So last Friday I did sit down to do some painting. A bit daunting after a break of nearly 2 months!! I started small, on some tiny 4x4 inch canvases, finishing off one that I started months ago.
On the other two I worked on, I used a foam print to stamp one of my drawings onto the canvas and used that as a basis to paint on. One of trees, here's the foam print.
and here's the painting.
And one of a woman with a bird, here's the foam print.
and here's the painting still in progress, you can see the print on the canvas isn't as clear as it is on paper, but it gives some interesting textured effects to work with!
I'm still ploughing on with the Matisse biography - which makes me want to paint all the more! I was lying in bed the other night thinking even if I do a painting a week for the next 40 years (til I'm 89!!) it's only 2000 paintings, it doesn't sound like very much...I'd better get a move on!!
One morning last month I made some foam prints based on my latest little paintings and sketchbook pages. Foam prints are so simple, no need for sharp tools or special equipment, you just draw into the foam sheet with a pencil and then they are ready to print. I print them with acrylic paint with retarder medium mixed in to slow down the drying time, and use a foam roller. I printed a big batch of prints.
Since then I've been colouring some in with coloured pencils and collaging them onto cards. Hand colouring is time consuming but very calming and I enjoy it, it's an activity I can fit into little 5 or 10 minute windows of time, eg before work, or in the evenings when I don't have the energy for anything serious!
