Still life studio

I have never tried a still life before. Something about arranging vegetables into an exact arrangement seems to me rather pointless as a composition. Why not just take a photo? Well that was before I started dabbling in oil and thought the exercise would be worthwhile. Rather than stage it, I did just take a snap shot of my studio table instead, and painted this afternoon. The portrait in the background is me (in oil), painted by Ron Freeborn last year during an Arts group meeting. I have to hold my hand up in shame to the abandoned paintbrushes in jam jars. In my defence, I am in the middle of finishing a shoe painting and thought it a waste of white spirit to clean them in between 'goes'. The two abandoned wine glasses in the foreground are from the other eve when I had some company in the studio. I have since washed them up...honest :-)

Still some finishing to do, but I have enjoyed the process.

Never work with children or animals

Maddy. Nuff said. I do try to keep the kids out the studio but sometimes its too irrestible.

Update

I have decided to remove the studio cam as it was so s- l-o-w-. Webcams in studios are a nice idea in principle, except that sometimes there is little activity worth watching and so it rather does become a 'watching paint dry' exercise.

That said, you can always video call the studio when i'm online and painting to see whats going on. Using MSN. My MSN address is in my profile.

Where does it all come from??

Just spent 2 hours clearing out the studio and once again I fill a large bin bag with detritus and petrified insects from a month in the studio.

My Plan.
I am on a mission to get another gallery to represent me, as well as get some more exhibitions. So, part of The Plan, is to get organised in my work space. I find it incredibly difficult to keep the studio (or myself for that matter) tidy when I'm in the middle of painting. I figure I make up for it by having the occasional blitz.A couple of weeks ago Lorna asked to see my sketchbook and I said I didn't have one....completely forgetting about this which has lain hidden. Its a book of all the 'paintlets' I've ever done. Some of them never made it into canvases and I spent a lovely hour going through all the hundreds of designs. I am going to revisit a few, especially for lino cuts. So Lorna...if you want a look see...let me know.

However, so much for clearing out all my tenants......2 spiders are back already!! They must like my taste in music...............