Time for a Catch Up

My page on ArtGallery.co.uk

There is no denying it, it's been a while. I have been painting, but all my efforts are now on the surface of eggs which have been duly rolled down the nearest hill.

One thing I have done that isn't small and egg shaped, is add my details to a website called artgallery.co.uk. I have my own page on it, and can sell my artwork in all it's forms through it. I decided to add just my mounted prints and one or two paintings, and rather handily, when I sell something, I get a text letting me know. I've had it set up for a week, and I've already sold.

Rather good. Can you tell I'm pleased?

Let me know what you think.

Stained Glass Effect

Bluebell Sunburst, oil on canvas, 40 x 40cm (16 x 16")

Just a quickie.  I wanted to let you see one of the paintings I am exhibiting at Smithy Gallery from the 17th April. Arran Sunset, the painting depicted in my last post, Defeated (good grief how much more negative a title could I have written), has been sold.  Wayhay.

Bluebell Sunburst is a wee bit different for me as I haven't blended the colours in the canopy of trees, but I like the effect of the layers of paint one on top of the other and the way the branches of the trees look a bit like stained glass.

I painted this before my new mixed media paintings, and I can see how it's influenced certain aspects of them.

However, now that Spring has sprung, it's time for me to turn to subjects other than bluebells and snowdrops.  I'm off to the North East of Scotland tomorrow for inspiration and wide open skies.

Defeated

Arran Sunset, oil on canvas, 60 x 80cm (24 x 31")

I have another private view coming up on the 17th April at Smithy Gallery (you are more than welcome to attend, 1pm to 5pm), and I promised the gallery owner that I would have a new painting, in mixed media ready for them for that event.

But I'm just not going to manage it, and I'm really annoyed with myself.

The new painting was the one I wrote a post about last week - A New Painting, Loch Garry 1 - but it just hasn't worked.  And I'm not going to be able to solve it's problems in time to get it framed.  I will still post about it, though, I just think it's too awful to show you at the moment.  Colours are garish, the sky is blotchy, clouds are nondescript, the loch is flat and uninteresting and the shades I used when preparing the background just aren't shining through - I think that's enough for now.  There is nothing more frustrating than working on a painting especially for someone, and not liking it.

I am feeling both defeated and deflated, but it won't last long.  I'll start working on the Loch Garry painting again (in a couple of weeks), and suddenly, out of nowhere, it'll start to work, and everything will be rosy, birds will be singing and I'll accept that I can still paint after all.

However, I do have some other paintings that I have not shown before, which in itself is quite exciting, so they will be hanging them for the first time on the 17th.  Wish me luck!