Started something new

More arguments

This is one which I executed in paint in this abandoned painting -- a shitty effort:

Present (and future) supporting arguments..

A couple of sketches from some time back.

KNITTERS to completion

Added a cadmium red med semi-transparent glaze (in better light the underpainting shines through a bit more, as planned):

Some improvised decoration and we are done. Off to the drying room for a week or so until time to varnish. Still needs a title!

Working title: KNITTERS

Started working in the detail:

MELEE, 2019

Melee, 2019
oil on canvas
24.5 x 20 cm.
private collection

ACCEPTABLE RATE OF ATTRITION, 2002

Acceptable rate of attrition, 2002
wood-cut
23 x 27 cm. (printed area)
private collection

Update

This is an object (also abject) lesson in patience a.k.a. not adding a layer of paint until the one beneath it has dried properly so that it doesn't pick up the pigments and screw up the the transparency and tonality of the new layer. Oops.

A rescue mission was launched.

Also have to really make sure that the back toes of the back foot curve away from the edge of the canvas so as to avoid the creation of impression that the composition is jammed into the right edge.

Sunday afternoon: French synth prog & pizza

MODERN ROCKET BASE, 2002

Modern rocket base, 2002
wood-cut
26 x 24 cm. (printed area)
private collection

Started something new..

Brightblack morning light

It was bugging me that the 'MAGAZINE 2019' progress shot here was reminding me of something else, and then it hit me: it was the jacket of Brightblack Morning Light's debut album from 2006:

Friday night: 2 beers and some nice light

I think that one's finished.

enormous-thumbs-up.gif

 

Two famous feet

Philip Guston
"Feet on rug", 1978
oil on canvas
80 x 104 in.

A.K.A. "Feet on a rug" or "Two fat feet".

Getting some new pieces up and running..

It feels so good to have the house smelling of linseed oil again.. :)

SELF-PORTRAIT AS AN AFRICAN ORESTES, 2001

Self-portrait as an African Orestes, 2001
acrylic on paper
178 x 115 cm.

Step-by-step guide to building a new painting support (part 2)

[ previous part | tutorials home ]

Ok! have staples, will travel etc.

Step 6: loosely tack the four corners of the canvas onto the corners of the stretcher using your stapler. This is just to stop the canvas from flopping everywhere when you are turning it round stretching and stapling it.

Tip: if you rock the stapler to one side so you are not stapling perpendicular to the plane of the stretcher, you will have less hassle getting the corner tacks out again later.

Quick word about staplers: an expensive stainless steel gun stapler like the one shown is just that -- expensive (i.e. closer to NZ$100 than NZ$20) -- but it will last you a lifetime with very little or no maintenance. A good investment.

Pro-tip: don't forget to flip the stretcher over before you begin so you are not stapling on to the bevelled side! And see how I have labelled each edge with a point of the compass? That'll come into play shortly.

Step-by-step guide to building a new painting support (part 1)

or "How to stretch a canvas"..  [ next part | tutorials home ]

Step 1: Four stretcher bars feat. beveled top* and proper precision machine-mitred joints (bought off TradeMe). Look for warp-resistant timber, untreated (un-Tanalised), degreased, and kiln dried.

A quick note about size: I wouldn't go too large on the dimension front. This method does not involve cross-beam supports, and I would be hesitant to go much above 50cm before I started worrying about warp / bowing along the timber grain because of the tension of the stretched canvas. On the other hand, if you do go larger, you might get away with it if you stretch the canvas only very gently (more on that later.) 

Got some new small(ish) canvases did eh

More to come, too.

SELF-PORTRAIT AS NOBURO KURODA'S KITTEN, 2001

Self-portrait as Noburo Kuroda's Kitten, 2001
acrylic on paper
178 x 115 cm.
private collection

Working Title "SELF PORTRAIT AS DR. MANHATTAN ON MARS (After Dave Gibbons / Watchmen)"

A painting came out of those recent drawings. This is something I had been cooking in my head for quite a while but even so I was really unsure how to finalise the design. I've just glazed the 'sky' area & I might still do so for the "gaseous clouds" when they are dry. Probably gonna glaze the 'land' area as well, to knock the brushwork back a bit.

Really struggling with this one on consistency of mark-making across the entire picture plane...

EDIT: after a LOT of faffing around I gave up, and killed it (painted over.) Will attempt again some time.

Using up some oil paint left on the palette...

Continuing to develop ideas for this new series..

LAYLA I, 2019

Layla I, 2019
oil on canvas
120 cm. diameter

Layla1-8: Tell me Easter's on Friday..

Almost done.. :

ALIGNMENTS, 2008(18)

Done!

Alignments, 2008(18)
oil on canvas
60 x 50 cm.

Layla1-7: Party fears two?

I was having trouble deciding whether or not to keep the balloons. 

Thankfully I have available to me graphics manipulation tools! (what a time to be alive etc..):

I think that dispute is now well and truly settled.

Layla1-6: Working...

Layla1-5: Work is progressing

Layla1-4: Happy New Year!

At some point on NYE I decided I was going to finish some of the paintings I have lying around the place. So I started with LAYLA I and the first act was to completely change the composition: