Saturday 31 October 2009

Lost treasure

I'm exaggerating in the title. The oil painting below was done at a course I took with a Polish artist a few years ago. I don't think he approved of what I was doing, but I learnt quite a bit about technique with him and just stuck to my guns as usual when it came to the crunch. It was the first time I had tried to paint an abstract on a fairly large canvas (60x90cm) and there comes a point in my work when it starts to take on some kind of identity beyond abstraction. This is because I can always see animals in any shape I'm confronted with, and the technique of pouring liquid oil paint (diluted with turps) was a big step forward in the search for a personal painting identity linked to quite a large extent with this foible for painting "critters"! After the course I switched to acrylics for the pouring sessions because I couldn't live with the turps fumes. At the artist's studio there was a separate room where the paintings could dry off! Actually, I was the only one using this approach, so I could really spread out, and the first dozen or so paintings of this type were done at the course.   Unfortunately the Polish artist was forced to give up his studio and decided not to take another one,. As far as I know he no longer does any tutoring anywhere. A pity. His own work is unconventional and can be viewed here: andreas. I don't know who was responsible for the horrendous web design!
So here's the painting that was consigned to the cellar after the  course. I didn't even photograph it at the time. But sorting out paintings for my exhibition, I came across it and was quite amused, so it might see the light of day after all. I called it "Weihnachtsteller" (Christmas plate) after the German custom of everyone having their own plate of sweets, chocolate, nuts and fruit at Christmas. My Christmas plate is piled with birds, eggs and other odds and ends.




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