Making a start

Out of all the artforms I practise, painting is the 'holy grail'!

Recently I've been frustrated with my studio set up - the table where I paint is also our dinner table so I've had to completely pack up after every painting session. In the holidays I had a tidy up - a little desk that had been a dumping ground for half finished projects could be a work table, a place to have my paints laid out all the time ready to go. An easel I'd got just to display work at the craft fair could be set up with a decent sized canvas. Two weeks ago I got the whole thing organised - the canvas waiting. The intention there to do some serious painting!

Last Thursday morning before work I quickly laid some colour onto the canvas, adoodle of lines, anything so that I wouldn't have to sit in front of the blank canvas on Friday!

Friday morning I blocked in some ideas based on a walk down at the park.

Now that I've put in the tree and the geese, the woman in the foreground is too small, so I've painted her out. It's curious (worrying!) that the underpainting colour and mark making is much more interesting than what I've put on top. It's got too tight too early...I need bigger brushes...it's scary and invigorating to work on something this size (20x30 inch) after many tiny 4x4 and 5x7 canvases.

It's not really anything yet - and likely to be painted over several times before it is - but at least I've made a start!!

If you're in Darwin there is still time to see a lovely exhibition of paintings by Ray Hayes at DVAA, finishing this weekend,, you can see some photos at the DVAA blog.