Sol Lewitt’s brilliant advice

In 1965 young sculptor Eva Hesse wrote to conceptual artist Sol Lewitt complaining of creative block.  This is what he told her:"Just stop thinking, worrying, looking over your shoulder wondering, doubting, fearing, hurting, hoping for…

“The Nature of the Horse” exhibition 2-16 July 2022

THE NATURE OF THE HORSE  exhibition  “We need animals.  Animals don’t need us, but we need them.  We constantly look for any kind of connection we can possibly get to them”.  Britta Jaschinski, photographer.   My own creative…
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Painting project “Blue Horses”

Here are paintings  of the Konik breed of wild horses at Wicken Fen Nature Reserve in Norfolk.  I spotted a clip on a tv programme about re-wilding.  I loved the proud and natural way the horses were bonding with each other, and I quickly…

Painting Project “Leo”

My third subject is a wonderful Australian warmblood stallion.  He is a muse for me.  This time I am working in oil paint.  I have made three studies with oil on canvas, and also tried to abstract the feeling and colours from each one, using…

Leith School of Art 16th October

A great day at Leith School of Art, Edinburgh in the "Paint the Dance" course taught by  Mira Koche with fabulous dancer Sky and a dedicated group of fellow artists.Here is the piece I like the best.  It started as a series of sketches…

Painting project “Green Ponies”

I am returning once more to this theme after a year (see blog dated 10th October 2020), as I work on paintings that form part of my Edinburgn exhibition scheduled for July 2022.I am now looking at the subject in a different way, more abstractly,…

Painting project “Piebald Ponies”

 Above (left) is a photograph of the pony cob family in a field near me.  I pass them often in my walks and have a collection of photos.  In this post I describe how I developed the photograph into a more finished art work (right)The…

Chuck Close and the grid method

“Almost every decision I’ve made as an artist is an outcome of my particular learning disorders. I’m overwhelmed by the whole. How do you make a big head? How do you make a nose? I’m not sure! But by breaking the image down into small…

Anatomy of the Horse APPLIED

Gradually capturing the precious moment when I can paint the horse as I want to - freely and strongly.  Here are some quick studies from photos I took in South Africa in February 2020.  I am looking at the main shapes and planes and trying…

BLUE PAINTING

  Here is a quick sketch started in the midst of a commission.  I want to develop it and am using Ivon Hitchens (above) as inspiration and guide.  He planned his apparently spontaneous and abstractish paintings very carefully,…