ABSTRACTING TULIPS

I have enjoyed a successful fortnight working for my next one-man show, this time at the Brave Art Gallery in Longford, Tasmania. I aim to produce a series of ‘cleansed’ landscapes, some of which border on the abstract due to their minimal detail.

The clean lines of sown and ploughed paddocks feature prominently in the first 6 paintings that I have produced. I am now turning my attention to tulip fields that form part of the rich tapestry of farmland in North West Tasmania.

I have featured 2 paintings today of tulips at Table Cape. As you can see, the bottom image is a work-in-progress, but there’s enough detail to show you the nature of my subject.

From a distance fields of tulips are seen as bands of colour and this suits my way of seeing. I love the simplicity of these fields and their vibrancy. There is a ‘loudness’ that I find appealing, and these paintings will add a touch of ‘dazzle’ to my exhibition.

Although landscapes in their own right, I want to include areas of very little detail and clean, well-defined areas of colour.

Art is not simply about what one sees, it’s about what fires your imagination.

Where to after the tulips?

Following a series of ‘tulip’ paintings I intend to ‘move’ to the Midlands area of Tasmania, a landscape that is very different to what I’m currently working on, then to Tasmania’s North East, again, different with its own unique appeal.

Tasmania is packed with subjects crying out to be painted!

Richard

LANDSCAPE PRECIS

The past 2 weeks has been very rewarding for me in my quest to develop a sound portfolio to select a body of work for my next one-man show in March. It took me some time to decide what my theme will be, but now that I have directed my energy at ‘landscape simplification’, I feel more settled and I’m confident of producing a collection of paintings that gain the respect of my peers and the general public.

Results to date have been encouraging. I have been researching and documenting with much gusto and I have several paintings in the ‘pipeline’.

I hope to use the word ‘precis’ in my exhibition title. I think it encapsulates what I’m trying to ‘say’ in this body of work – I see the (Tasmanian) landscape in simple terms (a type of cleansing), as simple as possible (a summary) without losing each subject’s integrity.

My latest paintings are the result of my ‘brick’ theme that I began last August. I recognised the shapes of trees in the patterns of several of the bricks whose patterns I was painting. These ‘trees’ then took on a surreal form that morphed into whimsical landscape, followed by what you see on this post.

Where to from here?

My aim is to complete at least 20 paintings, but I want variety not repetition, so I’m intending to vary the size and subject matter. I aim to produce a group of smaller paintings, (30 x 20 cm), maybe some even smaller! Should I try 1 or 2 much larger? I like the idea of life-sized paintings that have little content. I am mindful however, that the gallery I’m showing in ( the Brave Gallery, Longford) is quite small and is well suited to the size of paintings that I’m currently producing.

It is important to consider the space in which you intend to exhibit your art.

People need to view your work in uncluttered, open spaces, especially if they are interested in purchasing!

Richard

SIMPLY SIMPLE

 

 

 

North East Pastoral

 60 x 30 cm – Prismacolors on pastel board

My journey of simplifying my landscape subjects continues. I am now at the stage where if I go any further, my work will acquire ‘Zen’ qualities. That may still happen, but for the time being I am happy to explore my current theme and see what I can produce.

 

 

 

 

Today I have included a photo of my first ‘simple’ painting (above) and (below) some of my short-listed drawings (more to come) that I have prepared as the result of a good deal of research and field trips. I have also included a computerised version of my first painting. I find ‘playing’ with these drawings on my iMac rather beneficial. it enables me to experiment with different colours and alter the compositions if I desire, before embarking on a coloured pencil painting.

 

 

 

You will notice that the 2 coloured photos are slightly different. I decided to change the direction of the furrows to give the image more variety. I realise that farmers tend to sow their crops in one direction, but as an artist, I felt that it was more important to give the painting as much interest as possible, rather than be totally ‘accurate’.  I also altered the colours, for a sharper look and to represent the rich red soil that is to be found in the North East of Tasmania.After all, artists can do what they like, can’t they?

Richard

 

 

 

 

WHERE TO NOW?

Top: “Whimsical Autumn”

Below: “The Magic Stream“

The past fortnight has been a rewarding time for me that’s realised 4 new paintings in my ‘whimsical’ theme. I’m enjoying this work immensely. It’s a lot freer than I’ve been used to of late, less contrived and from time to time, I’ve changed my mind in regards to the content, without any change to the over all aims of the paintings.

But where to now?

I’ve yet to frame any of the 6 paintings that I have produced in this theme. I’m hoping to exhibit 1 or 2 at a major exhibition in June. What will the (buying) public think of this new direction in my work? The only way to find out is to ‘jump into the deep end’.

I was contemplating a show of this type of work next March, but my present thoughts are about having a ‘type’ of retrospective exhibition featuring examples of my work from the past 40 years.

Back to the present. I need to take this ‘new’ work a step further. I like the whimsical dare I say ‘innocent’ approach, but I fear that I may end up with a vast collection of similar-looking work. The answer? Look for a broader, different subject area, but still continue with my present style. I don’t won’t my work to be ‘serious’, but I expect that I will choose serious subjects. The challenge then comes to take a light-hearted look at them.

Another highway on my journey of discovery…

Richard

HAPPY DAYS?

Whimsical Landscape 3

Prismacolors on pastel board   40 x 40 cm

Things haven’t been easy since my one-man show last month where I only sold 2 paintings. I have struggled to maintain any real momentum and that has strangely enough, seen the ‘birth’ of a less-serious series of paintings that can be classified as ‘whimsical’. One may even call them ‘happy’, ‘cheerful’, ‘naive’, ‘innocent’ etc, etc. I’m not sure where these paintings have come from. I suspect they are from my ‘vulnerable’ side, and are a last-ditched attempt at producing something that will acquire a red dot. maybe they are a product of my frustration and (at times) annoyance as to the ‘buying’ public’s attitude towards my work.

I got very close in the recent Tasmanian Art Awards with one of my ‘bricks’, a large abstract that I consider the best painting I’ve done since returning from the mainland after a year’s holiday. But (as has been the case before), I wasn’t close enough. Where did I go wrong? Is it worth pursuing the theme of abstraction that has been my ‘raison d’etre’ for the past 3 months? Is my (current) obsession a waste of time? Should I make more of an effort to make my art more ‘sellable’? So many questions, so few answers.

Next March will see me with another one-man show, this time at the Brave Gallery in Longford. What will I exhibit? It’s not a huge gallery, so 16 – 20 paintings will be enough. Abstract or realistic? Commercial or individual? What will I paint? Should I paint and instead, exhibit some of my new digital art? Reality or pipe-dream?

I’m looking at another substantial framing bill. Is it worth the money?

If I was true to my art, I would exhibit the series of abstracts that I have been working on lately. I find this series fascinating, but as I have only sold one to date, I fear that it will be an exhibition in a ‘foreign language’ to art patrons.

Aiming for a ‘sellable’ exhibition is just as dangerous. What if nobody likes my ‘realistic’ work? It can be too dear, even too cheap in people’s eyes. I have been criticised on more than one occasion because my art is (perceived as) too cheap!

I am seriously thinking of having an ‘ecclectic’ show, featuring a broad range of work from nearly 40 years of art. This would not be a retrospective show, but an overview of the range of art that I have covered over the past 4 decades.

Whatever I decide, I must do so within the next month or two.

Now back to the present…… maybe I should continue with some ‘happy art’ and see what happens.

Richard

SIMPLIFYING

Midlands Landscape

40 x 17 cm

Prismacolor pencils on Canson pastel board

I’ve been involved with art for over 4 decades and the longer I paint, the more I want to simplify my compositions. The ‘less means more’ principle has been of particular interest to me over the past 6 months.

It is said that a painting is more about what you leave out rather than include. When painting compositions with little information it’s a case of ‘what do I leave in’? This is not an easy task as it requires careful thinking and planning.

I’m a bit ‘over’ realism. I’ve painted that way for a long time and it’s been my love for abstraction that has driven me to explore art that contains more imagination and requires greater engagement by the viewer.

Today’s painting is the culmination of 6 months’ work where I sought to simplify my landscapes to the ‘edge of reality’, semi-abstraction with a hint of realism.  This began with my ‘brick’ series and has grown into what you see today. I’m not sure where this simplification is headed, but I feel challenged by this direction and intend exploring it fully until I get bored or come to a stage where the work becomes ‘stale’.

During this time I have been working on a second, different approach that actually ‘parallels’ this work. It is too is semi-abstract, but not as much, as features some recognisable landscape features.

I will feature this work on my next blog post.

Richard

FORWARDS OR BACKWARDS?

 

 

One of the rock studies that I will feature in my range of Klikart digital artworks.

This one will be printed on 3mm aluminium plate.

 

Before Easter I had a ‘branding’ meeting with Gayle of the Brave Art Gallery. No, it didn’t involve me getting a tattoo, but it was about the type of art that I should be promoting through the gallery.

 

 

Gayle is a very professional and dedicated gallery staff member and after 2 hours I left with some firm ideas as to where my art should be headed.

 

I intend to keep producing my coloured pencil work, with a strong emphasis on entering a number of art prizes. As well I will produce a range of digital artworks (something I am very interested in) in print form. At this stage I’m not sure what form/s this will take., so I am having a sample range of canvas prints, archival (paper) prints and prints on aluminium plate. Each surface is unique and I have carefully chosen images that I hope will be suitable.

 

My range of digital prints (brand name, Klikart) will be priced to encourage multiple sales (low profit margin). I feel this will make them more accessible to interested patrons who regularly buy artwork, and those who don’t want to, or can’t spend large amounts, but are still keen to have original work hanging in their homes.

 

My coloured pencil work is still the major vehicle for self-expression, but sales are slow, and I can see the sense in offering an alternative that is personal and ‘different’.

 

Time will tell whether this is a forward or backward thinking.

 

“Those who do nothing, never make mistakes”.

Richard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INTERPRETATION

Summer Landscape, Norfolk Plains

 

Most of my artwork is based upon my interpretation of the Australian landscape. Over the past 40 years I have incorporated a number of themes and techniques in my work.

Each artist has an individual way of interpreting what they ‘see’, and this is what is so special about art. Everyone has something to say and they say it in their own unique way.

 

My early works were based on realism. I looked directly at the Australian landscape and painted what I saw. After several years I began to look more closely into the landscape and paint what I felt about what I saw. It was a case of me maturing as an artist that saw me delve into abstraction, symbolism and surrealism.

After I retired from full-time art teaching in 2005, I went ‘full-time’ with my art. I found a greater sense of freedom and this has enabled me to produce art that is (for me) far more risk-taking. Abstraction has always held a great fascination for me, and over the past few years it has well and truly been to the fore in my work.

Today’s (top) photo is my latest landscape, a far cry from what I did 40 years ago. This painting follows my (bottom photo) Norfolk Plains Art Prize win in February. My work is at last becoming freer and a lot more fun to create.

Norfolk Plains Landscape DNA 

Artists need time to find out who they really are. Maybe we never quite find the answer, but the creative journey is fun!

Art is all about interpretation after all.

Richard

EASTER SUNDAY

 

 

Christ is risen indeed!

EASTER SATURDAY

Jesus in the World of the Dead