I treated like
watercolour by adding alot of archival lean to, recording the houses
surrounding the cemetery and 3 little canvases showing houses within the
landscape.
Wednesday – Painting – Roger Key
Ran out of time to try
impasto block week so I decided to extend my still lifes into the mains classes
and do some fruit using this paint additive (from archival, an Australian make)
that does not affect the colour but allows faster drying time even if you apply
it thickly. I use One canvas that I split into 4 panels, I ‘killed’ the white
of the canvas using acrylic paint and had fun with it!.
I think the pieces
would have been better much bigger and maybe I will, the frugalness in me
appreciated the paint extender even though Roger feels its cheating and you
shouldn’t have to add anything to your paint!
Friday – Sarah Brock
I decided to extend the impasto painting into a portrait and I don’t
think its too bad. I choose a subject I took a photo of but didn’t know well,
so I did not get hung up in getting a likeness, as it was painting with impasto
demanded a larger canvas than I had so I applied to her Hat and dress only.
I think it important to take your own reference photos and with the
dandilions there was alot of mucking around getting the focus right and getting
close enough detail to suit me.
Every time I have an idea for a painting I doubt whether I can paint
it, so every canvas is an exploration of my abilities and whether the idea was
a good or frustrating one. You can’t know what the public might find alluring
enough to put down good money for so really if you’re in this for making money,
there are easier ways that are less damaging to your sycee. You can only paint
what is of interest to you, and with every one you do, get a little better and
go a little further and get a little more inspiration. If people like it and
I’ve only had positive feed back, that’s a great encouragement, if they buy it, well
what a privilege to have your work part of them! And it helps with getting another canvas to work
on.
People have asked where to from here, does this time lead to a job
and money coming in steady? No probably not, but it has resulted in me wanting
to keep going, hopefully always having something I’m working on, cluttering up
the house and maybe creating a body of work for another solo exhibition in the
near future?
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