31st January 2011

So the new canvas is started and it will be a little rough around the edges. I started palcing the background....

The runs are purposeful and I have also done a slight sketch just to get an idea....

Then I through on some skin tone....

And know I am ready to start the charcoal rendering of my own portrait, which I feel a little funny doing, but ahwell it'll be alright....

Blank again

So I have a new canvas and have had since Christmas, even while working on "The heart of it" i was contemplating what to place on this one, and i have decided to do something that is a little different for me and that is a self portrait...of sorts.

a rough draft

So when I was doing that (the rough draft) I also felt compelled to write something, so I grabbed my Journal and let it flow and what follows is what eventuated, a little note some may be offended by use of language and think I am a little unwell but I am ok with that...
 "3001110000

This is me, this is who I am, my portrait, many faces, talk to me about one thing now and talk to me again tomorrow about the same thing you may just get a separate answer. Out of politeness I will not tell you to fuck off, but I will be happy to complain about, become anxious and stress about you, but i will not confront you. It's not that I don't like conflict, I love it, to yell and scream it feels good. To hear someone yell, scream, fight, fuck, it is exciting, as you know.

I know this because just like you I was born into a fallen world, where the lie is blatant and the truth is concealed in a jungle of dogma. Live life that's what I am doing. Allowing fear, pain, hurt, worry and all the other little creatures come and sit with you, learn their ways. They know yours and will happily abuse that knowledge, to drive you deeper to take you further away from that which loves you.

He beckons, he calls, he screams, he shouts...and still we walk OUR way.

Do you know why your here? I don't. But know this there is someone who wants you here, someone who calls you by your name, who knows things only you know. Listen, listen carefully, do you hear the whisper, I do and you know what? I walk the other way....why? Because I fear when there is no need to fear.

Fear, like lies, is a game of domino's, tip one over and they're all going to fall, believe one fear, listen to one lie and your gone....

Hear the truth and the truth will set you free. I don't know about you but for me the truth is a reality and that reality brings me a life of freedom. Freedom not to do what I want, but a freedom that gives me a choice, a choice to continue to walk blind or the choice to call out...Abba father, Abba father...Knowing he is willing to disgrace himself just to embrace me, a wretched man."

Mr K

I thought I'd put up this pic I did of a friend first I took a pic then I thought I'd sketch it.

I think the sketch is not true to the pic and am not completely satisfied with it, I feel the jaw line to broad and the chin to forehead to long, the lips to thin, the head to square. Generally I feel it bears little resemblance.
On a lighter note I have come up with a title for my canvas it is ....."the heart of it"....it came to me while taking a walk.

It is finished

So now I have completed my piece, I have no title as yet, its just something that was in and now is out. Even though a title would give it more "life" so to speak, I haven't got one. I have always left things without a title and struggle giving one, hence why most things go by dates not names....anyways it's done know and maybe later it would get a title.
What I have done is add some text to canvas just to balance things out. Everything seemed a little to left, or central. I was told that the apple was good as it gave that balance but it was too high, and yet another said that the whole thing looked better without the apple.

Clothed in righteousness

Reality Life Truth Freedom

So even though it wasn't a year as in  the process as planned, and even though it is not as percieved it is done....it is complete.

Just some pics

A little update on how I am going....I'm almost done and I cant be bothered writing so ere are the pics...

And for something completely different

I have ventured onto some "life drawing" just mainly my fist and ankle, something I felt I struggled with for a while and never felt I was any good at....I'll let you be the judge....

A little editing

So here we are.

And the memory remains

Me, the artist at work

I think removing the apple and the curves in the background centralize the focus

I got rid of the apple and I think that was a wise decision, I have also decided to change the sky part of the background to a patchy warm red with a slight warm yellow peeking through, I am aiming for contrast and hopefully that'll make it pop! give depth and dimension, the tree is also changing from a burnt sienna esc color to a light khaki but I think I will go for a soft, almost white, grey. I am also finding that layering is helpful something that I haven't really gone for before I usually just whack color on and leave it single and sometimes double layered, but with this I have gone for the layer, upon layer, upon layer effect and allowing the previous colors to come through.
I am currently going through a restart sort of process where I am working from the back to the front and being very careful and precise about it all that way the hopefully there will be no over lapping seen.

I give you my heart

Here are some pics of the new installment, the flames were a bit tricky trying to get pop from something that is 2D is a skill I have yet to attain but I'll keep at it and soon enough it'll be there, the heart isn't exactly as I want it but it is close enough, I get worried if I stuff around to much, it will be stuffed. I want the heart to appear surrounded rather then layered on the flames, so I guess there is still some work to be done on it.
I also got rid of the worm in the apple it really didn't have any significance and I'm starting to think that neither does the apple, looking at the whole canvas, the apple adds just another reference that I feel just doesn't need to be there, which is interesting since I spent so much time on it, but as I have found with other paintings you get that.

Trying to be true to anatomy

Just a red blob really