I like being a female artist painting women. Women interest me for different reasons. Sometimes I like to paint their vulnerability, at other times I want to portray their strengths and their confidence in their own bodies. Another time I just want to paint them in domestic scenes like this one above, reading quietly. Next one, however, I think will be women enjoying themselves out on the town….margueritas to the ready. A useful tip for all artists; if you hold your work up to a mirror you will see its imperfections. Likewise turn it upside down and again you will see any mistakes. I think the eye is so trained to look at the image in front of it that the viewer becomes impervious to any errors. Looking in a mirror or turning it upside down and the eye has to start again. That is my view anyway, and what I see straightaway is the nose is looking a bit bulbous, something I just didn’t see before. So, to be worked on by next week. I put a glaze of burnt sienna over the flesh tones, which I have also put into the girl’s hair and into the carpet. By…
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I am putting up two quotes by female artists this week as I feel they are both relevant to me and my work in a way. I have not exactly been terrified all my life as has Georgia O’Keefe, but I have certainly had to surmount numerous obstacles throughout my life to get me where I want to be now, being a full time artist painting every day and loving it. And Elaine De Kooning, well I know exactly where she is coming from; but I have been so lucky in discovering Twitter and building up a core of followers who like my work, give me good feedback and encourage me on and this has been a HUGE help in my moving forward. So thank you, thank you to all those on Twitter who follow me. You have no idea how much you have helped me! And by the way, I don’t think female artists are tougher as Georgia says, we all have very thin skins when it comes to our work… It is women who interest me, and whom I want to paint. I want to paint strong, independent women, happy in their own skin, just doing their own…
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The original photo has a Christmas tree in the background that I was going to leave out. However I then decided that it would add colour to what would be another monochromatic painting (apart from the fabulous red hair) and add balance to the composition so have left it in. The odd red bauble will also add interest I think. The Christmas tree also lent itself immediately to the title I have given this work. I am greatly indebted to Tom and Natalie Snow (@snowglobeman on Twitter) for the use of this photograph of Natalie. I hope I can do justice to her beauty. By the way, do have a look at Thomas’ wonderful sensual poetry, great talent there. I may yet change the colour of the dress as at the moment it is too similar to the sofa, but time will tell. The best part for me though is the fabulous red hair and I am really looking forward to getting down to all the detail and lights and darks that can be painted into such luminous hair. I will be sending out my first newsletter this month so please sign up at the top of my Home Page…
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