RSW Watermark Awardwinner!

Here's Lake in 2 stages; I loved the strong side profile, and the shape of the headdress, this was week one, 10-4pm at Damian Callans (www.damiancallan.co.uk) workshop in Dalry. Lake is a lovely still model with great presence, lovely to paint.

This is stage 2. I changed the position of the headdress to be higher on her forehead, as this is where it was the second day, and I think it gives her face a softer look, really enjoyed this painting, couldn't go wrong with the pose really

Gullane Art Gallery Exhibition

I am one of 3 artists exhibiting at Gullane Art Gallery this month, up to today I had sold just one little oil painting.."Port Seton Boats"

I was a bit disappointed as normally I do fairly well there, then today I got a message to say the still life with Rowan Berries sold...hurrah! It's my biggest painting in the show, so really pleased not to be bringing it home with me; here it is

You'd never know maybe I'll sell a few more before the show ends on Sunday...fingers crossed!

RWS Contemporary Competition - Awardwinner!

Really heartened to hear I got the 'Heatherley's Studio Award ' for my self portrait (below), in the RWS contemporary Competition this year, on show at the moment at the Bankside Gallery in London..hurrah!

And the painting of Leonie will be on show at the Mall Galleries in April for the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours annual show

The many faces of the Model...

 These are some paintings of Alisdair, here's the latest, a quick watercolour looking down

and this one being a bit of a debonair rebel with a cigar...to be shown at Gullane Art Gallery as part of their spring collection show in April,

Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood ...The Faces

Here's my latest commission, my first time properly using masking fluid, wanted to mask off the really bright lights around their heads, a great pair to paint while listening to 'Maggie May'!

Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours, Mall Galleries, Exhibition 2014...update, yes! it'll be on the wall

I just heard this painting of the lovely Leonie has been pre-selected for the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours Exhibition.
I don't know how many of the pre selected paintings get through to the exhibition, here's hoping this does!

Exhibition; Merchant Gate Gallery, Glasgow, Feb 22nd to March 30th

I'm taking part in this exhibition in a new gallery for me, The Merchant gate Gallery in Glasgow. Featuring prominent Scottish artists; Charles Jamieson, Helen Wilson and Margaret Evans, should be a good show! Here are some of the paintings I will be showing,

Exhibition in aid of Barnardos at The Dundas Street Gallery, Edinburgh, Friday 14th March -Sunday 16th March

I will be taking part in a show of work in aid of Barnardos in Dundas st this March.  There will be work by Peter Howson and Alison Watt  on show as well. As well as renowned Scottish artist Damian callan. Here are some of the paintings I will be showing;

The Toymaker

Mother and Child

Rocking Horse

Exhibition April 'Spring Collection'

I will be showing at the Gullane Art Gallery this April, together with Jonathan Pike, past winner of the Sunday Times Watercolour competition, and Ann Fraser internationally renowned botanical painter.
Here are some on the paintings I will be showing;

Rws Contemporary Watercolour Competition 2014

Delighted to find that I've been selected to exhibit in this show again this year. Last year I won a Windsor and Newton award with my painting of Matthew. The painting selected this year is 'Self' pictured below

It's given me the incentive to apply for membership, thanks to 'Making a Mark' for making the rules of application clear, and highlighting any things that could be missed

Below are the paintings entered but not selected;

Artists statement

Aine Divine- Artists Statement

I love to paint from life, whether I’m painting a landscape, a person or a bunch of flowers. I like to pay really close attention to what I’m painting and to follow my instincts when I make the marks. I mean, to not put everything down, but to choose what’s important and -without thinking about it- paint it down and go on to the next move. Keeping active.

I have always been interested in painting and drawing people, there is so much to examine in a particular face and head.

No matter what I’m painting though, it’s the light that’s interesting. Oil paint is just right for describing light, whether it’s falling on an eyelid or a petal.

At the moment I am working on a series of still life oil paintings. I set these up in the kitchen because I love the cerulean blue colour of the wall and the constant natural light there through the day. I want the colours to be as vibrant as they are in real life and the painted marks to have clarity and a life of their own.

 

 

 

 

Woman in a boat/ Man in a boat...

 Here's Adel, in the boat at Damian Callan's studio a few weeks ago, she has some great costumes, and always poses really convincingly. I had the feeling she was rowing around some gloomy lake, lost in her thoughts.
It was a lovely scene to observe and describe, measures about 20"x30", and is painted on card primed with gesso. I prefer the smooth card to the textured canvas surface. I started this one with acrylic, applying it with a rag for the most part, positioning Adel and roughing in the angles of the boat.

Usually I paint in acrylic for ages to be sure of where everything is, but here I worked a lot out in oil, and found it quite liberating to do.
 I also remember paying a lot of attention to Adel's face before I really felt I ought to. Usually painting the head is the bit I savour at the end, but here I launched into it early on. I think it helped me do less elsewhere.
I like that there's very thick paint on some areas, as in the water behind her head, and that it's very thinly applied elsewhere, for example inside the boat.
Good having all the lines/ angles of the oars and boat to contrast the figure against, and to provide a simple setting for this lovely seated figure to occupy .

 

Here's Graham, same boat, different day. This was my first time painting the boat in the studio. This time he was definitely on the sea, there's a storm approaching, and he's already having to tackle choppy waves!

Then again, that could be drooping greenery behind him... in any case for me there's a feeling of action in this painting, a brisk movement in the arms and cautious turn of the head. We had the same spotlight on Grahams head as we did for his portrait (first blog post) revealing the line of his brow and describing the particular curve of his head.

 

Seeing these two paintings together for the first time I'm struck by how matt the surface of this painting appears in contrast to the one above. The top painting has a richer texture I think, because it has been largely painted in oil, in this one oil paint is applied more sparingly, mostly on the face and hands.

Defining the edge of the boat in front of the figure goes a long way in describing the space he occupies. Since it's the  figure that most interests me, I'm happy when the space is quickly and easily described.

If you have a boat and willing model to hand(!!?!)...have a shot at painting them, you'll be transported to a watery landscape for a few hours...very therapeutic!

 

 

(speaking of rich surfaces, I saw Rembrandt's 'Jeremia mourning Jerusalem' when I was in Amsterdam last week...now there's a rich painterly surface if  ever I saw one, beautiful!) 

 

 

 

Pre Selection

"Congratulations,
We’re pleased to inform you that one or more of your work (s) have been pre-selected to go through to the next stage of selection for this year’s exhibition. "

Just saw this message yesterday, so, through to the next round of The Royal Society of Portrait Painters Annual exhibition at The Mall Galleries in London, with this portrait of Alasdair

And this portrait is through to the next stage of selection for the new exhibition 'Self, Open Exhibition 2013' also at the Mall Galleries in London

Here's hoping they get on the wall!

Painting the side profile

Lots of my paintings recently have been of models from the side, here are a couple below.
Something about the space our faces occupy form this angle interests me, the shape we cut into the background.

Komachi

 

 

                                                                                 Saras

                                                                          Matthew



Painting Matthew;
I had this big sheet of heavy watercolour paper, and had the urge to use it all to capture Matthew's interesting, understated pose. To begin with I used the watercolour paint loosely and with big sweeping strokes, this was great fun and quickly established Matthew's general position, some unexpected and exciting patterns began to emerge too. Watercolour paint really is irresistably absorbing. I often find that, by some fluke, the run of the paint corresponds with what I am trying to achieve, and I'm half way there.

Once the general sweep of the body was convincing enough I was able to really enjoy describing the skin on the face and hands. Being the only warm tones, they easily read as skin. Then I didn't need much to tie it all together, just a few descriptive lines here and there .

Thanks to Matthew who was so settled in himself throughout, and to Damian who insisted there was no need to 'do the chair'!
(This watercolour, of artists model, Matthew, was painted at Damian Callan's workshop at Wasps studios in Dalry.)

 

RWS Windsor and Newton Prizewinner!

Hurrah! I won a Windsor and Newton award at the RWS Contemporary watercolour exhibition at the Bankside Gallery in London, with this painting of 'Matthew'

This painting of Dimos was also selected, both are on show this week at the Bankside gallery.

Then on the 15th of March I am exhibiting 6  paintings of well known golfers as part of the Greywalls exhibition at Gullane Art Gallery.(www.gullaneartgallery.co.uk) They have all been winners of the British Open when it was held at Muirfield golf course near Gullane. Heres one of them...

All 6 paintings will feature in a book on Greywalls to be launched at the same time as the exhibition...15th March

Painting The Head

Von Goethe said 'people should talk less and draw more',...with this in mind I'll try to be concise and let the pictures do the talking...
Here's a portrait of Graham lit from above. I like the drama of the downlight and how it reveals the bumps and hollows that make up his particular face. I try my best to do less and less, to observe and select just those parts that 'make' the person.
The inspirational 20th century English painter, Walter Sickert said 'don't fill up gaps for the sake of filling up'. Too often, we paint the life out of something.
Sickert also said, if you have the patience to 'put free loose coat on free loose coat....one day the touches seem to take - the deaf canvas listens, and you have done something''

,

This to me is good advice, it encourages us to keep a lively and creative approach, to allow the painting to 'paint itself'.
Working in layers I usually start with an under painting of acrylic, then I build up the image gradually, finding the face, mapping it out. To do this I need to be quiet and attentive, to really observe.
I am fascinated by edges; the place where one part stops and another begins. Here, the shape of Graham's right ear is defined by the thick turquoise paint of the background that is painted up to the edge of it. Then a thin broken line describes another edge where the shoulder meets the space around it.
One of the benefits of painting a loose layer of acrylic underneath is that it unifies the painting and allows for more freedom in the succeeding layers.