Hi Guys,
Today I ll be looking at the process I ve been through painting the sister piece to 'Love,held and supported'. This painting is titled the 'Karmic return'. Its the same size at 2m by 2m and is acrylic,oil and cold wax on ash. The inspiration for this painting was drawn from a recent visit to Glastonbury with a wonderful group of people, with Tracy Holloway informing and holding space for us all whilst we traveled around this amazingly powerful landscape. This gave me the time and opportunity to connect emotionally and spiritually with this place.
I started in my usual way making thumbnail sketches, tonal and Notan and used these to inform my first pattern to apply on the ash support as you can see above. I then painted a colour sketch in oil on linen just to see how I might balance the colour.
Once I had done this I then decided that the image of the Tor was too big for my liking and didnt give me the sense of space or place that I had intended for this piece, so I went back to my thumbnail sketches and reworked my original Notan.
I then began to work quickly with thin acrylic layers with large brushes and energetic marks to give a sense of light and movement and making sure I included the flower of life symbol and the words for this piece in each layer of paint.
From here I switched to oils where I could take my time mixing families of colours that connect to each other and create a harmony and balance to the painting and to some of these oil pigments I added cold wax both for its surface texture and for its quality when I strike through it or write into it.
Examples of connecting families of colours.
An example of the textures created with cold wax into the oil pigment. I chose the flower of life sacred geometry symbol to run through the layers of this painting as its thought by some to depict the fundamental forms of space and time and is also thought to contain the basic information of all living things. This symbol connected beautifully with the words in both of these Glastonbury Landscapes.
Close up of the Tor. A balance of light and dark.
close up of the Tor showing different marks and textures. Below is the final image this will be on exhibitionin at the Roses Theatre, Tewksbury from 10th June to the 19th June, during Cheltenham Open Studios 2017.
These are the words written throughout the painted layers. They are transposed from a conversation between Dr. Hank Wesselman and a Kahuna elder. He talks of loving with an open heart unconditionally.
I hope you have enjoyed seeing the journey of this painting. Please pick up a Cheltenham Open studios Guide from the Wilson gallery, Tourist information or from me I would be glad to hear from you and do come and pay me a visit during COS 17,I am venue 52 and I have work also at venue 16 and 31.
If you might be interested in having a free taster hour with me painting and talking about landscape I will be at Cheltenham Fine Art on 17th of June from 3pm to 4pm to do this, venue 16 in the guide.
If you would like to come and join me to paint for a few days then I am lucky enough to be tutoring the summer landscape course for Cheltenham Fine Art at the Rococo gardens 11th, 12th and 13th July 2017, Painswick more details and booking go to my shop page or alternatively you can book through www.cheltenhamfineart.co.uk,
much love everyone get creating....