Still carrying a Knife

The last post had me wielding a painting knife for the first time in anger, trying out block exercises in the hope of improving my colour seeing. However the real test for me is applying new techniques to my usual subject matter, that is the landscape. So I would have a go at a small piece at one of my favourite little spots, a quarry not far from home.

This was a very testing exercise, trying to remember a whole new set of processes (outlined in the last post) and at the same time practising my full colour seeing and remembering to balance my values. As you can imagine I feel that the result is something of a curate's egg, good in places and weaker in others. What is not a disappointment is the vibrancy of colour that this approach creates. There are passages that shout light in a way that much of my work does not. This gives me great encouragement to persist with the approach and continue to work at my skill level with the knife. Do you think I'm right?

I've posted a photograph of the scene that is painted.



Wingate Quarry - Oil on canvas board 12" x 10"

Mick the Knife

As threatened over a month ago, I had decided to attempt using the principles advocated by Susan Sarback to make some paintings. On the advice of Wet Canvas regular, Michael McGuire, I had decided to look at her work. She is a teacher in the tradition of Henry Hensche and Charles Hawthorne. Her main messages relate to 'full colour seeing' and using a staged process to build the painting. It makes so much sense to me that I am about to follow some of the exercises, particularly the block exercises advocated in the book, 'Capturing Radiant Light and Colour'. The process consists of four stages.

Steps are:
1) Establish the masses;
2) Refine the masses;
3) Establish variation in the masses;
4) Add more variation in the masses.

The following three shots show my first attempt at trying the block exercises.

In this shot the masses are established and warm colours are used to show lit areas whilst cool colours are used for shadow areas.

Here the masses are beginning to be refined and the appropriate colour notes applied.

In the last shot I have established variation in the masses and at this point I've decided to give some thought to what further refinement might be required.

This exercise has given me a great deal of pleasure from a number of points of view. First of all it is my initial attempt at completing a whole piece with a painting knife as opposed to brushes. whilst awkward to use, as the work has gone on I have begun to feel a little more comfortable with these tools. Secondly, I have experienced a degree of freedom throughout the making of this picture that is different to the tightening up that often occurs when using brushes. The knife will certainly play a part in my armoury from now on. Lastly, the use of pure colour, as opposed to lots of mixing, imbues the work with a greater feeling of light. This is a lesson that I hope not to forget.

Still Life

This week has been one of reflection, musing upon the lessons learned about recession and chroma. The last post showed a little improvement in this regard. On the advice of Wet Canvas regular, Michael McGuire, I decided to look at the work of Susan Sarback, a teacher in the tradition of Henry Hensche and Charles Hawthorne. The main messages that I have got so far relate to full colour seeing and using a staged process to build the painting. It makes so much sense to me that I am about to follow some of the exercises, particularly the block exercises advocated in the book, 'Capturing Radiant Light and Colour'. In the meantime I used the four stage process in making this still life image.

Steps are: 1) Establish the masses;
2) Refine the masses;
3) Establish variation in the masses;
4) Add more variation in the masses.

Whilst I have a way to go to assimilate the process into my regular practice, I found it a good way to channel the thinking process during painting. My aim is to build sufficient confidence to use the process during my plein air sessions and this next week will see me get the opportunity to do that. I am off to the Norfolk Painting School to spend a couple of days doing a plein air workshop with Martin Kinnear. With any luck I'll have some improving work to show when I next post.

Still Life - Oil on canvas board 10" x 8"