Architecture & Collage - New Work

I seem to have a constantly growing stack of paintings and collage that I need to upload to Flickr, list on Etsy and Folksy, and tell you about here. This weekend I managed to find a bit of time to list a few things.

Rhapsody in Blue - Original Collage
This is a mixed media collage of blue and neutral coloured squares. I've included elements of drawing, stamping, painting, marbling and pieces from letters, magazines, sheet music and old books. I love the recycling nature of collage, creating new art out of fragments of old art, ephemera and junk!

Size: 8.5" x 8.5" (22cm x22cm)



Columns - Original Watercolour

A fresh and expressive watercolour painting of an arcade of columns in Barcelona. I sketched this first using pen and ink and then I've tried to keep the painting loose and expressive.

The suggestion of a figure in front of the archway adds to the sense of depth and perspective. I've also tried to capture a feeling of urban decay and isolation.

Size: 9" x 12" (23cm x 30cm)

York Minster - Original Watercolour
Original pen and watercolour painting of York Minster.
I sketched a close up section of the cathedral in fine line pens. I then added colour and detail with watercolours.

I've tried to keep the painting expressive and spontaneous. The close up view creates a more interesting composition, and a lively feel.

Size: 9" x 12" (23cm x 30cm)

Struggling

I've been trying to combine drawing with painting, but I'm still working out how to achieve what I'm aiming for, and work out what that is. I want the clean line and detail of a pen drawing, with the colour and freshness of a watercolour. Here are a couple of my recent attempts.

In this painting of Forde Abbey in Somerset I started with a sketch using derwent drawing pencils in earth colours. I then added paint with large loose brush strokes, adding extra texture with salt. I also used some pastels once the paint was dry.

I started this expressive painting of Barcelona sunshine with some bold pen drawing for just a brief outline. I then went mad with bright blues, purples and yellows!

Any comments will be much appreciated! :-)

The Art of Recycling

I am a real horder, I can't throw anything away and I've been saving up stamps, old paper bags, magazines, old tickets, postcards, fabric, beads, broken china, bits of metal and plastic and scraps of anything, ever since I can remember. I like to think that I'll eventually use all the junk in a massive artistic outpouring of beautiful collages and altered art sculptures. I love patchwork, collage and mosaic partly because of their potential for recycling old rubbish into beautiful new works of art.

Kaffee Fassett's books on patchwork were a real inspiration to me and have so far resulted in 3 baby quilts, 4 cushions and 1 and a half full sized quilts. I've got a massive collection of fabric scraps taking up boxes of space. Gaudi is another icon and inspiration - Barcelona is beautiful because of his amazing architecture and mosaics. Again, I've got boxes full of broken plates, cups and tiles. I just love the mix of colours, textures and patterns.

The beauty of rubbish as art is that anyone can do it. I've got a fantastic book about 'Outsider Art' full of the amazing creations of hundreds of people from around the world. Nek Chand's garden in India is one of the most amazing, hundreds of mosaic people and animals in a concrete, landscaped garden. I'd love to see it one day, if not have a go at creating something like it! For now I'm sticking to paper, with a bit of collage and mixed media. There's something really additive about collecting and creating. I think it's a combination of the colours, patterns and images and the act of creation that I enjoy. I can't get enough!