18 January 2012

I sat and I looked...

[WEDNESDAY 18 JANUARY 2012]
Such good intentions can only be broken:  I was in the studio early enough, the 'Home Sweet Home' canvas was fixed on the easel, a cup of tea was made, and I sat on the stool and I looked.

Minutes passed, and I sat and I looked. I put some music on, and I sat and I looked. I switched on the computer, and I sat and I looked. I flicked through a book about neon, and I sat and I looked. I went back through my notebook of the past few years, and I sat and I looked. I found reference photos on the old computer, and I sat and I looked again.  Then I came back to the house and made another cup of tea, and bashed away on an acoustic guitar for a bit.  By now it was 11 o'clock. An idea: PING! Back to the studio I trot.

And the werk begins...

Is it right? Is it wrong? Is there a wrong when it can be painted over at any time? Plagued with doubt I retire for lunch.

My idea was to split the orange and green glow where the heart and border meet, bringing in some darkness, rather than making a murky mess by mixing the 2 colour palettes.  I will leave it for now and werk on it a later date.

As the afternoon progresses I am werking simultaneously on the Orange neon and the green neon, I stop to pick up a brush.  Now which one should I use...


By now most of the canvas area has had a fresh coat of paint applied - There is something incredibly sensual about silky smooth brush strokes in wet, glistening paint. Even green paint.



11 January 2012

graft and contentment

[WEDNESDAY 11 JANUARY 2012]
I have returned after 2 months away from the studio.


I was sat at the easel by 10am, I did some blue neon painting and was back in for a break by 10.30am.  Yes, a mere 30 minutes of painting before a break.  But 30 minutes of good painting...

On my return I continued with the blue neon morse-code, it was like I hadn't been away, until the RSI kicked in in my wrist.  Alas, I am not match-fit at the moment, but happy with my work, I put the canvas aside.



'Home Sweet Home' is now propped up on the easel, and I have been searching in vain for some photographic inspiration to get the areas where green and orange neon meet looking right.  Still searching.

I eat soup and a sandwich for my lunch (like Andy Warhol) and now it's back to the studio...

Considering I'm a bit out of practice, the afternoon session was highly productive.  Little success with the green/orange neon glow diffusion, but good progress with the rest of the orange neon lettering.


I finish at 19.08 with my brushes cleaned and a general feeling of contentment at a good day's graft.