Look what happens when you give a 3 year old your camera...

Maddy has been building up a little portfolio of her own. Thought I would share. She takes a better picture than me!!

Site planning

Absolute nightmare. Choosing which paintings to go where....
So far I have juggled 7 paintings and hoping to fit one more in. I am surrounded by scraps of paper with measurements on and a plethora of post-its.

I thought I would upload a slideshow of the paintings when the plan is complete. :-)

3 days to go

...before the opening of the exhibition.

I have 2 studio hours this morning and a lovely blank canvas to work with.

I'll post what I've achieved with my time at lunchtime. After a late night painting its hard sometimes not to waste the morning fannying around tidying up the studio, cleaning brushes and generally procrastinating. :-)

....and here is the result.

After days and days of intricate 00 brush work, its been a real release to just go mad with my 2 inch ole' faithful. :-) Lots of sweeping brush strokes and loud music.

This canvas is 24 x 24 inches. The gecko painting is nearly 4 feet square!

Its late.....but heres my dream time

Its finished.

I can't get a full photo of it - the canvas is too big. But hopefully this gives you some idea.

Nearly there

This is always part joy part agony for me. When a painting is nearing completion....at what point do you decide that its truly finished?


To quote Piet Mondrian, " Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep."

Gecko

Here is the gecko. More pictures soon I promise. :-)

Time to reveal what the big red is about.

The original design was inspired by a calendar featuring aboriginal art. I am endlessly fascinated by dreamtime stories and thought I might paint a dreamtime of my own.

So I am going to add geckos to this peice.

The Gecko (Murtoa) is a small adaptable lizard, with the ability to camouflage itself to suit its varying surroundings. Should a Gecko lose its tail in a fight or an attack, it can regrow its tail. Although it is only a small lizerd, the Gecko can survive in very harsh conditions. All these attributes contribute to the Geckos survival.

Murtoa (Gecko) Dreaming represents adaptability, regeneration, strength and survival. Its lesson to us, is to make the best of a situation. In order to survive, one needs to be able to adapt, regenerate strength and go on, like the Gecko.

Idon't have my camera at the moment, but I'll update with a picture as soon as I can.

Pressure

Its just over a week to go to the exhibition now. Haven't been able to get in the studio much and confined to kitchen painting.

Big enough to hug

Still working on the poppy portrait. I have knocked back the dark and brought forward the red (apparently referred to as 'knocking back') so that the petals have a greater vibrancy on the canvas. Its very hard to conveythe impact this one has in photos, since it is so large and big enough to hug.

I hope to complete this either today or tomorrow morning whilst Maddy is at pre-school. I secretly hope it doesn't sell....I feel an affinity with this one.

Light relief

Miss T threw this gauntlet down the other day...

Last night as we were meandering home from the curry house, there was a huge barking and jingling of Morris bells outside the QH.“Hunting Morris men with dogs, isn’t that banned under the hunting with dogs act?” I wondered aloud. This made us ponder what a ‘Morris hound’ would look like. So my artistic chums – please submit a sketch of a Morris hound (with rationale as to features) by Friday pm. I shall give prizes, not sure what yet, but they’ll be good J.

This is my entry. I'll be seeing Miss T at the QH shortly where I would imagine she will be announcing the prize winners. ;-)

Something old something new

Taking a break from my jungle painting. Ok. I can't decide what to do next with it and since time is most definitely not on my side to get ready for my exhibition, I've started somthing new.

Its a massive Back to Black. Almost as tall as me.

The exhibition is part of the 2007 Oxfordshire Visual Arts Festival and I was very chuffed to be selected. The dates are 28th, 29th and 30th September and you'll find me at the Jam Factory.
If I ever get finished that is ...:-)

Do I don't I?

This is the result of last night's efforts.
I've filled in all the foliage with their colours - although they could all do with another layer.
My dilemma is how much to block out with the black.??

I am going to ponder this for a while most likely. I'm normally one for slapping black into paintings no problem. But for some reason I'm hesitant today.

I also think it might look better this way around.....Someone help me out with this dithering !!!

Another All-Nighter

I have two exhibitions coming up (details to follow) and I basically have to have completed around 10 pieces of work ready to exhibit by the end of this month.

I've had worse deadlines. (Gulp)

So, I have decided that one of the pieces I want to display is this red project (for which I am still pondering a title so all suggestions gratefully received).

So its about 6 pm. This is how far I've got.


The studio isn't big enough to get the whole canvas in the view finder but you get the general idea. I've finished outlining the foliage and petals.

I really do love this blue. As for elusive name ideas.....I am after something that conveys sumptuousness, exoticism, jungle, passion, earth, life..........for a poor wordsmith this is proving something of a challenge. Its just there...in the back of my head but I can't yet reach it.

Back to work then. I feel very inspired today.

Three hours

I haven't been able to work in my studio for a few days for various reasons and this morning I have a blissful 3 hours spare, without interruption. Its such a luxury to paint in daylight these days. I feel like a true free spirit this morning, its sunny and I don't care the house is a tip. I have an urge to get really stuck into my red project so I'll post my efforts in 3 hours time. :-)

.....and three hours later here we are.

Quite some progress I feel, but I am left wondering if I should leave more of the cobalt blue exposed. Hmm.

Announcing Guest Artists

I am really delighted to announce that you can now view and buy original work from other artists from my picturedreams website.


My guest artists are Graham Rice, who is an established painter, and Clare Brunwin, a fresh new talent who is currently studying BA Hons in Fine Art at the University College for the Creative Arts in Canterbury.

To see the gallery of their work, which is exclusive to PictureDreams, please click here.

I hope you can support them, and this feature becomes a regular spot on the site.

Technology-free day

I lost my mobile yesterday. My fault. It fell out my bag and I didn't notice. Luckily a kind soul picked it up and gave it back to me this evening.

It got me thinking though. I spent the entire day without sending a text to my mates or being able to phone home to say I was running late/did we need green milk/have we enough bread I'm in the Co-op ......and I sadly missed it. How much we rely on techie stuff to get through our days??

Proud mummy post

Maddy Cook. (Aged 3) Self portrait with dog.

OK. You were right

I am loving this cobalt blue. :-)

Incertitude

Made a start on the 'Big Red' this evening.I tghink I might be changing my mind about the direction of this one. Orginally the idea was to have a huge version of this:
But I really like the background..its come out very Rothko-esque and adding all these strong contrasting flowers will lose the effect completely. I really like the serenity of the red and gold, so what I will try is just using darker reds and gold for the markings and see what that comes out like. I really shouldn't be experimenting on the actual canvas I expect...but sometimes thats half the fun of painting!! :-)





Well. I tried out the gold.
Graham is right. I have been bottling it. LOL
It has been a long day and doubts always creep in when you are tired. The red/gold is just TOO weak and my original plan (if I can carry it off) will look better I think (hope).

This is a bit of a departure from my florals....just a little. When I was a kid I was forever doodling these 5 star/petal shapes. Still do when I am on the phone.....

Have faith in the blues and greens I guess. I have to stand on tiptoe to reach the top of this.
OK.....have tried some green

Its early days, and a late night. I'll be back.

Joy parts II and III

I have been working today on ideas for the remaining parts of the Joy triptych. I want to keep the concept under wraps for the moment, but I have made a good start on getting the flow across all 3 canvases.


This is just a print out on which I have drawn extra panels to have a mess around.
I have some major exhibitions coming up in the next month or so ....and I really want this triptych to be part of it. More midnight oil to be burned......but at least the kids are back at school.

Another baby to wrap

Time to get the bubble wrap and cardboard out. I always feel a bit sad to see finished paintings leave the studio. But this one is now dry and will be on its way tomorrow. I have a handful of canvases which I've completed recently which will be winging their way to new owners. Bare walls in the studio once more.

This does mean that I will be resuming my BigRed Project. I have an exhibition coming up at the end of this month in Oxford and another in New York in November so I have some serious painting to do.

7 hours

I have until 7 pm this evening to complete 3 paintings.

This on top of making 3 dozen scones and banana bread for cricket tea tomorrow. I haven't made a cricket tea for a couple of years on account of having a very spirited toddler who was in the habit of running off with all the chocolate crispie cakes (a cricketing favourite).
Maddy is still in the habit of forcing her way to the front of the queue to get the pick of the cakes but I can't avoid my turn any longer.
There is quite a science to it and you have to cater for about 30. This involves 4 loaves of bread, an industrial size pack of tea bags and 2 kilo of sugar, at least 3 homemade cakes (if you want to be taken seriously) and if you are feeling particularly Delia Smith.....homemade egg mayonnaise sandwiches and something with chutney. Avoid anything with salad.....I digress. Where was I? Oh yes. 3 paintings.

I'm a member of Eynsham Arts Group and we meet on the last Friday of every month. (tonight). We often have guests come in to give talks and tonight Steve Taylor, who runs his own printing business, will be giving a talk on Fine Art Giclee Printing. Not only that, but he has offered to produce a print test for one of our members free of charge. We each can bring up to 3 orginals from which one will be selected to go into a draw to select a lucky recipient.

The images ideally should not be varnished or have a reflective medium (which excludes all the completed work I have in my studio). Hence painting 3 new ones without (a) gold or (b)varnish.

Its midday now and I'm hoping to sneak into the studio this afternoon while my children play contentedly and without the need for intervention and/or refereeing in the garden where I can keep an eye on them from my studio. I know. I am an eternal optimist. Wish me luck....I'll post the results later on.


......later on.
I have finished two out of the three. I really don't like the third one so I'm abandoning it for now and I'll just take two along to the meeting tonight.

Here they are drying in my kitchen.
I chose familiar subject matter!!

Another portrait of self

I often think of myself as some kind of flower.
Most often as an aging tulip. Ruby red in parts still, but with petals beginning to disarray. I love the brightness and colours still....a little brassy but with what I would like to consider some class.

But enough of this navel gazing. I think its time to dust off the overalls and join my family down the cricket field for this year's beer festival.

Calico skies

Occasionally I get requests for paintings that are interpretations of childrens' favourite nursey rhymes or songs. I have also been known to paint the odd bedroom wall. This is an interpretation of Calico Skies by Paul McCartney.

That was the week that was

Its been very manic chez Cook recently....entertaining children 24/7 and being a WAHM have proved very challenging this week. Add to that an incontinent dog, a cat that makes Sweeny Todd look moderate and a shortage of wine and its no wonder my left eye keeps twitching. Its not all bad news as I have completed some works which I'll be posting over the next few days. Having a sleepless 3-year-old means I have only but a snatched moment to post.

Here is the commission from a husband to his wife.
I was aiming for restful and loving.
Its quite big.....45 x 60 cm and I am especially pleased with the stamens. If you double click to see the larger image you hopefully will see what I mean.

More to post tomorrow.....for now my attention is being most vocally demanded elsewhere. Sigh.

PictureDreams is spreading its wings

Very soon, I shall be featuring guest artists on my website. As well as offering hand printed cards and more limited edition original paintings for sale.

I hope my customers will enjoy the wider variety of work for sale.

As a taster, how about this?
Its a digital painting by an up and coming artist Clare Brunwin who is currently studying BA Hons in Fine Art at The University College for the Creative Arts in Canterbury (previously known as The Kent Institute of Art and Design). Definitely someone to watch.

I should have included some more information with this - sorry. The canvas is A1 in size and called ‘Turmoil’. It was produced using a photograph and a outline of a face, scanned into the computer and manipulated using wellknown photo and illustrating software. Special effects were added in and then the finished work printed onto canvas using a computer printer with matte finish.

Another Limited Edition

Number 1 is for a special lady celebrating her 99th birthday. Her favourite flower is the fuschia, and since she is danish, the flowers *had* to be red and white.!!

Its all Greek

The meaning behind all the intertwining flowers I've been painting recently is probably quite obvious. They represent people, or more accurately, lovers.

Inspiration for these came from a story from Ovid I recall reading over and over as a youngster. I was (and still am) fascinated by Greek mythology.

Zeus and Hermes disguised themselves as poor peasants and visited a small town. They began asking the people of the town for a place to sleep that night. But "all the doors bolted and no word of kindness given, so wicked were the people of that land."

Except for one humble home.

The disguised Gods came upon the rustic cottage of Baucis and Philemon. Although they were very poor, they gave Zeus and Hermes what they had to eat and drink. Baucis noticed that although she had refilled her guest's cups many times, the pitcher of wine was always full. Realising that their guests were in fact gods, Baucis and Philemon knelt before them begging indulgence for their simple home and fare. Philemon thought of catching and killing the goose that guarded their house and making it into a meal for the guests. But when Philemon went to catch the goose, it ran onto Zeus's lap. Zeus said that they did not need to slay the goose and that they should leave the town. He was going to destroy the town and all the people who had turned him away. He said Baucis and Philemon should climb the mountain with him and not turn back until they reached the top.

After climbing the mountain, Baucis and Philemon looked back on the town and saw that it had been destroyed by a flood. However, Zeus had turned Baucis and Philemon's cottage into an ornate temple. The couple were also granted a wish; they chose to stay together forever and to be guardians of the temple. They also requested that when it came time for one of them to die, the other would die as well. Upon their death, they were changed into an intertwining pair of trees, one oak and one linden, standing in the deserted terrain, forever in each other's arms.

Elusion

I have been working on this lily canvas for some time...in between holidays, crimson paint shortage, and the general chaos that accompanies school holidays when you're a WAHM.

This week I decided I wanted to change it. It didn't sit right and the right feel was eluding me.

So I redrew.


Then I reblocked the colours to build some texture.


And now I am putting the life back into the petals.

I should be up all night finishing this. I have taken the paint beyond the boundaries of the petals to give the feeling of sweep and flow. When I add the next layer of background I will redefine the flower again. I paint most of my flowers this way....they come and go on the canvas while I build up their structure. I find it difficult to paint something within a boundary. Thats just colouring in.

Red

Here is that huge red painting with the background completed. I'm not sure how well the photo will show the gold, you might have to click on it to see the texture properly.