A BRIEF ENCOUNTER

I was sitting on the terrace looking out across the ocean and I noticed this girl standing motionless with an odd pose. I thought, what is she doing?. Its only when I looked up to the sky did I realise she was flying a kite. She was perfectly positioned between the palm trees and there is an interesting disconnect between her and what she is doing as a mass of palm trees are between her and the kite. I will find out whether I have an adequate solution for all these palm trees. I am optimistic.

Girl flying kite, Mexico. Day 1

COLLAGE AND CHAOS

This painting contains a hotch pot of styles. My idea is that somewhere in this chaotic mix something surprising and unexpected emerges. Its my version of Spanglish, I think it works. I have always liked early David Hockney when he was painting in an almost collage style and very graphic. I think the way I have done it is with the aim to make a subtle unified picture. This is a night time photo and the difference to the ‘Day 3’ day time photo is quite noticeable. The picture is finished.

Four swimmers, Mexico

QUITE DIFFERENT

I thought the ‘Day 2’ version was close to what I wanted but after prolonged viewing I got the feeling that the painting needed to look a lot more ‘worked’. You can often tell if a painting has arrived to a conclusion too quickly. When there is a depth of colour and the painting has developed a tough skin then you know it has been knocked around and not treated like a precious object. This picture is now close to being finished, I like the atmosphere and for me the crazy kaleidoscope of bright shapes (the headland is made of big rocks) does actually work.

Four swimmers, Mexico. Day 3

A MORNING SUNSET

The photo was taken at 8am and needless to say, there was no sunset. For some reason I wanted to set it when there was a minimal amount of light in the sky. I think it works better. I am putting in a lot of pure red and saturated greens, I hope I can maintain some sort of balance and subtlety throughout the picture. I also wanted to create a very calm glass like surface so the sky was reflected quite strongly. As a start I think its close to where I want it.

Four swimmers, Mexico. Day 2

FOUR SWIMMERS

When you go out actively looking for subjects for new paintings you will often find things that are unexpected and compelling. I went out to photograph the headland meeting the ocean with some interesting rocks in the sea. When I got there I realized the scene was not that interesting however what transformed it was the four swimmers. There is a stillness to it, and the simplified figures remind me of Milton Avery. You instinctively know what ingredients make a good painting. This has it.

Four swimmers, Mexico. Day 1

PART TWO

The problem with having your studio in your lounge is that I am continually looking at my painting, looking for things that are wrong. Its quite exhausting. What I would describe as an hour of fiddling has proven to be a productive hour. So much so that I have issued a Trump executive order and made a second posting. (My website is in the UK time zone! meaning its still the 15th February for me). My ambition to make paintings that I don’t fully understand has been realized with this painting. I would call it beguiling, is it finished? I will review tomorrow.

The blue house, Mexico.

ITS A PIG OF A PAINTING

Constant prodding over the last few days was getting me nowhere. Starting this morning with more feeble prodding I soon realised I would have to go ‘all in’. This meant ignoring the photo, putting the wellies on and jumping in. In the past this could end up with temper tantrums and a destroyed painting. Thankfully due to better technical abilities, rather than brute force, the picture is normally turned around. Looking at it now it has improved a lot although another mid'-day photo does not do it justice. The ‘clouds’ look like a Hollywood billboard, but for some reason I like them?

The blue house, Mexico. Day 5

WORKED THROUGH LUNCH

almost. I had agreed to work until 2:30 then meet the wife by the poolside restaurant for lunch. I have never suffered as an ‘artist’, and therefore will never earn the title ‘artist’. It was 2:45 before I looked at my watch but as the wife is Mexican, she was also late. I have got the painting to a good position, now I can look at the nuances and improve it some more.

The blue house, Mexico. Day 4

CABIN FEVER

Its only because I am wearing t-shirt and shorts while painting that I know I can’t be in the UK. I am spending so much time painting I am starting to lose where I am. As my ‘studio’ is west facing I am painting in the morning as the sun and heat hits in the afternoon. With my painting at the moment I am finding I have to be quite a way into the picture before I ‘discover’ the light. That moment has arrived and the quality of the picture always follows. For a daytime photo, this is very accurate, I must be fiddling the right knobs in Photoshop.

The blue house, Mexico. Day 3

THE WRONG BLUE HOUSE

Its not quite the blue that the house is actually painted and I still want to make it that blue. However, because its the only blue of any size its working in the painting the way I want it to. I am enjoying the simplified approach to painting buildings, there is some Paul Klee going on. Sky is a bit mad, it looks like a line of elephants. I am going to resist the temptation to turn it into a Dali and take a more sensible approach for once.

The blue house, Mexico. Day 2

EXPRESS PROGRESS

This is more like it. I feel my painting has developed at such a pace since arriving in Mexico that I can barely keep up. This is a ‘problem’ that I have not dealt with before, normally it feels like walking through setting cement. I am actually fearful of a return to drab, grey cold England, I fear my painting will fall down a metaphorical sink hole. In the meantime I will make the most of my time left here, there is an endless reel of subject matter. This painting is finished and it has thrown up a lot of questions around stylistic solutions.

Houses on a hill, Mexico

INTERRUPTED PROGRESS

This morning my pop up studio was not going to pop up due to some interruptions at our apartment. I did have an hour and a half before this started so with ten minutes to spare I was able to finish this drawing for the next painting. What is interesting about this scene is that the owner decided to paint his house an intense mid blue when all the other buildings around are concrete grey, white and terracotta. Its a blue that actually glows. I will finish my current painting tomorrow.

The blue house, Mexico. Day 1

Sviatoslav Richter

‘Notebooks and Conversations’ is about the Russian pianist that Prokofiev called the greatest pianist of the 20th century. One of my favourite quotes from the book is: ‘I listened again to my recording of Rachmaninov’s 2nd piano concerto with great pleasure. In terms of my virtuosity I found it quite acceptable’. It is clear that he has the mindset of an uncompromising artist, a highly intelligent and thoughtful man. I would describe this photo as a bit punchy in terms of contrast but its quite close to the painting.

Houses on a hill, Mexico. Day 4

IS THIS AN ICON?

I started to become aware that my blue sky landscape was resembling an icon. I may have pushed the sky a little too far towards gold leaf. In fact the whole scene has become quite Italianate, is it the steep hillside perspective? Maybe the appearance of some palm trees will convince this is still Mexico, maybe not. Anyway, I am happy with how it is going and will take the lesson on board.

Houses on a hill, Mexico. Day 3

HEAVEN AND EARTH

The Mexicans have no fear of building on the steepest of inclines. This painting almost has a Tiepolo like perspective as your eyes are drawn skywards. I am trying to be conscious of the effects of foreshortening. Also to create a sense of the colour becoming lighter and more ethereal as the landscape becomes more exposed to the sky. Nothing like a proper challenge to keep you focused.

Houses on a hill, Mexico. Day 2

HOUSES ON A HILL

Thank god for the fearless tradition of the Mexican self builder, its a gift for any landscape artist. I have chosen this composition because I really like the balance between natural vegetation and construction, its almost in harmony. I have always wondered how I would tackle a palm tree, you can’t avoid them here. I have never liked all those delicate fronds, I prefer a muscular palm, the type Michelangelo would have painted. Hopefully my version is going to be semi convincing.

Houses on a hill, Mexico. Day 1

KEN KIFF OR TITIAN?

My direction seems to be slipping down the ladder of the painting gods. At least Ken Kiff is more in reach. I really do like Ken and his mystical take on the world but I am hoping to put the breaks on before getting to his ‘zoo’ of animal friends. The tortoise has survived and has a suitably discreet presence on the horizon. This painting has turned out well and I prefer it to the previous one which has an awkwardness to it, possibly more compositional than anything else.

A distant headland, Mexico.

THE DEEP BLUE SEA

I have been pondering for several hours how much to colour this ocean with the strong sunset. The problem? when you mess around with photoshop is you lose the natural values of the original photo, but of course, this is never true to the subject anyway. I think where I have the ocean is about right now and it came around fairly quickly. Another sub par photo taken during the day but its close enough. If any of you are thinking of a trip to Mexico this is exactly what the sunsets look like.

A distant headland, Mexico. Day 4

CAN MY IMAGINATION BE TRUSTED?

I said I had an open mind and nothing is off the table. Well, Mexico is going to test that. I have seen a nice green tortoise making its way across the horizon that I have become quite attached to. It would be a shame to let it go. It seems that Mexico has rekindled my surrealist tendencies that a few years ago I was trying to bury. This time they seem to be working in a less premeditated way, they are emerging through the process of painting.

A distant headland, Mexico. Day 3

A HEADLAND IN SILHOUETTE

I don’t know if it would have been more helpful to have taken the photo in brighter light conditions, but then the intensity of the sunset would have been lost. I am gradually finding the forms in the headland although some of it is having to be invented because there is no information in the photograph. I don’t think the painting will suffer because of this.

A distant headland, Mexico. Day 2