Wire, gloss and spray - Oh my!

Well I have varnished and matte sprayed the hell out of my paintings. My flat is currently a toxic cloud of varnish! This will no doubt be fabulous for the lungs and wonderful for the eyes. So all I need to do now is wire them. Once this is done, I can send my girls off to Canterbury where they can hang around for a week.

Illustration Friday - Polar

Polar....

All Done!

YAY! After much painting during the weekend, I have finished #4 of 4! This painting was the most enjoyable to paint, as it basically painted it's self. enjoy:)

Holly's Distraction
Acrylic
75cm x 50cm

Annika's Temptation
Acrylic
75cm x 50cm

Esther's Distraction
Acrylic
75cm x 50cm

Jorja's Re-Invention
Acrylic
75cm x 50cm

MESSY AS HELL!

I'm a messy painter. I mean, I'm a REALLY messy painter! My painting space consists of an easel of course, and a mountain of painting products that apparently have a table somewhere under them - though I'm yet to see it. The truth is I like it that way. Painting to me is not a neat calculated stuffy experience. It should be free, flowing and messy as hell! I'm not one for planning my paintings to a large degree either. If too much time is spent obsessing on proportions etc, the immediacy of the painting will be lost. I trust my eye rather than carefully measured guide lines. Calculated guide lines may be more accurate, however such a process would render the painting cold and I would consider it too much of a 'painting by numbers' experience. Here's some pics of my painting room. Be afraid. Be very afraid! Oh, and I've included a pic of further progress of my latest

A Big Weekend!

Well this weekend Jemma is off to Lakes Entrance to stay with her family. As she will have the car, this forces me to once again chain myself to the easel and paint my absolute butt off! I have one more painting to finish, and I plan to have it done by Monday. I would love to go to Art Melbourne this weekend - though too much to do, and not too keen on training it in anyway:)
As Wednesday is a public holiday, I will use this day to varnish and wire up my paintings - hopefully that all goes smoothly! We shall see....

Self Portrait Wednesday

Well here I am again - Me in work mode with glasses! Oh, and purple!

Number Four!

Last night I started lucky last number four. This painting differs from the other three, as more of the figure is shown. Consequently her features will be smaller and more intricate. I have a great feeling about this one, as I'm very pleased with the rough under-painting on her face. I think this one will come together quite well. Fingers Crossed!

Nearly there!

Well Canterbury is getting closer and closer. I now have one more to paint and I am finished! I start my 4th one tonight, and will be working my absolute butt off this weekend to get it finished.

Here are the 3 of 4 so far...

So hopefully tomorrow I'll have a glimpse of an early 4th painting. Don't hold me to that though!

Three down, one to go...

Well, you probably wont be able to tell the difference between this pic and the one posted yesterday. The differences are subtle, though I can now say it is 100% done! About bloody time!

Unfortunately I find that the photographs of my paintings always come out too dark or too light. I try to enhance them using Photoshop - though never looks as good as the real thing. Enjoy:)

Illustration Friday - Fortune

Fortune.......

Another nearly done!

I'm back after my week away:)

Well my week was basically spent wrestling with a painting. Some days I was winning, though most times I was getting the living stuffing knocked out of me! However, last night I managed to get my painting into a headlock:)

It's not finished yet - though very nearly.

I now have one more to do by the end of the month. Fingers crossed!

Here's the photograph I used as a reference - I had manipulated it using Photoshop.

FINISHED!

Well I finally finished it last night. After some minor changes and further tattoo work she is done! This painting was inspired by one of Yvan's great photographs on Face Hunter:) Hope you all like it.

Illustration Friday - SNAP!

This week the topic is SNAP - enjoy:)

Nearly Done!

After a painting marathon over the weekend, I'm still yet to finish painting 2 of 4. I'm very nearly there, though have some final touches to apply. I would be finished today however, if it weren't for a mishap involving bright blue water that hadn't been changed in days, and then that bright blue water finding it's way onto the canvas. Much swearing occurred! Consequently most of Sunday was spent fixing her newly acquired Smurf complexion. Rest assured it will be finished tonight! I still have to finish the tattoo, shading on the arms and make-up on her face.

Also early Saturday morning my wife and I made a quick trip to Frankston to pick up our newly purchased artwork by the very talented Michelle Giabello. We have to buy hooks for them, though they still look fantastic resting on our bookcase for the time being:)