Experimental Practice

I'm doing something I haven't done before - experimenting with my craft, rather than producing work for exhibition and sale. I starting this new process by playing with some ideas about how I go about my tradecraft.

This work draws on the Flemish many layered process that includes the dark warm ground, verdaccio/grisaille, piambura (dead layer) and houding (red/green warm/cool shaping).

Instead of the burnt umber I have chosen Alizarin crimson for the ground. I prefer a brighter palette than the old school Dutch/Flemish.

For the grisaille I'm trying Payne's Grey : - It just feels more contemporary (so far).

Next to let it dry and add the piambura.....

Post Studies - Emerging, again.

After several years of study and actually finding paid employment I find myself in the strange position of feeling in some way justified to pick up my brush again. Some ideas have been percolating in my mind for those years and they are demanding expression (as they are wont to do!).

In some ways it is crunch time for me in my art career. I need to get my visual act together. I've had time to learn some of my craft and play with the ideas that motivate my practice; now I need to bring these elements together into a mature practice. I spent so much time reflecting about the nature of my practice, both conceptually and physically and I think I finally have a real sense of myself as a practitioner.

I just have to make the work!

Then there is that other voice - advice from an experienced gallerist and established artists, "just paint, and don't worry about the rush to be seen". So that is what I plan to do for the next - just paint, and draw and film....