A Step in the WW Direction

26/03/09

It's windy and rainy so I plan to do a bit more with the disaster I started a couple of weeks ago. I'm feeling pretty good as I've laid my paints out on the palette before I set off, got my rain cover for the easel and a plastic bag for the brushes. The smokers are still there when I arrive, but I know their break will end soon so I set up anyway. There's dog pooh, but I see it before it sees me. Yep - I'm feeling pretty smug - I even discover a new way of holding the brushes in my inside jacket pocket which helps to keep them dry. Yessiree, I've pretty well got the weather licked. Yup, yup, yup, yup, nothing can go wrong ....

Death Ray magazine (it's great) - I was reading an article in the latest issue about a famous comic artist and he said that when doing loose pictures it was better to do a precise underdrawing first and just paint loosely on top. His words come back to haunt me as I paint. My oh so loose and wayward underpainting is so off whack (technical term) that the whole session is spent trying to correct things - still I come away thinking that it looks better than when I started (praise be for that).

... ha, see, everything's dandy. Pack up, time for lunch. Hang on, what's this? The wind has blown my bag over. No problem there, surely ... it's only rolled down the pavement ... and managed to play football (because bags can) with the dog pooh on the way - eugh - there's pooh all over the shoulder straps. Sigh. I have been justly and righteously punished for my smugness by a higher plein air being, able to wield the power of pooh with devastating effect.

p.m. 

I'm feeling all WW - looking to make music out of something dirty and grubby.

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I'm in my studio, so not much happens.

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but I'm including this in the blog because I like it and it's a step in the WW direction.

p.m still, but later

I've got to pick up Ciara from her friends house at 6.00. I'm killing time, when all of a sudden I get excited by the sky and Twerton Mount. There's some places that strike a chord with you - can't explain it - maybe it's ley lines or something, but Twerton Mount is one of those places for me and as the opportunity presents itself I find myself racing to get a painting done.

huff puff ... climb the hill

huff puff ... set up the easel

I'm out of the wind near a copse full of burned out cushions and teenage debris - better be out of here before it gets dark! But of course I will, as I've only got twenty minutes to finish the painting. Obviously the WW thing to do would be to paint this, but I'm feeling all Constable Cloud Studyish. Not sure it goes to plan as the interesting shapes have blown past & I'm left with a big cloud suasage. Can't wait, can't stay.

huff puff ... take down the easel

huff puff ... down the hill.

P.S.

I've got to stop rambling - try and keep these things a bit shorter. In the words of someone what I was speaking to recently, "let the painting do the talking". 

Next week.