CONTINUING TO EXPLORE MONOTYPES

Fascinated by the first attempts at monotype I have continued with hand transfer of oil paints on a plastic plate.
I have found much depends on the consistency of the paint and the hand pressure applied. The following three images are on the same theme.

Some pigments appear to transfer better than others. The third of these images started with the ghost image of the previous one transferred to a paper misted with turpentine.

I then changed the paper for a heavier watercolour paper and used a smaller plate and made these on the theme of the rose.

STILL LIFE IN WATERCOLOUR

During the very wet weather work has been more or less confined to the atelier. However we continue to paint a variety of still life subjects on Thursday mornings. These are usually whatever objects come to hand around the house and atelier.

Pendant ce temps très humide, notre travail a été plus ou moins confiné à l'atelier. Cependant, nous continuons à peindre une variété de sujets les jeudis matins. Ils sont généralement les objets qui sont à portée de main autour de la maison et de l’atelier.

Daniel Smith watercolours and Kahdi handmade paper are still my preferred materials. Like many watercolour painters I have two or three favourite kolinski sable brushes.

Les aquarelles de Daniel Smith et le papier fait main Kahdi sont toujours, pour moi,  les matériels de préférence. Comme beaucoup d'aquarellistes, j'ai deux ou trois pinceaux de martre Kolinski, qui sont mes favoris.

MONOTYPES

I have been wanting to find a new method of expression for some time. I have decided to experiment with monotypes.
This first work has peen painted directly to a plastic plate using my normal oil paints and turpentine.
Multiple hand transfers were made to Khadi watercolour paper to build up layers. Some final marks were added to the print using a palette knife.
Now I am going to carry out more experiments with different papers and hand transfers.

Depuis longtemps, j'ai eu envie de trouver un nouveau mode d'expression. J'ai décidé donc d'expérimenter avec des monotypes.

Ce premier travail a été peint directement sur une plaque en plastique, à l'aide de mes peintures à l'huile et l'essence de térébenthine.

Des transferts multiples ont été faites par main, sur du papier d'aquarelle Khadi, pour monter des couches. Quelques notes finales ont été ajoutées à l'impression à l'aide d'un couteau à palette.

Maintenant, je vais expérimenter en utilisant des différents papiers et des impressions à la main.

LARGE WATERCOLOURS

Whilst watercolours are generally used for smaller format images I have been using watercolours on full imperial sheets. The control of the watercolour is more of a challenge but I still like the spontaneity it gives to the work.
These are three life drawings which are almost architectural in concept.

DRAWING OUTSIDE IN THE COLD

I have found it very difficult to work outside in sub-zero temperatures. The biggest problem is keeping the fingers warm. One can shelter behind hedges and bushes but then one is out of the sun and it feels even colder. It does focus the mind however and one only bothers with the essential information. These are two examples that I will use as a basis for studio paintings.

The trees and bushes in the cavées are mostly ancient elder and blackthorn with very tortuous shapes.

DANCING AND WATERCOLOUR

Our passion is dancing and we are just beginning to get back into the swing of regular dancing and practice. Marilyn of course has a collection of shoes. A selection of these have regularly formed the basis of still life compositions for mes élèves and for myself & Tim in the atelier.
My regular Thursday watercolour session with Tim has spent a few sessions with dancing shoes.

This pair of be-ribbonned shoes were just made for dancing!

These multi coloured escarpins were a bit more tricky for everyone but great fun

RETURN TO EARLIER MARINE SUBJECTS

A visit to Le Havre in September during a stormy period of weather instigated a couple of paintings featuring the looming, threatening skies and the still remarkable colour of the sea. These two small paintings are based on the entrance to the port.