Sunday 30 June 2013

PAP


26/06 The Bath Prize has morphed into the Bristol Prize, but the premise is the same and the location I've been given to paint is ... Welsh Back. A tree-lined (in part) cobbled street with riverside restaurants and houseboats galore it's got a lot going for it so why am I painting this pug ugly office building? It's even got a big 'To Let' sign so there's not even a chance of selling it to an occupier. Why indeed, Mr Passerby? The answer lies over 30 years ago, before this building was here, when there was a construction that actually went with the surroundings, when it was Mail Marketing (Bristol) Ltd - a company owned and founded by my Gran and where, as a child, me and my family would drop in on occasion to visit said Gran, where I had my first holiday job stuffing envelopes, where I worked with my brother one summer staying in some flat in Clifton and drinking beer and Umbongo.

Both Gran and building are long gone now, but not forgotten and so here I stand painting this pug ugly office building. Is that okay? WELL, IS IT MR PASSERBY?!! IS THAT A SATISFACTORY ENOUGH EXPLANATION FOR YOU!!!

Huh, sorry, where was I, ah yes, the Bristol Prize and how this might not be my year ...

Thursday 20 June 2013

Porthleven PAP

13/05/13 no.4

More PAP, more wind, PAP wind, wind PAP. It's driving me crazy and yet, here I am, still painting - what's all that about? It's so windy I can't do a straight horizon and the dazzling colourful play of light across the waves is proving well beyond me. Maybe tomorrow it won't be so blowy, maybe ...



Saturday 15 June 2013

Porthleven PAP

More Porthleven PAP - yes, there is more!

13/05/13 no.2. It's so damn windy and cold. Hindsight and just a static visual representation diminish the effect, but believe me, it was howling. Regardless, I'm here to paint so I trudge along the coast path to somewhere called Loe Bar - a sand bar that forms a lake. I've heard it's picturesque, but after a mile long walk I'm disappointed and heading back along the path set up on the cliff tops to paint some gorse blossom. I've still got the lightweight easel so I try and weigh it down with bags and stuff. This works, but only for so long and eventually the wind wins and flings the whole thing over - or it would have done if not for the fact that I stop it with my paint brush loaded with bright pink paint - you can see the effects in a little pink comet whizzing through the air on the right of the picture.


I'm not sure what I was looking for with this painting and I'm not sure I found it, but moving on ...

13/05/13 no.3. There's a bit more sun when I get back so I drive on down the coast to Kynance Cove, by which time .... the sun has gone back in. It's still blowing a gale so I have to try and find a nook behind some rocks to make a fist of any painting. I'm rewarded with a small window of blue sky that lasts just long enough for a small square, which I quite like.


Saturday 8 June 2013

Porthleven PAP

Still working my way through the PAP trip last month. In order. Here's the next one and arguably the best (painting - not blog. No way the best blog - look at those meagre notes, I've got no idea what's going on. Suffice to say the weather was very different just a few short weeks ago.)

13/05/13 - No.1 - Early start - 6.00 alarm
Still cloudy, but painting by 7.30
A bit of sun!! - could be best day of the week, but damn it's windy.


Sunday 2 June 2013

Porthleven PAP


Porthleven PAP 3

Later the same day…

More mud. It's a bigger picture and I've got this unfinished thing going on on the right which I don't know if it's working or not. On the plus side it makes the whole picture vaguely do-able in the time I've got. Also, I get the church in.

I've got sufficient layers to combat the cold, I've got my cap to stop the rain from getting on my glasses, now, if only I could hold back the tide …

Verdict: hmmm, needs some work (both the painting and the holding back the tide).