Apple tree painting part 1

I've been working on this painting for an up and coming solo exhibition at the SOTA gallery...more details to follow :-)

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Painting

 

Sorry it's been so quiet in here lately, I'm working really hard on the framing to get that business established...longer term this will hopefully give me more painting time...honest ;-) anyway, I'm not framing tomorrow, I'm in the SOTA Gallery in Witney doing a painting demonstration. I'll be working on the Natasha portrait...so I should make some progress on that which is long overdue. I'll be there between 10 and 4.30 so pop in and say hi if you're nearby.

 

I've been preparing some new painting boards today for an up and coming solo exhibition, also at SOTA, these are going got be an extension of the orange forest pieces...I'll post some pictures of those as they develop over the next couple of weeks.

 

Ok, off to sleep now, big day tomorrow...will tell you all about it soon... :-)

 

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New prints going to SOTA

 

Here

Here are a few prints that are going off to State of the Art gallery in Witney in the morning. They're also showing one of the original girl paintings along with a selection of the forest paintings...which are selling well...:-) they're open late tomorrow night for the switching on of the Christmas lights, so if you're in Witney call in and take a look :-)

 

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Some little experiments

 

What a busy week....lots of framing and Artweekend fun, but in amongst that I've been working on these experimental pieces. The one one the left needs a few more bits doing, but the one on the right is finished...very different styles but both very interesting to work on...I'll take both styles further I think...:-)

 

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Eynsham Winter Artweekend

Lots to see in Eynsham this weekend...And if you're venturing over to The Cuckoo's Nest we'll also be open on Sunday between 11 and 5...AND we've got 10% off all framing this weekend  :)

Natasha sketch

 

This is the initial sketch for the painting of Natasha, the design is all approved, so I need to get some stretcher bars to make up the canvas and then off we go :-)

 

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Mirror mirror on the wall...

First gesso frame all finished...:-) This one has been gilded in white gold, painted in off-white, limed and aged, then fitted with a beveled mirror. It's 19x23 inches and is on display in the shop now :-)

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Portrait commission - Natasha

We've had a visit from Natasha this morning, she was sitting for some photos and discussing her painting commission. I'll be doing some sketches from the photos we've taken over the next week or so and then work on the painting can begin in mid November. It's going to be in the black, white and gold style of the other 'girl' paintings I've done this year. I'll be posting photos of the piece as it develops, so watch this space :-)

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Swirling house commission

Finally a commission I can actually show you ;-) I painted this piece last week as a present for a customers husband. They had actually moved from the house on the left to the one on the right! I needed to get them both in frame and bend everything around in my usual style, which was a fun challenge as this road is perfectly straight...it's the middle of Queen Street, Eynsham should you ever be there, see if you can workout which houses they are ;-)

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A sunny Sunday...

Getting some panels ready for the winter exhibition paintings and working on a commissioned painting this afternoon...nice and toasty in the studio, The Steeldrivers on good and loud and hot coffe flowing freely...very nice :-)

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Quack quack...

Something a little different here...I happen to have this little Roman brooch in my kitchen this evening...as you do... Anyway, I thought I'd post a quick photo of it because its such a beautiful object, you can still see the enamelling, blue on this side, green on the other, traces of thin silver over the head and down the beak, the base metal is bronze....I've been thinking a lot about the value of craft lately, particularly as I've been working on the gilt frames...craft is something not always valued in the modern art world....alas...but this is a tiny object, nearly 2000 years old, its maker was a wonderful artist and craftsperson, it's an amazing object to spend a little time with...I wonder who has worn it and where.....

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Burnishing

Burnishing up the gold this morning....looking lovely :-)

 

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Gilding

Here I am starting to gild the mirror frame, I went for 12 carat white gold, rather than pure silver in the end as this will give a warmer feel to the final frame. It'll need to rest for a day or two now before I can burnish the gold...then I can begin work on the painted areas... :-)

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Burnishing the Bole

Today I'm burnishing up the Bole, until it's highly polished and ready for gilding...

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Last of the Bole...

One more coat of red to go on the top frame & I'm just going to go with a single coat of black on the mirror frame as I want as much warmth to show through the silver as possible. These need to dry out for a couple of days now before we move onto the next stage... :-)

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