Packing my Bags

We are on the road again! The bags are down and lists are being made and modified. We are leaving in two weeks for the Northern Hemisphere, we are planning to spend a year living and working in Scotland. There is so much to do!

Mandala

Mandala
6b pencil 70cm diameter

A few years ago, during a time of upheaval and change, I created this large mandala, using just a 6b pencil. It is not a pretty image and was done purely as a therapeutic "doodle". Some of the images are borrowed from paintings and cuttings from newspapers and magazines. Picasso's, "Woman Dressing her Hair" seemed to be the embodiment of how I was feeling at the beginning of my 5th decade! The marching of time seemed to come out of the pattern from my watch strap. It was an outpouring of pure emotion and now is a snapshot of how I was feeling at that time.

Carl Jung ascribed healing powers to the mandala and felt it was a way to bring consciousness into a concrete form that could be read, much as one reads a dream. He believed that by putting personal symbols together in a circle, which itself symbolizes the wholeness of the psyche, many parts are brought together in harmony. For Jung, all part of the psyche need to have their honoured place for healing to occur. For a time, he used to do a small mandala every day to clear his thoughts and find out what was important on that day.

Both Hindus and Buddhists use a mandala as a graphic symbol of the universe. Mandala is a Sanskrit word meaning "magic circle".

Coastal Series 1

Coastal Series 1

Acrylic 91 x 80cm

This imaginary painting was on the go before I started my rock pool series , it actually initiated my close-up rock pool paintings. The painting consists of many layers, some were retained and some obliterated.
I have been trying to get the feel of looking over the rocks and pools, towards the sea in the early morning light. The painting symbolizes new beginnings.

Below I have shown stage 1 and 2 of my painting process.

Tiny Abstract

This tiny painting measures 8 x 8cm! I created this for a communal project, one of about 16 that will be framed together. I used watercolour, acrylic ink and thin tissue paper collage. I have never tried to create such a small abstract painting before, it has been a real challenge!

Rock Pool 2

Rock Pool 2
Acrylic 45 x 122cm

This painting is the second in a series of rock pool paintings. I love the way light is reflected on the surface of the water in some areas of our rock pools, creating a milky reflective surface. Where the rock pool is in shadow, the water becomes transparent, allowing a clear view of the stones and shells below.

I have used very subtle tones of colour here, I am experimenting with colour mixing at the moment, trying to create very subtle tones from my very vibrant acrylic tubes!



Pots of Paint

I mix up my favourite shades and tones in these little plastic pots, adding a bit of acrylic medium and a few drops of retarder, the paint stays lovely and smooth indefinitely. I now have found pots with clear lids, making identification much easier. I love to have all my mixing done before I start painting, I have built up enough mixes to be able to paint spontaneously - even though I will plan an initial colour scheme just to get started.

Kim at Creative Influences always leaves the most thought-provoking comments here, she seems to be able to create such interesting discussions, she always makes me think. There is so much of what we do as artists that is instinctual and only when we are urged to write down our thoughts to explain ourselves to others, do we have to analyze and verbalize what we do.
Thanks, Kim!

Rock Pool 1

Rock Pool 1
Acrylic 90 x 60 cm

The sea and the coastline become deep-rooted in one's psyche when living on a peninsula at the tip of Africa. The Atlantic and Indian oceans merge along our southern coastline, when we look south, there is nothing but sea between here and Antarctica.

I love to spend time gazing into rock pools, there is a whole microcosm of life being played out before me. The sounds and smells of the sea, the brilliant colours and shapes of the stones, shells and shell-fish with tiny fish darting about appeals to all my senses. I was struck one day, looking down, directly into the pool, by the amazing abstract-like quality of the shapes and colours and I have tried to recreate this in my painting.

Arum

Arum
Acrylic 45 x 120cm

Arum lilies grow wild in profusion here in the Western Cape during the later part of the winter. I love the winter here in Cape Town and this Arum seems to represent this special time of the year.
I mixed up some muted grays and browns, not having any subject in mind, I just played with the paint using large brushes. I am fascinated how the shades of paint mix on the canvas - I wet the canvas with medium and painted into this wet surface. Over the weeks that this painting lived in my studio, an Arum lily poked its head out and then the leaves appeared.

This is my first posting after a long break. I sometimes need to go "into" myself where my thoughts need to be consolidated. I have been trying to analyze how I can sometimes create powerfully emotive images and at other times I feel as if I am in a creative vacuum, unable to paint. I have come to realize that when I am fired up with feeling, I can paint in an emotive way, but when I am bumbling happily along, my muse dries up! The trouble is, who wants to live on an emotional roller-coaster? No wonder some artists turn to drink or drugs! I have been trying to find my own way of accessing my quieter inner self over these last few months.

Garden Roses

Garden Roses
Acrylic 49 x 59cm

This is one of the demonstration paintings that I started in my acrylic workshop and then completed in my studio. I had picked a few roses from my garden and placed them in a vase, but this is really painted from my imagination and memory.

The painting surface is a piece of 100% cotton seed-cloth. I cover a board with a thin piece of plastic so that the painting does not stick to the board. I then wrap the cloth around a board and prime it with two coats of gesso and a coat of acrylic medium. I love to work on a hard surface, so I can scratch and scrub into the paint, without worrying about denting the canvas. I sometimes work with liquid paint and this can pool on a stretched canvas. I have now carefully remove it from the board and will have it stretched on a stretcher.

Dance 3

Dance 3, Mixed Media

30 x 25cm

I have quite a few small canvasses stacked away in my studio, I usually find them too small to work on and so they remain in the back of my cupboard. I love to play with watercolour and collage but I dislike having to put the image behind glass. I decided to experiment with watercolour on the blank canvas, wondering if the pigment would just sink into the canvas and dry very pale. I used tissue paper to collage some shapes on which to play and this dancer seemed to appear, she has very fat legs! I left some of the watercolour and painted over some of the areas with acrylic and then sealed the image with a coat of diluted soft gel. I now wish I had worked on a larger canvas, maybe I will use this painting as a spring-board for a larger image.

Acrylic Workshop

Recently, I conducted a, "Getting Acquainted with Acrylic" workshop. Most of the participants were oil painters who wanted to try out a different painting medium. The purpose of the workshop was to explore how the paint behaves on the painting surface using a variety of implements, e.g. brushes, knives, cloths, shapers and fingers, using a variety of mixtures of paint, from thin watery washes to sensory mixtures with the feel of soft serve ice-cream. I demonstrated how I customize my paint, adding a little medium and water until it is a lovely creamy consistency. We covered the painting surface with medium and painted directly into this. The medium keeps the surface moist and is ideal for colour mixing on the painting surface.

We created monochromatic landscapes after mixing a variety of values from indigo through to white in small tubs. It was fun to load two big brushes with light and dark paint and move the paint around to create spontaneous shapes. We used a palette knife to scrape into the paint and to mix the thick paint on the surface.

Using white ice-berg roses as our reference, we created lovely organic shapes in our second painting. Thin watery paint was splattered and poured onto the surface and allowed to drip, run and merge.

The shapes of the flowers were then wiped out with a cloth. We played with creating line with a pipette and rubber shapers. Paint was then applied with large brushes, a cloth and our fingers.

Approaching North-wester

Acrylic

122 x 46cm

Cape Town is situated on a peninsula and is surrounded on three sides by the sea, beaches and rocky outcrops. During the winter we have many storms blown in by the strong north-westerly wind. We can actually see the heavy cloud-bank approaching over the sea. A ship was recently blown onto the beach near where I live, luckily all the crew survived and I think they have managed to drain off all the fuel to prevent an oil spill.

The Surge

The Surge

92cm x 92cm

Acrylic

This is an imaginary landscape that has been painted in many thick and thin layers of acrylic. I love to put down an opaque layer and then glaze over it with medium tinted slightly with colour. I then tend to destroy some of this with a new opaque and tint layer. This painting has taken months to complete!

I am fascinated by water, its movement, its sheer power and the amazing colours that are reflected as the light passes through the tumbling mass of frothy liquid.

Hello!

I started painting again two weeks ago! I am still very involved with Iain's rehabilitation which could take another few months. I am quite an early bird and used to read when getting up early. I am now painting at 6am and can spend a few hours in my studio before seeing to other commitments at 9am. This is a magical way to start the day! I feel such a connection with my paint and do my best painting at that time. I don't know why it has taken me so long to discover this! I feel as the day progresses, I still try to paint in between other chores, but struggle to get my mind back into that wonderful "space".

Acrylic 92 x 61cm

This painting was hanging on my wall unfinished, in mostly reds and blacks. I completely oblitereated the painting with white and purple and a bird of prey emerged. I see a series emerging! I seem to have a need to paint about feelings of freedom and power.

Autumn in Cape Town

The weather is changing, this is my favourite time of the year! The skies become alive at dawn and dusk with amazing colours and shapes, I can see so many abstract paintings up there. This view is from a beach close to where we live.

I am having to imagine painting or do paintings in my head at the moment. My husband, Iain had an operation on his back on Thursday and he now has to lie flat for six weeks, except for an occasional walk. He can't bend or sit at all and so really needs my help. I have decided to cancel all my activities so that I can be "Chief nurse and bottle washer" and hopefully manage to paint a bit in between! I do apologise for not visiting any blogs lately, I will get there when things have settled down into some sort of routine.

Opportunities!

Cape Town comes alive in summer with a whirlwind of shows and exhibitions, many of which are run by the artists, themselves. We have a huge, very active population of artists living in the Western Cape. I have been involved with an exhibiting group for the last ten years, holding exhibitions in spring and late summer.

Over the last couple of months, I haven’t had time even to think – really… I miss having time just to sit and think about my art and paintings. I am looking forward to the quieter winter months when I can get up early and be able to sit quietly and think and paint a bit.

The sales at the most recent show were pretty lean on the ground compared to this time last year, in fact we sold only half of what we did last February. The economic depression is being felt in the art world here; let’s hope there is an upturn in the world economy soon.

I didn't sell any of my paintings, but I made some good contacts! At the opening of our show, an art acquaintance called me over to meet a man, a French art collector and dealer who was showing interest in my work. We had a very interesting discussion and he asked me if I would be interested in a solo exhibition at his gallery! We have been communicating back and forth and I am going to meet him soon to discuss this possibility. Eeeck, what a very scary proposition! Will I be able to produce enough work and will I cope psychologically with the pressure to produce for a deadline? I know I will really regret this if I chicken out, why am I such a wimp!

I was also asked by the head of the local watercolour society to give a demonstration of my mixed media approach. I find public speaking terrifying but I really feel I must push myself and get myself away from those sidelines that I so like to stand on.

This evening I will visit all my favourite blogs, I apologise for neglecting you!

African Vineyards

Cape Town is surrounded by vineyards. I love the vine, the way it grows all crooked and gnarled with leaves that turn to a reddish-orange profusion of colour in autumn. While living in the Northern Hemisphere in 2006 and 2007, I used to dream of the vineyards when thinking about Cape Town, they seem to embody and symbolise how I feel about the Cape.

This is one of the “Red paintings” I have been working on. Our vineyards are usually planted on the side of a hill, facing towards the south-easterly wind. We are experiencing days of extremely hot, humid weather and this has influenced me to paint this landscape in these hot colours.

Vineyards at Groot Constantia

A vine in winter devoid of leaves

Deadlines!

Brooke, me and one of my paintings!

I have just returned from the UK after spending 7 days with my granddaughter, daughter and husband. I so enjoyed getting to know Brooke and felt quite a jolt when her little face lit up whenever I walked into the room. I spent as much time feeding, changing, cuddling, entertaining and playing with this sweet little girl without completely taking over! Ohhhh, it is so tough to be living half way across the world!

On my return, I realised the clock is ticking, my next show is in seven days and three paintings are waiting to be finished. I hate deadlines, I am painting like mad and will probably not finish these paintings in time. This is not how I like to paint. These paintings have been on the go for the last three months and still have a distance to go.

It got me thinking about how some situations like this can cut off the connection with creativity.

How often do we think as we view our canvas or paper, armed with a loaded brush,
“Hopefully this will be my masterpiece”?

This thought can destroy the essence of creativity and has to be left at the doorway of the studio if one wants to be experimental in any way. If you have the thought that this painting has to work, you have spent good money on this canvas and you need a good painting for the next show, you are not going to take any risks and try out something new.

It’s almost as if you need to give yourself permission to spend your very valuable painting time just playing with the paint. I think of the days spent painting those layers of paint that are now mostly obliterated with subsequent layers, a little voice niggles away at me,
“Am I wasting my time and paint here?”

The one thing I have to keep telling myself is that eventually the painting will feel complete. I have to develop patience and allow the image to emerge and forget the deadlines!

An Exciting Trip!

Carolyn and Brooke

I am going to hold, cuddle and breathe in that lovely baby aroma of my sweet little granddaughter, Brooke on Wednesday! I held her when she was two weeks old and now she is almost 6 months. I see and hear her on my computer screen fairly regularly using Skype – what wonderful technology – but she feels like a “virtual” baby.
I have bought a cheap ticket to the UK and am going just for a week!



Our Plein Air exhibition this weekend was a real success. We held our show at the home of Noeline McMaster and our artists set up their easels and painted in Noeline’s spectacular garden throughout the weekend. Our visitors were delighted to watch and interact with the artists at work. Here are some photo's of some of the artists explaining their work.
I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, people were so interested to see what we were doing. I had many people complementing me on my paintings hanging on the show and even had two people ask if I could teach them to paint in watercolours! One lady brought some paintings from the boot of her car for me to give her some advice!
Before me was a profusion of pink roses tumbling over a low stone wall which really appealed to me, I love roses! I was aware that I was there to demonstrate painting outdoors, so decided to take a more figurative approach to the painting.
I started with watercolour on some smooth hot-pressed watercolour paper. I decided to experiment with rubbing watercolour pencil on a piece of sandpaper, letting the small particles fall into the wet paint. Oooh, it makes star-shaped speckles in the transparent paint. Then I had fun flicking on various colours into dry and wet areas.
I dipped watercolour pencils into the water and played around with making various marks. Next I had fun with oil pastels, using them as a resist for a further layer of watercolour. Mmmmmm, I had such fun!

Freedom

Freedom

Acrylic, 122 x 88 cm

This painting was originally posted under the name “flight”. I have been working on this canvas on and off for the last few months, I have even hung it at a recent exhibition and then worked on it again after the show. Do you ever do this?

I have turned the canvas horizontally, it looks better this way. My eagle represents strength and determination. She has the ability to move freely from one dimension to another, to soar above mundane daily life with absolute freedom.

I love to turn my paintings around and hang them up for a while in this new view of the work, it is like having four different paintings! Contemplating my paintings in progress plays an enormous part of my painting process, I spend ages looking at them in order for the paintings to direct me and tell me where to go next. I usually work on three or four at a time and so my studio can become very cramped with canvasses standing about. I dream of having a studio the size of a church hall!

In order to hang them all up without banging a million nails into the wall, we put up picture rails in my small studio and have hung chains from which I can hang the paintings. I screw a nail into the middle of each stretcher bar and then tie a loop of string so I can hook up the painting in whichever way I fancy. I can move these chains according to the size of the paintings and can hang two or more on the same chain.

What do you do with your paintings while working on them?

A Chance Encounter with a Stranger

Detail from a Chagall etching

Don’t you wish that life could always potter along on an even keel? Sometimes events descend on us that can really knock us sideways, just like a kick in the stomach. You can suddenly feel you are on a roller coaster that dips you into the depths of despair.

All of us go through times like these. As time passes, the ups and downs may become less pronounced and we may hit a plateau where we may float along with a welcome bit of peace and tranquillity.

A few years ago, during one such extraordinarily distressing time, I was on sales duty at a local exhibition. I had also been feeling dissatisfied with my paintings, they seemed to say very little about how I felt and who I am. Deep inside me I had questions about where my art was taking me.

An elderly man came in with his hiking boots and old gnarled stick. This exhibition hall is on the side of the mountain and we frequently get hikers stopping by. He spent ages, carefully looking at each painting. He called me over and said,
“These artists are very proficient in what they do, their technique is excellent but there doesn’t seem to be much soul in many of the paintings.”
I was immediately intrigued and questioned him further. He said,

“Artists are usually quite sensitive people and everyday life can be turbulent, life is a journey, it can be a difficult journey. An artist should use the power of that turbulence in their paintings. I am not saying they should paint dark and negative paintings, I am saying they should somehow portray the difficulties of life and how those difficulties have been overcome”.

I am trying to remember is his exact words, they were so relevant to me, they almost took my breath away.

We spoke for about 45 minutes – he spoke to my very soul without probably realizing it, he came and told me where I could go with my paintings and also a little bit about healing my soul. As he was about to leave, I asked him his name. He smiled in a gentle way and said, “Virgil” and went on his way.

I felt that I had been visited by some sort of vision. This dear, sweet man set me thinking about a new direction, a new path on which to travel.