Bonus day

[WEDNESDAY 29 FEBRUARY 2012]
Today, the 29th February, is a bonus day.  We don't get 'em very often, and it's tempting to have the day off, but I really must make use of my time, for there is much painting to be done...

Today I began a set of 5 smaller paintings of the 5 Noble Gases, which I intend, in fact need to have finished by the end of March.  I am in the process of arranging an exhibition which is due to start in the first week of April.  Which doesn't give me much time (or hope, based on previous performance, and the fact that I haven't actually painted neon in some of the colours).

On arrival at the studio this morning I also touched up the white 'path of least resistance'. Which looks well on the way to being fit for the outside world.

In the afternoon you find me back to werk on 'Home Sweet Home'.  Yes more werk and more paint on that canvas!  Today I pay close scrutiny to the orange/green glow cross-over and then freshen up the green neon border.

Just time to paint in the area around 'Krypton' and clean up the brushes before I pack up and I'm homeward bound.

orange and green

[WEDNESDAY 22 FEBRUARY 2012]
That was not the keen-as-mustard start I was hoping for today, but in the 2 hours I have been painting I've finally taken the plunge with the orange/green neon crossover.

Prior to that I found myself procrastinating on the internet - a common symptom when I am stuck with a painting and not sure how to tackle the next phase.  During my searching I did pay another visit to the always pleasing Project Neon blog - one girl and a camera documenting the neon signs of New York city.  I can't help but have pangs of jealousy at the richness and variety of neon in that great city, and it makes me yearn for more neon in Brighton and reminds me that I really should pay Mr Fishtail Neon another visit at his studio whilst the days are still short.

Back in the loft, I tickle and tease the green-meets-orange glow, until I have to put it aside.  But what to do now?  The blue 'morse-code' painting is wet, and I really need to get some paintings finished rather than commencing werk on canvases that will take months to complete.  There is a small 'Path of Least Resistance' in white neon.  It has sat on the shelf for months and months, but finally the day has come to be taken to task.

new website

I've been a bit behind with my Wednesday Painter diary entries over the past few weeks, but it's all up-to-date now.

I have just launched a new website which I plan to have as a hub/repository for my various creative pursuits, you can visit it here: www.dominicbradnum.co.uk.

It's still in the construction stage at the moment, but I'm adding things whenever I have time.

bloody mess

[WEDNESDAY 15 FEBRUARY 2012]
The Wednesday Painter has a cold (must have been all that gargling dust and gravel).  But there is painting to be done and only he can do it.

Enough talking in the third person.  My head feels like cotton wool and my nose feels like it might explode with all the mucus.

In the morning I werk some more on 'Home Sweet Home'.  I can see an end in sight, so I hang it in the house and sit and gaze and ponder and scrutinise.

The heart/green neon area obviously needs more werk, but the rest is looking good to my eyes.

At lunch time I slice through the top of my thumb cutting garlic.  The blood just kept pumping out.

Recovered from my injury and all plastered up, I return to werk and give the blue neon morse code a good seeing to.

gargling dust and gravel

[WEDNESDAY 08 FEBRUARY 2012]
The good news is that, with some distance, and in the daylight, 'Home Sweet Home' looks a lot better than I remember leaving it after last week's session.

This morning, following a spot of paid work and  some wood chopping, I marked out another date painting to begin werk on at home over the weekend.

I am fed and watered and the proper werk begins at 13.06.

15.33 Slow progress on the next phase of orange neon glow.  It doesn't help that it is freezing and my throat feels like I've been gargling dust and gravel...  Time for some tea.

I soldiered on and finished the day at 19.25 a reasonably satisfied Wednesday Painter.

Two steps back

[WEDNESDAY 01 FEBRUARY 2012]
When I re-commenced werk on 'Home Sweet Home' this afternoon I was happy with what was on the canvas.  But then, the more I werked the worse it got.  Do 'this' to rectify it, didn't work. Do 'that' to make it better, even worse.  I almost resorted to scrubbing the whole thing out... Perhaps when I return next week it will look better than it does now.  Or perhaps I will understand where I went wrong and just a bit of remedial werk will rectify the wasted time today.

It is so bloody cold in the garret, despite having the ineffectual heater at full blast.  Slowly the chill creeps, from the feet up. I can't feel my toes and my legs are numb.  Just a quick bit of werk on that building, using up a smear of left-over Cadmium Red paint in a few of the balconies.  Done.