Studying again !

I have finally taken the plunge and enrolled to study again. I have yet to discover where I am going to find the time amongst running a home , working and trying to civilize three teenagers , but as with most things in life , if we aspire to something badly enough , we will find a way to achieve it .

As far back as I can remember I seem to have been instinctively lead by colour. This extends to the decor items I choose, the colours I paint the walls in my home and the clothes that I wear. I have never been able to pick out an item of clothing to wear a day before I wear it. What I chose in my wardrobe in the morning largely depends on the mood I am in when I wake up. I cannot randomly select something off the hanger, I look at the colours and make a decision based on which colour makes me feel best.

Perhaps many people experience this; however I was not consciously aware of it until I attended an introductory course on colour therapy a few years back.

The curiosity to discover more on the influence colour has in our lives , the psychological and emotional effects of colour and the way in which it can enhance our living and working environments has finally overwhelmed me. Although the internet is a great source of information, what is revealed about this fascinating topic is limited. Hence the need to study the subject in detail.

Colour surrounds us; it feeds and nourishes our senses. We see it, feel it and absorb it.

Our bodies are stimulated and energised by some colours, or calmed and relaxed by others. Mentally and emotionally colours work on a deep level, changing our mood and our sense of well being, as well as others’ perception of us.

Right from the wearing of black and white to represent death, birth and renewal, the world over, the beliefs that colours symbolize are communicated with an extraordinary immediacy which words can never match.

Artistic expressions

Last year a group of international artists published a book, the first in a series, “Artistic Expressions.”

Very exciting news is that my work has been chosen for the publication of the book “Artistic Expression II” to be released before year end in the UK.

The book is edited by Elizabeth Edwards of 1^st Angel Art magazine - http://1stangel.co.uk/aaw/, check out the website; it’s loaded with interesting articles!

The book features the works of 10 artists and a variety of genres, including drawing , painting and digital art.

A number of artworks from each artist as well as the artist biography will appear in the book; however ONE of the artworks submitted has to be a work of art never seen or exhibited before, and this is where I suddenly experienced a substantial degree of artists block .

The opportunity to appear in a book is not something that arises often and wanting to make the most of it, I want to produce a truly original work of art that is not only appealing to the majority, but which is, to an extent a personal expression.

I have agonised over this piece of work for weeks, considering and reconsidering canvas size and subject matter.

I decided that a nude study would be most appropriate, primarily being my trademark but also the best way in which I could express personal feeling.

I have finally formed the idea – almost fully! A nude study, a painting; not unlike my past work, but using a new technique. All I can tell for now, is that the name of the work is “Release me”, and NO, it does not allude to any form of BDSM, it is a statement of emotion!

Hope this wets your appetite for the book!

Model fantasy dispelled

There is one question with regards my work that I am asked more frequently than any other. “Do you use a model?”

Now, if this question were to be asked by a person genuinely interested in how I arrive at the completed work, I would be delighted to repeatedly explain the process, but sadly it is usually a prelude to or an attempt at a far more sinister topic of conversation and I am getting a little sick of it.

Only once have I ever been asked this question by someone who wanted a sincere answer, and that was because the lady asking the question had herself been a model for an artist.

Invariably the question is put to me by men who will often, on my reply, allude to a sexual fantasy they may have or make a sexually suggestive remark about the possibilities of what could transpire in my studio.

So, after the same question was put to me again yesterday, with the same follow through scenario I decided it time to burst the sexual fantasy bubble that seems to have attached itself to my art.

I do not use a model. Initially, when I began painting nudes, I used a model who I photographed (partially clothed, please note) and thereafter worked from the photographic material. Having now drawn the naked body for more than 10 years, I am very familiar with its structure, curves and any positions that the body could possibly achieve. I am familiar with skeletal and muscle systems as well as body language and if ever in any doubt, I am fortunate enough to have a body of my own to which I can refer, although this little piece of information has never previously been divulged for fear of inspiring further fantasy on the part of the person asking the question.

Perhaps the scenario of naked model and passionate artist is a recipe for endless fantasy and wild imagination and I have little doubt that erotic stories and pornography have encouraged the idea, however the reality of my work is very far removed from anything that could have a sexual connotation.

Firstly, finding someone to pose naked is difficult. Secondly, it is very seldom that I have a chance to work with no interruption; the need to see to a child or perform a household chore. Thirdly, my studio is a large room with direct access from the garage on one side, and from my 18yr old son’s room on the other which sees an endless stream of teenage boys filtering through to chat, admire art or grab a cup of coffee from the little kitchen area. There is no chaise longue, thick carpet and soft draping and the lighting is harsh daylight that pours in from the windows surrounding the room that both the neighbour and people in the street can see into.

Similarly, I have often had men propose their services, who are not only willing to pose naked for me, but incredibly enthusiastic about the idea. Once again, the emphasis on what it possibly could lead to being more of interest than any resulting painting. To again burst the bubble; male nudes do not sell to the extent that female nudes do and although there is a small market for them , it certainly does not warrant the employment of a male model.

Although art is indeed deeply personal and I do not live without fantasy, creating a painting requires the artist to concentrate fully on the work at hand. Dabbling in a little clandestine activity whilst trying to work would result in unsellable paintings, for me anyway .Of course I am aware that a little paint and a few soft brushes could do wonders for foreplay but if that were my choice of activity for the day I would not be disguising it under the pretext of work and certainly not with someone I barley know........