Monday 7 March 2011

54 paintings later

February 2nd  7.30am
My project carries on, dragging me with it.  I am into the third month already with 54 paintings under my belt.  I have discovered gouache, or body colour, which is a medium that I haven't used for years and one that offers many possibilities for the plein air painter. 

March 2nd.  Gouache.
I have also discovered patience, enduring day after day of grey mist and very wet Cornish drizzle, then finding out that I actually love the grey misty rain.  I am patiently waiting for the Spring and in the process, I suppose because of a heightened awareness of my environment, noticing the tiniest stirrings of fresh green shoots in the woods and fields as I walk to my vantage point.

21 February  Watercolour and Gouache.
 I am trying out different techniques, finding confidence in and a familiarity with the media that I am using that I havent felt before.  I am also becoming bolder and minding not a fig what passers by think, in other words, happily inhabiting the role of "that mad artist woman"  (painting at night often brings that remark!)


February 8th.  Starry Starry Sky.
Apart from local interest I have had some from further afield and a venue for exhibiting the finished collection.  So this project, a few short months into it, has already begun to acheive much of what I had hoped it would.  As a direct result from all this painting activity, I am holding plein air painting workshops here in Cornwall throughout the summer, my blog will have the links,  if anyone is down my way, give me a shout, we can go painting together.  I shall also be at the Bristol Affordable Art Fair in May with Beside The Wave Gallery  (I link you to their blog as I am the official blog reporter!) as their token artist, if you are in the Bristol area why not visit, seek me out, I shall be there, in my best bib and tucker with a label on me for identification purposes.  Very soon I shall be making another little film, this time of the actual painting process, on location, as I am testing QR codes for use with the gallery.  I shall post the film here and, hopefully, explain the QR code properly.
As a final note though, I must say just how afferming and valuable is the interest from other bloggers, artists and non artists.  Never underestimate the value of commenting, it helps to keep me going and I know it does for other artists too.

11 comments:

Art From Books said...

Those are some amazing pieces! What a great post

Jeanette Jobson said...

54 pieces! Wow you're a machine!

I love the March 2nd. That gouache looks almost like oils, so rich. The series you're putting together here is wonderful stuff.

Have fun in Bristol.

Making A Mark said...

I'm liking the little branches catching the highlights in the 21 February one

Always good to cultivate an air of eccentricity - then when you do anything really stupid nobody bats an eye!

Africantapestry and Myfrenchkitchen said...

Me too, I can only say Wow, too. It is wonderfully inspiring Sarah. Great pieces, all of them and I lean towads that mix of watercolor and gouche. One of my favorite marine painters is Ronan Olier (http://www.netmarine.net/tradi/pom/olier/index.htm)...he does such beautiful work in gouache!
ronell

Sarah said...

Thank you for the title, I assume it was you Katherine, I forgot! And thank you for the intro to Ronan Olier, lovely stuff, I think I may be making gouache paintings in France before too long!!

Bridget Hunter said...

I have to agree with the praise you're receiving - a great series of paintings.

Lindsay said...

Great project and I'm happy you are making professional conn3ctions.

vivien said...

a really beautiful series and the night with stars is one I love too

I'm so pleased to hear how much it has led on to

Frank Zweegers said...

54 in 3 months? Wow that's a lot, keep up the good work.

Lindsay said...

Your project is rich and challenging and it is progressing beautifully!I'm so happy that it is yielding the results you were looking for!

Ian Hills said...

I kept clicking "next blog", going through the mad and sad ones until I came to your tasteful and enchanting one. Some of your pictures are quite idyllic-looking and uplifting. Thanks, and keep up the good work!