Morning Coffee

Morning Coffee
Graphite On Paper
16.5 x 11.75"

     I went back to a more abstract way of working for this one, but still making it recognisable and representative. I wanted to show a lot of light in this drawing and how it bounces around to illuminate and create a silhouette. 

Curve

Curve
Papercutting
16.5 x 11.75"

     More belly dancer fun. I thought I should do a closer crop for this one so I could add more details to the costume. Of course more details mean more cutting and this makes the paper very weak. I have seen some crazy papercutting though with a lot more detail in them than mine, so it's just a case of being careful when working on it and careful storing it.
     I have been thinking about adding colour to my papercutting pictures but that will take a lot of planning. I am in love with processes though so it should be interesting to figure it all out. I may also make some belly dancer pictures in other mediums to if I can ever find the time.

Stuart

Stuart
Wax On Watercolour Paper
14.8 x 9.8"

     Continuing my portraiture work, this time one of my Grandad. It's surprisingly hard to even get family members to agree to a portrait but I need the work and so I will take whoever agrees to it. Older faces are more interesting and more challenging though, with their folds and wrinkles. This is exactly the challenge I need if I am to make more progression with my portraiture.
     Next comes a full body portrait as a further challenge and I hope it will be as successful as my previous ones. Though most of the subjects may be me in the next lot I do, I'm sure others will be more agreeable to have theirs done when they see the results. I hope to do some more animals pictures too soon and at least they can't say no to it.
    

Remembrance

Remembrance
Monotype On Paper
11.7 x 8.3"

     I made a picture for remembrance day last year and so thought I would do one again. I thought one of those plastic poppy's would be an ideal subject and print be the ideal medium. Originally I was going to make it using flat colours but I decided I wanted to give it some depth. I'm glad I detailed it with the shadow and highlights now as it really adds another dimension to the piece.
     So here are the results of another successful monotype. With it I give thanks to the men and women who fought and died to give me the freedom I enjoy today, and allow me to create my art. Thank you for your sacrifice and I will not forget it.

Self Portrait In Blue Shirt

Self Portrait In Blue Shirt
Acrylic On Canvas Paper
13.5 x 19.5"

     So this is me in colour. Nothing too complicated, just a head shot to help me build confidence in painting a portrait. I'm happy with my change of focus from buildings to figures but I wish I had done so sooner. Never mind though as at the time of writing this I have finished another portrait and have started a third which is more complex as it is set within a scene. So look out for those in the coming weeks.

Conisbrough Library

Conisbrough Library
Acrylic On Canvas
16 x 20"

     Another interesting local building. This time I thought I would add people as some of my other building paintings feel a little devoid of life. To be honest though they are about the building and not the people but it doesn't hurt to add a little more life. Plus I thought it would be funny to add someone at the bus stop checking their watch. That's British humour for you.

Pyramids

Pyramids
Acrylic On Canvas Board
16 x 20"

     I found this painting in a folder from a few years ago. This was when I was experimenting with abstraction around 2012. I still like it so thought I would share it with you. Painting on a white Gesso background with thin layers of paint I was able to make it glow and keep some of the white space. I think it helps create a hazy desert feel.

Grazing Sheep

Grazing Sheep
Monotype On Paper
8.3 x 11.7"

     Another fun little monotype (little is now A4 to me and A3 just doesn't seem that big either). Sheep are great fun to work from and the black and white makes them interesting subjects from a graphic point of view. Sometimes its ok to just make art that looks nice and doesn't have a message.

Charcoal Self Portrait II

Charcoal Self Portrait II
Charcoal On Watercolour Paper
16.9 x 12.6"

     As I mentioned in my previous post I am working on portraits and people right now. I will be doing several self portraits as well as works featuring family and friends as they are the people I have easiest access to. So here's another charcoal self portrait. This time of my face just to see if I could capture my likeness.
     I was quite happy how this one turned out and it does look like me. Its interesting when you have to examine yourself close up, all the lumps and bumps and curves that make up you. Its almost a spiritual experience or a frightening one. Anyway I now feel more confident about my portrait work so expect to see the results of this soon.

Wanderer

Wanderer
Graphite On Paper
11.75 x 16.5"

     I have the intention of drawing and painting more horses and maybe attending a race to get some good reference material one day. For now though I am committed to human portraits and will be so probably to the end of the year. So this will have to do for now but I think he has a lot of character compared to those race horses.

Pineapple And Tomatoes

Pineapple And Tomatoes
Wax On Watercolour Paper
16.9 x 12.2"

     I struggled to get the lighting right on this one. It was very bright on the light side but using white made it look very washed out and flat. So I just worked into it with pale yellows and greens until it looked right. I'm a perfectionist so the last part of a painting always takes the longest. Making sure everything is the right colour, shade, hue as well as straight and correctly proportioned can make you feel a  little crazy. In the end you just have to accept its made by hand and so can never be perfect. Yes sometimes art can be really stressful.

Free Movement

Free Movement
Papercutting
16.5 x 11.75"

     Another one of my lovelies. For anyone interested, this one is for sale along with my other artwork. I thought it was about time I tried to sell my work and see what happens. So go here: http://www.artistsandillustrators.co.uk/shaunmichaeljones to check out my other stuff.

Mother And Child

Mother And Child
Collage On Paper
11.75 x 16.5"

     I'm always looking for new techniques to try with my art and I don't know why I didn't think of collage sooner. I saw a Matisse documentary on television not long ago and was inspired to work with paper as well. As you know I already make papercutting's but this is a little more chaotic. Its actually like being a child again, cutting and sticking and it feels raw.
     So here is my first attempt. I was trying to get a more realistic interpretation but decide against this as the nature of the paper meant it would always be imperfect anyway. After all why would I try to hide the medium I was using when it was an integral part of the work.
     I already have another one planned but it will have a sci-fi twist. So keep watching this space.

Self Portrait

Self Portrait
Ink, Acrylic And Watercolour On Paper
23.4 x 16.5"

     Self portraits are something I have avoided in the past. This is partly because I don't really paint people. The other part is that I'm not that fond of myself. Painting for me is an escape from everything, including myself. When I'm working on a piece I'm no longer me but just some entity that is nameless and formless, that only cares about the art. In truth I'm running away from myself through my work.
     However I do need the practice as I have decided to start creating more paintings with people in them. I hope this will add more life to my architectural work and pave the way to more portrait related stuff.
     So here I am in mostly ink form. Now its a close likeness I think but there are lots of things wrong with it and so I must make more and improve. If I had access to models or willing family members I would use them but I don't so I guess I will have to do for now.

Chinese Lantern

Chinese Lantern
Monotype On Paper
11.7 x 8.3"

     Another monotype. I found this interesting plant on a trip to Cannon Hall and thought it might make a good subject to work from. After some searching on the internet I discovered it was call Physalis alkekengi. Its more commonly know as a Chinese lantern for its colour and texture however. Anyway it made a great print which is really vibrant. I also used a better quality watercolour for this one which probably helped.

The Leopard

The Leopard
Acrylic On Canvas
24 x 30"

     This one was a labour of love. It's the longest I have ever worked on a painting everyday and so I could be nothing but disappointed in the results. It's not a bad painting but when you put so much effort into a piece you expect the result to be epic. So here is a decent example of my current artistic level.
     Of course all creative types feel this way and why should I be any different. We push ourselves constantly and strive for improvement. Sometimes it comes in leaps and other times small steps but we do improve even if we think we don't. I've decided in my next life I will pick an easier thing to do with my life like brain surgery.
      On a side note whilst I was painting this one the outside was redecorated so it looks a little cleaner now and is a slightly different colour. So consider this a document of what was rather than what is. Sounds like art to me.

Belly Dancer With Fans

Belly Dancer With Fans
Papercutting
16.5 x 11.75"

     Another belly dancer papercutting. I'm going to be doing a lot of these now I know they work well. Also in the future I plan to do some with layered colours. I have wanted to make some belly dancer pictures for  along time and now I have a good way of doing it so I will continue to pursue this beautiful subject.
    

Colour Monotype

Rubber Duck II
Monotype On Paper
8.3 x 11.7"

Butterfly
Monotype On Paper
11.7 x 8.3"

     I read about a simple technique for creating coloured monotypes with watercolour and thought I would give it a go. All you do is paint the picture on a plate using watercolour straight from the tube, wait for it to dry and run it through a press with damp paper. The transfer is pretty good and much easier than using ink. I suppose you don't even need to use a press the transfer is that easy and the results are really vibrant. So there we go, another new thing to occupy my time.

Self Portrait

Self Portrait
Charcoal On Paper
16.5 x 23.5"

     This is me happily painting away with my headphones on. I don't really paint people never mind self portraits but its always good to mix things up. I also wanted to get back into charcoal drawing. I'm no David Kassan but I do think I have captured a good likeness of myself.

Hills and Valleys

Hills and Valleys
Wax On Watercolour Paper
14 x 18"

     I wanted to create a sense of foreboding and loneliness in this paintings. The clouds are whipped up in the sky as a storm begins to form and a lone cow wanders across the scene. Its an isolated place to be and there is no protection from what's to come.

Fun With Monotypes

Black And White Cat I
Monotype On Paper
11.7 x 8.3"

Black And White Cat II
Monotype On Paper
8.3 x 11.7"

Rubber Duck
Monotype On Paper
8.3 x 11.7"

Jackdaw
Monotype On Paper
8.3 x 11.7"

     I have been experimenting with monotypes again. These are far superior to my last lot and have more tonal work in them. I enjoy making monotypes as they are easy to do and the results are pretty good. I just paint the image on a plastic plate and run it through the press. Simple fun.
     I may try my hand at collagraphy soon as this could prove easier to do than the woodblocks I have been working on. It may be a more expressive way of creating multiple editions too.

I Can't Remember The Last Time I Had This Much Fun

I Can't Remember The Last Time I Had This Much Fun
Acrylic On Canvas Paper
16 x 20"

    As promised, my third painting on the theme of videogames. This one has more in common with 'I Used To Be An Adventurer Like You'. I am planning on entering all three into an exhibition on videogames and fine art called PLAY!. PLAY! is an open-call exhibition featuring artwork based on video games. The exhibition will be held at Access Space, Sheffield, from 3^rd – 31^st October 2014.
     On the subject of still life, I really like the change of pace from my normal work on painting buildings and interesting architecture. With still life I can arrange a collection of objects in such a way that it tells a story and helps me communicate an idea. I hope I get into this exhibition with these pieces as I worked hard on them and I think they are a good fit. Well It's not up to me so all I can do is wait and see.

Duty Of Care

Duty Of Care
Acrylic On Canvas
10 x 14"

      A painting not just about the Nintendo Gamecube controller but also about  our responsibilities. With the controller we act as guardians to the characters we control in videogames. Their fate is in our hands and we are given so much power over an individual.
     Some games make us care about the characters more and we build a relationship with that character. But it is ultimately up to the player to ensure they succeed and in this we become responsible. Through interactive media, stories come alive and we also find our own reasons to take care of the characters. It doesn't matter that its not real as we experience the emotion anyway through either empathy, anger and love.
     This painting is part of a series of works around the theme of videogames and goes alongside 'I Used To Be An Adventurer Like You'. Tomorrow I will post the next in the series and have three paintings as a complete work.

Resting Belly Dancer

Resting Belly Dancer
Papercutting
10.9 x 9.9"

     I've been meaning to make some pictures featuring belly dancers for a while now. It's one of the few things I love that I don't actually do myself. Being male it's a world I feel I can only view from the outside but never be  apart of. If only things were different. So instead I will try to show the beauty of it the only way I know how, Through art.
     The drawing for this is from a life drawing class but I added the dancer gear. It was originally supposed to be a wood block print and although I have it ready I haven't got around to printing it yet. In the meantime I thought it would be ideal for making a papercutting, after all artists across the centuries have made the same image in different mediums. This may be something I do for my other works. So here it is and look out for the print in the near future.

Cows

Cows
Graphite On Paper
11.75 x 16.5"

     I seem to have accidently stumbled upon a theme recently. I keep making art of animals in pairs. First there was the deer and now this. I'm also working on a collage right now of two sheep. It's nice to have theme that ties the artwork together even when working with different mediums.

House By The Road

House By The Road
Acrylic On Canvas
20 x 24"

     Edward Hopper has been a big influence on my work this last year and so when I saw this building I couldn't resist making a little homage to his painting 'House By The Railroad'. Its not an exact replica you understand as its a British design of building and even the lighting is different but I think its a good compliment to his. In the end I achieved what I set out to do and that's all that really matters.

Deer

Deer
Pappercutting
11.75 x 16.5"

     Yet more papercutting. I thought this lovely pair I snapped at Fountains Abbey would make the perfect subject as well. I didn't quite know if it would turn out right with there not being any strong light and shadow but as a line drawing it works. This is why line weight is so important in any artwork.There were a lot more deer in the field at the time and I may do a long painting with them on at a later date.
     On the subject of painting I have finished what will be my second entry into this years Doncaster open art exhibition and will be posting it soon so stay tuned.

Pigeon

Pigeon
Papercutting
11.75 x 16.5"

     Continuing my quest of finding new mediums to work with, here is my second papercutting. I tried to give this one more lines to help define its form better and I also wanted to play around with line weight too. Not everything I intend to create using papercutting will be an organic form and so line weight will become really important with things like buildings or vehicles.
     I'm going to be trying my hand at collage soon and already have all the material and an idea of what I'm going to do. It's time I don't seem to have at the moment and I'm running out of it. I just have to work hard and get through what I have planned and hope it leads somewhere. Sorry to be a bit of a downer there but I don't seem to have much control of my own destiny right now. Well you can never tell what's to come.

Tortoise

Tortoise
Acrylic On Canvas
22 x 16"

     I have noticed it is taking me longer to complete paintings compared to a year ago. I’m not worried about this though as I know its because I have improved a lot over the last few years and with this I strive to put more into my work. But the better I get the higher my expectations are of myself and so often I am frustrated with the results.
     These feelings are a natural part of the creative process though and I do love creating art. It is both a joy and a source of anxiety for me but I continue onwards with the hope one day someone else might understand this too.
     Now this painting is complete it’s back to buildings again. But as I have said before, sometimes its nice to paint something a little different and test myself. Variety is always a nice thing too and shows how versatile I can be. That shell was a nightmare to paint by the way.

Grazing Sheep

Grazing Sheep
Papercutting
11.75 x 16.5"

     A new art form I have decided to try my hand at is papercutting. After watching a documentary about women artists on the BBC I saw the possibilities that were available with this medium. It's something I have never considered before but after trying it I was impressed by what could be achieved.
     So here is my first of hopefully many papercuttings. Since I'm working on artwork that include sheep right now this proved to be the perfect subject and one that allowed me to show what I could do. Though a simple image it's quite a powerful one using strong light and shadow to reveal form. It took quite a while to cut out the fur but the end result was worth the effort. I'm now working on my next one which is of a pigeon so stay tuned to see how that turns out.

Something Different

Master And Apprentice
Wax On Paper

     Something a little different. I don't think I will be doing any more sci-fi stuff but I really like Star Wars and wax bars.

Shelter From the Sun

Shelter From the Sun
Acrylic On Canvas
22 x 16"

     On a trip to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park I came across two trees with big shadows underneath them and thought it would make a good composition. Later I had the idea of adding more interest to the painting by putting in some sheep taking shelter in the shadow.
     I have to say that painting the sheep proved quite difficult but then again it was my first time doing them. I found it hard to make them actually look like sheep and not blobs of white on the ground like lost clouds. So I'm branching out on the subjects I paint and finding new challenges to occupy me. Look out for more sheep themed work soon.

The Deep

The Deep
Acrylic On Canvas
20 x 30"

     An interesting piece of architecture and very relevant to what is found inside. The Deep in Hull is a submarium and I visited it for the first time this year after picking up my rejected work from the Ferens galley. I thought it would make an interesting painting, especially with the falloff of light on its angular surfaces.
      I struggled with the proportions on this one though and it took me a lot longer to complete than anything else I have done but I wanted it to be right. I try and be as accurate with my depictions of famous buildings as possible but I am not a master and there will always be inconsistencies that I will have to live with. I try not to dwell on mistakes though and so its onwards with the next painting because that's the only way I will improve.

Knight

Knight
Wax On Watercolour Paper
18.1 x 11.3"

     Another horse painting. I thought with just painting the head it looked like the chess piece, hence the title. Again its another black and white one because I have to keep trying to tackle those highlights that give me such a problem. It might not be the most accurate horse painting in the world but I'm happy with how it turned out. I'm no expert on the animals anyway but it makes a refreshing change from my usual work on buildings.

Monotype Prints

Eating Carrots
Monotype On Paper
11 x 8"

Apples
Monotype On Paper
11.7 x 8.3"

Eating Seed
Monotype On Paper
11.7 x 8.3"

     A little while ago I bought a small etching press with the intention of creating some intaglio prints. Before that though I wanted to get used to using the equipment and I had read about monotypes as an easy way of producing one off prints. So here are my efforts at producing some nice little pieces of art.
     I enjoyed the ease at which monotypes can be created so much that I will be making some more in the near future. I will be experimenting with the technique too and seeing what interesting pictures I can create.
     Making prints is a really rewarding experience and the anticipation you feel as you turn the handle of the press and then peel back the paper to see the results is quite exciting. I hope when I have become confident with monotypes I can move on to intaglio prints and see where that takes me.

Market cafe

Market Cafe
Graphite On Paper
11.75 x 16.5"

     This is my final entry to the Derwent Art Prize this year. Now I have six entries which is three more then last year and I hope to have the same success. My drawings have become more figurative over the course of the year and much more like my paintings which is what I always wanted.
     Hopefully at least one of my entries will be accepted because after being rejected from the Ferens exhibition and the Ruskin Art Prize I could do with the morale boost.    

Abandoned Boat

Abandoned Boat
Acrylic On Canvas
18 x 24"

    
     I have wanted to make some paintings with horses in for a while now and got my chance recently on a trip to Goole. There was only one horse in the field with a few ponies, so for this I just used the same horse again from a different angle and changed the pattern on his body.
     This is the first time I have tried to paint a horse and I was quite pleased with the result. What was even harder was the fact that black and white are especially difficult colours to add light and shadow to. I have always struggled particularly with black in this regard but feel I must tackle it as much as I can in order to improve.

Capricorn

Capricorn
Acrylic On Canvas Paper
13.6 x 19.5"

     I often struggle to get the photo's I take of my artwork to match the quality of the piece itself. Since I have found this an impossible task I have to always make the best choices I can when editing the colours in photoshop. Sometimes I get lucky and its an easy fix but as with this one it was a struggle to make the painting look presentable on screen. Its just one of the many annoyances of the traditional process.
     Anyway as for the painting itself. On a trip to Goole to see a fellow New Fringe members work I came across this abandoned restaurant and the central Capricorn figure mounted on the wall proved too irresistible to paint. I often look for what I like to call a 'hook' when searching for things to paint. Something that makes the thing stand out and here is a perfect example of that.

Feeding Pigeons

Feeding Pigeons
Graphite On Canvas
11.75 x 16.5"

     Another entry for the Derwent Art Prize which is coming up fast. Now I have three drawings based on the theme of pigeons. Last year my theme was coastal drawings and I thought it would be nice to have some of the drawings I submit this year have a link to each other as well.

Dancer With Sword And Mask

Dancer With Sword And Mask
Ink And Acrylic On Ho-sho Paper
11.2 x 15.7"

     This started out as a block print that didn't transfer too well so I went over it with some acrylic washes and it came out pretty colourful. I have a few more print stuff I'm working on so it is another avenue for me to explore.

Salvation Army Building, Denaby

Salvation Army Building, Denaby
Acrylic On Canvas
16 x 20"

     Back to my architectural paintings. It's been good to flex my artistic muscles and paint different things for a while but it's time to return to what I like working on best.
     This one is also on canvas which is something that is becoming rarer for me now as I try to cut down on the space my work takes up. This is because in the past I have painted inferior work on canvas and now find myself painting over that work with much better art.

Small Cactus

Small Cactus
Wax On Watercolour Paper
14.8 x 7.6"

     As always with still life work it's a good opportunity to train the eye and paint something new. Of course this requires working from the same light source at the same time of day which isn't always possible since this isn't my only commitment. One day maybe this will be the only thing I have to do.

Waiting

Waiting
Acrylic On Canvas
11.2 x 15.9"

     It's been a long time since I made a monotone painting. I used to do them as quick practice pieces but have not done so for a while. So I thought it was time to make one and I had the perfect subject in mind. Painting this reminded me how much more I love colour.

Broken Lightbulb

Broken Lightbulb
Graphite On Paper
16.5 x 10.9"

     Take something mundane and make it an interesting picture. That's the challenge and I think I succeeded in my aim. Another one for the Derwent Art Prize maybe.