A PAINTER’S PROGRESS
This more active and brighter approach makes this painting look quite different to my usual style. I am still getting used to the look of it wondering whether it is too graphic or not. I am keeping an open mind. The bright colours are going to ramp up further as I start to paint in the left hill which is in full autumnal splendour. I have been past this scene recently and there are many red trees, might take some more photos.
Pike House Hill. Day 6
There is a painter that I like, Leon Morrocco, a Scottish painter who now lives in the Alpes Maritimes which is just north of Nice, France. My exaggerated and soaring perspective has given the impression this painting might be based on the French Alps rather than Northumberland. I am also adopting a more brighter pastel palette, similar to Leon but his use of pastel colour is so intense it makes me feel ill. I like the way the bottom right is emerging. This is the area of maximum contrast, the dark shadow from the hill and the raking sunlight catching the trees. Like the way this painting is progressing, making me think of a slight stylist change for the future.
Pike House Hill. Day 5
Wasn’t sure about posting todays effort, it was only a couple of hours. However, I am being quite entertained by this painting so I have decided to update the progress. Hopefully tomorrow I will get more done.
Pike House Hill. Day 4
Thats the plan, I think its working. The idea is to simplify all the shapes of the trees and make them distinctly separate and really contrast the colour. I suppose to make the mass of trees like a bag of jelly babies but with a bit of sophistication. The contrast between the dark shadow of the hill on the right and the rest of the picture is starting to come through. A few indications of the autumn trees in full sun on the left. I may use orange straight out of the tube in some of these areas.
Pike House Hill. Day 3
I have always liked the Cartoon Guston period, but they are actually very sophisticated paintings in terms of how they are composed and painted. I have a group of cartoon trees at the top of the hill and the painting so far has that feel. The intention is to carry this through the entire painting. I think it suits the composition which is a mass of small shapes stacked from the bottom of the painting to the top and it will be almost like a painting by numbers project.
Pike House Hill. Day 2
Soutine stylee. I wanted to emphasize the amount of space I could see from the bottom of the valley to the top of the hill. So much so, that I had to push the clouds below the hill top when in reality they were miles above the horizon. The whole scene is quite dramatic. Its a winters evening so the right hill is almost in dark shadow and a raking light is just catching the tips of the trees. The right foreground trees are white? The left hill is in full autumn splendour as is the background. Fictitious naming of the hill, it had no name. I have named it after a farmhouse on the hill, such a scene deserves it.
Pike House Hill. Day 1
More Gauguin than Seurat. I am looking for the clear shape in everything and the curious thing is it is nearly always there as it follows the form of the object. Sometimes I find better forms to describe the object from previous brush marks that are already there. This scene is highly simplified but all the elements in the painting are visible in the landscape. I suppose the challenge is to paint a more featureless landscape. Maybe thats for the future. After reviewing this painting a day after this post I realized the painting was finished. The dark brown shape in the foreground centre of the painting has taken on the aspect of a figure with a pointy nose and that is one of the aspects of the landscape I look for. The point is the landscape is full of extraordinary shapes when you spend time looking at it. Echoes of Edward Burra, and thats no bad thing.
An imagined landscape, Northumberland
A week spent wandering in the wilderness, which is the Northumberland landscape, to recharge my batteries. It was also an opportunity to capture the landscape in all its golden hues and some photos I had in mind that needed taking now before the leaves fall. Anyway, renewed enthusiasm for this painting, which I liked from the beginning. It is coming together well and I hoping to move onto one of these autumnal scenes in my next painting.
An imagined landscape, Northumberland. Day 7
Not on the output front but in terms of a ‘vision’ of the landscape. I have taken the biggest liberties with this painting in terms of moving objects around and simplifying areas and intensifying colour. This photo was taken on a grey overcast day, what that means is I don’t have to have the finished article in terms of photographic material. The work I do to edit and draw out the composition and to get creative in the painting process has transformed the starting point. This is very encouraging. The previous editions of this painting have come out quite cold in terms of temperature, today is correct. All to do with using a new camera.
An imagined landscape, Northumberland. Day 6
Thats what I am beginning to believe. In fact I have always believed this, I can see it in my style since a student, I blame Milton Avery. The problem with reduction is trying to retain the maximum sophistication and impact, so design is becoming more important along with a more sophisticated understanding of colour and space. Its a very slow process but I can see it coming through in my work. This painting is going well, I particularly like the top left corner with is quite graphic and punchy and has some Guston cartoon qualities.
An imagined landscape, Northumberland. Day 5
The forms and the light in the sky and across the landscape reminds me of the twilight zone of the later Paul Nash landscapes. The weather is hard to pin down, its definitely daylight but it is a strange light. It seems to work, and I like it so I will continue to follow the where painting is leading me.
An imagined landscape, Northumberland. Day 4
Funny what you get used to but this pink cast of the old camera is so obvious to me now. Me toiling away in the studio to get precisely the right tone and only for my old camera to screw everything up! Now my labours will not be wasted, looking forward to presenting a more faithful representation of my work. I think things will take a step forward and should lead to better paintings. This one is going well, now I just need to re photograph and repost every painting on my website!
An imagined landscape, Northumberland. Day 3
Upping the production values on this website. All photos will be shot on my newly arrived Leica camera and if any of you know your photography they are the Rolls Royce of cameras. Early indications are that the camera is much better at faithfully recording the precise colours and tonal contrasts. My old Nikon camera gives everything a pink cast, something I hadn’t realised. The main reason for buying was to get me out more into the countryside and get better locations and photos for my painting. Just including the last finished painting although I will slowly update the others over time.
A Titian sky, Eglingham. LEICA
A Titian sky, Eglingham. NIKON
A dramatic headline for a dramatic start to this painting which I am liking. When I was in the area taking photos there was a reasonable level of tonal drama but it was restricted to whites and greys in the sky. I have upped the colour saturation as per the previous painting and I am liking how things are looking with these changes. The patterns in the hills are present as fields and heather but I am trying to increase the contrasts and simplify areas across the painting.
An imagined landscape, Northumberland. Day 2
I don’t suppose I am different to anyone else in this. On Sunday I sat in front of my painting with not an ounce of enthusiasm, knowing it wasn’t finished but also knowing how much work was needed to finish it. Today I was mentally prepared and the enthusiasm was back. I always know its not the painting or subjects that are at fault but me. Anyway, this is finished and it has turned out well, now onto the next one. I have started to include the original drawing when all is done as I find the comparison interesting. In my opinion I have pulled off a ‘Titian sky’ and it has tuned up a brighter palette and I think I prefer it.
A Titian sky, Eglingham
The previous painting is not finished but I didn’t have the mental energy to tackle it today. This new painting is not entirely invented, but there has been a lot of artistic license applied to construct the image. The two hills were in the centre of the painting, now moved to the right and three smaller hills added in its place. The right side of the horizon has been moved to the left. There are some odd distortions in the sky from my editing which I am going to exaggerate. The single tree in the foreground has been reshaped and then copy and pasted and now there are three. The scene is still unmistakable from the actual one, nature has just been enhanced. The big cloud on the right is a result of a swipe on my dirty tv screen.
An imagined landscape, Northumberland. Day 1
I have found a hidden gem in this road to Eglingham. Its on a high plateau and looks across the valley to the spectacular range of hills to the north. I am beginning to realize that weather conditions are playing a more important part of my painting so I need to get out more with the camera on dramatic sky days. This painting is almost finished. I like the more brilliant palette and thats something else I want to think about.
A Titian sky, Eglingham. Day 6
What I like about how these paintings are developing is that the under drawing does not change. I may add a tree or two in the process but essentially its a case of following the outlines. What that means to me is that I have got the composition ‘right’ and there are not any areas that do not work. That also means that I just need to focus on using colour to create form and space. This painting is another one of those pictures that I paint from the top down. I use the finished sky to judge the tone for the rest of the landscape.
A Titian sky, Eglingham. Day 5
I think my modern interpretation of a Titian sky is close enough. That was the gamble and there is enough of a passing resemblance to justify the title. The sky is not quite finished but it won’t change much. Now for the rest of the picture, which should follow the pastel palette that I have adopted for this painting.
A Titian sky, Eglingham. Day 4
More DeKooning than Titian, either will do. I have allowed myself plenty of slack to go off on my usual journey of discovery. Thats how it should be. What I didn’t want to do was lose the brilliant chromatic intensity of the original scene. Not only have I not lost it I have pushed beyond the original idea. I think I have got most of it down now and have a good tonal framework in place for the rest of the painting.
A Titian sky, Eglingham. Day 3