The work goes on

Still Life, 4th day of work

Work continued on Still Life today. The figure has been mounted on a backing board and a first coat of gesso applied over the fabric draperies. Then I had to set her aside for some drying time and decided to start a new work because I still had half the day left.

I cut out a canvas about 60x80cm and prepared the surface and blocked in a face with acrylic paint. It is developed enough that tomorrow I can work over it in oil paint. The chin looks unnaturally pointy at this stage but that is because the face will be swathed in a scarf around the head as the work progresses.

The Quiet Place, day 1

I have obviously moved away from the really florid, highly embellished works I was doing all last year and up until a few months ago. I'm a little concerned that for the August exhibition I'll be presenting a really broad range of work that doesn't have a single unifying theme. Rodney is creating a much more themed body of work. But we have called our show "Murrurundi Mixed Media Marriage" so I hope that my rather loose and varied collection will seem passable under that descriptor of "mixed".

I am starting to give some thought to doing a new body of work for an exhibition in 2013-14. Next time I would work within a more tightly defined theme and unifying aesthetic.

Its more than likely I'll be back to work in the second week of May after I see the doctor for the next appointment on May 8th. My ankle is healing well and feeling almost back to normal.

progress on Still Life

Sally Alden, my photographer friend, picked up Peacock Feather yesterday. The day before I couldn't resist putting a bit more paint on her face. I thought the whole composition was bit dark so painted some brighter  highlights into her hair and face. I found out the models name is Erica and I should meet her at the exhibition opening on Sunday. Sally showed us an absolutely awesome selection of photos of Rodney on a montage board.  They were taken during a session she did with him a month ago and one of them is on the left side of the leaflet I published in my previous blog. She really is a fabulous photographer!  www.sallyaldenphotography.com

In the afternoon I went back to work on Still Life. The figure was draped with cloth that will harden. Then a few layers of gesso over that and I'll paint the surface. The figure is almost life size, measuring 95cm in length. The picture shows just the figure on my easel at the moment. When the hardening medium has dried the figure will be adhered to a backing board.