Matisse on Why Paint?

' to translate my emotions, my feelings, and the reactions of my sensibility into colour and design, which neither the most perfect camera, even in colour, nor the cinema, can do.'

So intangible a feeling. Paint is an extension of language for me but I am not as able as a five year old painting.

Research- interiors

Study of Sickert's 'La Hollandaise'. oil on canvas. 1905 Collection Peter Shand-

To the left of the viewer's eye, past the reclining nude, where the light flows from the right, the eye is drawn diagonally along the figure via highlighted paint strokes into a further interior. Tones of greens in this space are lighter than the dark wall behind the figure in the main room.
Shadows, toned in browns of vertical and horizontal shapes echo the bars of the iron bed.
Colours link though the painting deceptively, linking the areas of space and the two interiors. Note the angular shape of the highlight at the top of the step. There is even a shimmer of highlight on the door jamb. Three or four increasingly warmer brown, ochre, plus a touch of cad red perhaps add to the perspective, also reflecting the horizontal bed bars.

What have I learned? see sketch below.
How the tones and shapes describe perspective as well as the ambience of an interior,
How these strokes interlink the foreground and receding space
That the paint strokes both dark and highlights reflect those on the figure subtly

Making the most of sketchbooks and learning logs

Making the most of sketchbooks and learning logs

Time Out from studies

Moved house, bereeavements caused hiatus in my log
However I have managed to do some sketching and painting during May and June. returned to normal now!

Inspiration from Fine Art degree show

Viewed the Manchester Uni Fine Art show which included painting. Amongst the fairly usual work and portfolios, there were two outstandingly beautiful and thought provoking painters. One painted portraits in water colour using minimal strokes, delicately powerful in execution. Awarded annual prize.
The second painter - in oils, was phenomenal . Her series of images in operating rooms demonstrated huge creativity, technique and ambiguity. Placed both works in mind and kept catalogue. this second artist has recognition at BP Nat Portrait Award this year with a portrait in renaissance like glazes. Clearly her conceptual, technical and creative talents are to look out for in the future

I noted the smoothness and precision of paint
No redundant paint strokes
Opacity where needed
Perspective often hinted at rather than overly drawn
Tonality used sparingly as is perspective to create space, depth, and a sense of spirituality or universal in scope
Emotional impact to the viewer is massive,
The images promote questions, searching, are tantalisingly ambiguous
Research and drawings are very evident in pre work so one can track the idea developments
Often the choice of colour counters expectations - ie blue mass in foreground. Red shelters behind a black band to keep it