Sunday 27 June 2010

Pond life

The title 'pond life' could mean lots of different things to lots of different people. I always enjoy encountering a fantastical miniature world whenever I take the time to just crouch down on the banks and stare intently.

I was lucky enough to grow up next door to a stream. The memories I have of that place are incredibly nostalgic but I still think I'm not over-exaggerating when I say that the water had an energy. The best place to appreciate it was in the pools the stream created further down. The energy the water created would (in my child's eyes) pass onto the creatures consuming it and plants around it.

So why gabble on about streams and ponds? Well I've decided to start another series of paintings and maybe some etchings that the title 'Pond Life' will encompass. Ideas and images are incarcerated in my head just trying to dig their way out with a spoon and their constant scraping is becoming too much. I only hope they don't have to crawl out of the sewage pipe Shawshank Redemption style!



Here's a WIP. I can see a different version of this concept already on the horizon but for now this painting will feature on the local Swindon Arts & Culture Magazine 'Frequency' (fingers crossed).

Tuesday 1 June 2010

Discovering A Muse (or technique)


I finally got a bit of time to finish my ArtOrder submission for the 'Discovering A Muse' challenge. Mainly I stuck the the photos I took myself but just in case here's a link to the original model's site Veronika.

I tried to step away from the typically strong, sexy and independent heroine you find in a lot of fantasy based imagery (the kind where she's in a leotard toting a machine gun) and went with a more striking magical image. I thought a more subtle way for her to appear strong would be for her to be looking down on the viewer with a look of mild disdain. Hopefully I achieved this, in any case I enjoying creating this watercolour and discovered some fantastic watercolour inks when working wet on wet for the background. Maybe I should call this post 'Discovering A Technique.'