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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Take Flight

Take Flight
Graphite On Paper
16.5 x 11.75"

     I'm hoping to enter the Derwent art prize again this year and so have started drawing more and trying new ideas out. My previous drawings last year were too abstract and since I have moved towards more figurative work in my paintings it makes sense to do so with my drawings.
     Right now I am definitely thinking of entering this one and the feather drawing as they are the best ones so far and share a common theme.

Pigeon Roost

Pigeon Roost
Acrylic On Canvas
31 x 39"

     I thought I would have a go at a diptych. Originally this was going to be two separate pieces but I decided to paint them together and create a single piece. I have some folded card laying around at home and I might try something with several panels if I can think of anything good to put on them.

Lassie

Lassie
Acrylic On Canvas
18 x 14"

      I was given an old photo of Lassie and asked to create this painting for my Grandfathers birthday. I'm used to painting buildings and other hard body things so painting fur was quite a challenge. This I believe has turned out to be one of my better paintings and just goes to show you what can be achieved when you challenge yourself and work hard.
     I never imagined I could create a portrait painting of this quality before I attempted it but I'm glad a got the opportunity to prove myself. It helped to show me just how well my technical skills have improved in the last few years. It also confirmed to me how versatile my painting method is in creating a variety of images and elements which Is what I have always strived for.

Charcoal Drawings

Black Pigeon I
Charcoal On Paper
16.5 x 11.75"

Black Pigeon II
Charcoal On Paper
16.5 x 11.75"

         It's been a long time since I've done anything in charcoal. I prefer stuff I can use with water to make more expressive marks. Of course I'm not one to shy from a challenge and so wanted to see what I could do without any wet media. I was pleasantly surprised with the results and it seems that I'm just as competent with dry media. Maybe it's something I can work on more in the future. Its always nice to have another string for your bow.

Ragged Feather

Ragged Feather
Acrylic On Paper
5.8 x 8.25"

     Birds are starting to become a theme I am exploring more in my work and provide me with a lot of material to create artwork from. I find myself working on some more pigeon related stuff right now. I never thought they would be such a good subject but they keep inspiring me with more ideas.