blart: 2014

Thursday, 13 March 2014

PAP / Gallery News

12/03/14

Okay so they don't all work out. Forecast said sun, but there's no sun to be seen in Margaret's Buildings. No sun, that is, until I've committed myself to a grey day painting. I make a corned beef hash of it, but maybe I can come back another time and sort it out.

Maybe.

On the plus side, I bump into Jim:

"Are you...?"
"Don't I know you...?"
"Jim!"
"Er ... what's your name?" (It has been over five years)

Unfortunately Charlie has gone to the great doggie kennel in the sky, but Jim is okay and I guess my painting is as good a testament to his canine buddy as any.

Here's a reminder:

And, coincidentally, this leads neatly into .... wait for it ...

Saturday, 1 March 2014

PAP

Saturday 1st March

Some things that make this a good painting day:

The weather - it's sunny, not too cold and not windy! Mmm just right.
NO VAN in the way :)
I get chatting to a passerby who lives on Henrietta Street. He then goes home to bring his wife to see my painting and they commission a similar picture from a slightly different angle.
Two ladies walk towards me and pass by. As they do so they turn to look at the painting and make some approving noises. They continue to walk on and the next thing I hear is one of them saying, "We just walked into a lamppost looking at your painting!" This could be the ultimate compliment. I laugh a lot, which is okay, because they are laughing too.

Still not finished though - I just noticed the figure hasn't got a shadow - gotta watch those shadows.

Also, I make progress on Henrietta Street painting no.2:

Still some work to do and I had to cheat slightly by starting it in the studio because of the figures, but I think it's going to be okay.

Happy day.

Saturday, 22 February 2014

PAP

Friday

First PAP (plein air painting) session of the year (because of the weather rather than the temptations of a warm and dry studio you understand). At least four months since I was last out on the streets of Bath, so it's been a while, but ... no worries, what could possibly go wrong? I've got a commission to paint Henrietta Street from Laura Place - which is good, but ... ha ha ... no pressure then.

I lug all my gear from the studio only to find they've started some road works right in the middle of the agreed composition. Dammit. I figure I can just work around it and I can come back another time to finish the painting - the builder guy reckons they'll be gone by the end of the day.

So I make a start only to find I haven't bought my tube of white paint - how many times can I forget something crucial? DOOOMED! It's turning into a farce - and there's only a solo exhibition by Pete 'PAP legend' Brown just around the corner from here (cue manic laughter HA HA HA).

Still there's always tomorrow ...

Saturday

... NO THERE ISN'T! BECAUSE THERE'S ANOTHER *!*@?* VAN PARKED IN THE WAY!

and ...

breath ...

Regardless, I did bring the white paint and progress is made.