Another 2 Hours!

As promised, the results of trying to put together a couple of small (for me) paintings for our limited space exhibition later this month. Lots of things on and so not a lot of time, so another 2 promised 2 hour sessions to see what I could put together. Here are the results. Now I feel justified in making up my allotted number with a couple of large paintings to advertise my August exhibition.

                                        'Anemone Japonica' Watercolour on Fabriano Extra White
                                                                        22cm x 32cm

                                     'Cherries and Grapes'. Watercolour on Fabriano Extra White
                                                                18cm x 27cm

I keep telling myself that I now have enough paintings for all the projects I have in hand and I can take a rest and do a bit of cleaning or something, but there is that compulsion to always do 'just one more' so I will not say 'that's it folks' because I am sure it will not be!

2 hours on a Saturday Afternoon

I have enough paintings stacked in the attic for the exhibition in Wells Cathedral in August, but we have a club exhibition approaching, which will be held in our painting venue. There will not be a lot of space, and my paintings are generally in frames 20" x 16" or 26" x 20" so they are relatively large. Also I do not really want to eat into my stock for Wells.
I have been working for the past 3 weeks and have done no paintings, so the need to deal with the withdrawal symptoms and the need to find 4 or 5 smaller paintings for this local exhibition, made me make time on Saturday afternoon to try to produce something which would fit a 12" x 16" frame max.Not something I am very good at!
A garden full of early roses seemed a good starting point, and I set to, without any pressure, and the usual ....its only a piece of paper....... if it doesn't work.

What a nice surprise, when 2 hours later, I was able to think 'That will do!'

Now all I need to do is produce a couple more and the problem will be solved. I will show you the others if they turn out well enough, but here is the first.

                                            'Alexandra Rose'  approx 12" x 9"  watercolour on
                                             Fabriano xtra White

Developing A Style

At Art Club this week we were asked to produce a painting of white china on a black ground, any style, any medium. At the end of the session, all the paintings were put up for our usual group chat and appreciation session. We have found that we can all learn lots by looking at each others work, asking questions about technique and composition, and because it is a really positive exercise, even the weakest members are happy to take part.

As one of the organisers of the group, it has often fallen to me to lead this session and sometimes suggest discussion points. When I have done this, I have nearly always been able to put a name to a painting for at least two thirds of the group. The beginner's work is sometimes a bit more tricky as they have not yet developed a distinct approach to their art.

I hesitate to use the word style as I am not sure that even the more established painters amongst us always paint in the same way.

This was highlighted today as the confines of the white china and black ground seemed to do away with all the usually recognisable paintings, and I would not have known whose painting belonged to whom, except that I finished a little early and had a wander around all of the group.

So, what I am asking is this......At the level at which a club like ours paints, are we really developing a style of our own or are we simply working in a way which reflects the work of artists we admire. Had they never put paint brush to paper, how might we have developed? Are we capable of painting in a really individual way which would be easily recognised as 'ours'.

I am sure that for all the years I have been painting, there are lots of different ways in which I produce paintings depending on the subject, the medium and my mood. I say thank goodness for that. it keeps me fresh, encourages me to try new things and stops me trying so hard to paint in a certain style that I lose my way completely.



I have put together half a dozen paintings of the same basic subject. Are they recognisable as mine?  Am I developing a style of my own, or am I just striving to produce work based on those artists I admire.

I actually do not care. I do not think anything except my health would stop me painting, even if I never sold another painting!

Developing A Style

At Art Club this week we were asked to produce a painting of white china on a black ground, any style, any medium. At the end of the session, all the paintings were put up for our usual group chat and appreciation session. We have found that we can all learn lots by looking at each others work, asking questions about technique and composition, and because it is a really positive exercise, even the weakest members are happy to take part.

As one of the organisers of the group, it has often fallen to me to lead this session and sometimes suggest discussion points. When I have done this, I have nearly always been able to put a name to a painting for at least two thirds of the group. The beginner's work is sometimes a bit more tricky as they have not yet developed a distinct approach to their art.

I hesitate to use the word style as I am not sure that even the more established painters amongst us always paint in the same way.

This was highlighted today as the confines of the white china and black ground seemed to do away with all the usually recognisable paintings, and I would not have known whose painting belonged to whom, except that I finished a little early and had a wander around all of the group.

So, what I am asking is this......At the level at which a club like ours paints, are we really developing a style of our own or are we simply working in a way which reflects the work of artists we admire. Had they never put paint brush to paper, how might we have developed? Are we capable of painting in a really individual way which would be easily recognised as 'ours'.

I am sure that for all the years I have been painting, there are lots of different ways in which I produce paintings depending on the subject, the medium and my mood. I say thank goodness for that. it keeps me fresh, encourages me to try new things and stops me trying so hard to paint in a certain style that I lose my way completely.



I have put together half a dozen paintings of the same basic subject. Are they recognisable as mine?  Am I developing a style of my own, or am I just striving to produce work based on those artists I admire.

I actually do not care. I do not think anything except my health would stop me painting, even if I never sold another painting!

Developing a style

At Art group this week we were asked to produce a painting.....'White China On Black.' Any size, any medium. Not something that proved to be easy, especially as the ground for most of the members work was not really meant for wet media, and lots of us tried to use acrylic inks!  As usual, at the end of the session we put the paintings up against the wall, and had a look at what we had produced. Members enjoy seeing what others have produced, and we all believe we learn from looking at each others work. There is such a supportive atmosphere, that even the weaker members of the group are happy to take part.
At these sessions, as one of the organisers of the group, I often start the ball rolling and have become so accustomed to looking at members paintings, that I can recognise 75% of them from their style of painting. The weaker members are a bit more tricky as they have not really developed a style of their own yet.
This week, however, it was much more difficult and the only reason I knew one painting from another was that I had finished a little early and taken a stroll around the room.
I do not know if it was the very limited subject or the unusual process of painting directly onto a black background, but there seemed to be no recognisable styles present. Everyone seemed outside of their comfort zone to some degree or other.

This got me thinking of the much used phrase of.......'developing a style of ones own'. Do we really do that or do we in fact, mostly try to emulate the work of well known artists that we admire, and so are generally just working towards their style? Maybe only the exceptionally talented can actually be so innovative that the resultant style can truly be called their own.
True, there are artists whose work I really admire, and a style of painting that I would like to see in  my work, but that does not mean a style of my own. What I am trying to do is produce paintings that contain to a small degree, something of their individual style.

All this is very theoretical, and really doesn't matter that much except as an interesting concept, and whoever or whatever I tend towards, and whether I have any sort of 'style', whilst health and enthusiasm continues I will continue to paint in my way!
As an exercise I have collected together a few of my paintings of the same basic subject to see if one would suggest that they all were done by the same artist. See what you think.

                                                                             Poppies Galore