Expression
Tag: oil painting
A Space To Learn, Create & Express!
As I’m not a full-time Artist I need to be organised enough to find those capsules of time that enable me to play and create. From 1982 to say 2014, Photography was my ‘vehicle of creative escape’. In 2010, I completed a 6-week Drawing course and over the ensuing 8 years Drawing/Sketching/Painting (Oils) and Photography jockeyed for the position of my No. 1 ‘escape from life’ method.
In late 2018, Watercolour came storming back (along with Line and Wash) and, they became an increasing part of my existence. With the commencement of my Watercolour Sketch a Day/Daily Art Practice on 26 January 2019, both of these forms are the predominant way I like to express myself in terms of Art.
In-between though, Oils have been present although my Oil habit has been in hiatus this year, until last week. I intend to do more in Oils and have several ideas in mind for paintings.
Back to my initial sentence.
Not only do I need to find capsules of time, I needed to have a proper space. No actual studio here however. Over time, I have been re-purposing our 3rd bedroom.
On Thursday I purchased an Art and Craft desk which has an adjustable drawing surface. I used for the first time today and love it.
I now have a desk dedicated to Watercolour/Sketching, a desk dedicated to Oil painting and my computer desk. No more re-purposing desks/clearing space for something else and wasting time in the process.
Whilst I do most of my sketching/painting on weekends (apart from the Watercolour sketches that are done each day), I am now looking to schedule some nights during the week when I can avail myself of my ‘creative space’.
There is also a comfy 2-seater cane chair where I can sit back, pick up my Fountain Pen and write Poetry, read or just contemplate…
A space to learn, create and express.
Written by David Johnson
4 June 2022
PS: After writing this I came across the following great article about Artist’s Studios by Judith on her site, Artistcoveries.
1,091 Days and Counting…My Daily Art Practice
Today marks the 3rd anniversary since I started my ‘Daily Art Practice’ of a ‘Watercolour Sketch a Day’. For my 1,091st day I decided to sketch/paint a subject that I really seem to enjoy, a Lighthouse.
One day, I will gather up all my Lighthouse sketches and put them in a blog post for no other reason than to see them altogether. I think it would be fun!
Looking back, I was pleased to do 7 days in a row and when I reached 1 month I really had no expectations of being able to keep up this daily Art practice for 1 year, yet alone 3.
My goals for the ‘Daily Art Practice’ were:
- Aim to do one Watercolour Sketch a day (and look no further than that)
- Be a Sponge
- Improve my skills through practice
- Lean from my mistakes
- Practice, practice, practice!
I don’t believe I am ‘naturally talented’ in sketching and painting. Like all children I did draw at school and at home though I am not one of those Artists ‘who have been drawing/painting all throughout their life’, studied Art and are now full-time Artists. (I’m actually a Mortgage Broker and co-run our business with my Wife, Susan and have an additional Mentoring role for Small Business startups. I’m also involved in Toastmasters {Public Speaking}, and BNI {Business Networking}, as well as two other associations).
From 1982 – 2016 I was firmly entrenched in Photography. In the 1990’s, I briefly had an interest in drawing but that didn’t last long as Photography was ‘still King’. In 2010, I took a basic Drawing course and began dabbling in Watercolour (briefly) before dabbling in Acrylic and Oil over the years. In 2016, I decided to concentrate on Oils but it seemed difficult to find the time, consistently.
In 2018, I rediscovered Watercolour though finding the time seemed difficult again. I had a ‘real desire’ to learn it and started looking for ways to allocate more time to it and was (over the course of time) attracted as well to Line and Wash. On Australia Day, 26 January 2019 I decided to aim to do a Watercolour Sketch a Day.
Along the journey so far I’ve:
- Learnt about some sketching, drawing and painting techniques
- Colour mixes
- Brush use
- Colour Theory
- Made an innumerable amount of mistakes
- Increased my belief in myself that I can do this
- Sold 3 A4 paintings (unexpected)
- Joined Red Point Artists Association, Port Kembla
- Made some great connections through Art groups
What’s next?
Well, I still have a lot to learn (and there’s more fun to have) so tomorrow I’m aiming to a Watercolour Sketch and the day after, another one…
My Daily Art practice with Watercolour has also re-inspired my Oil Painting practice so I am aiming to allocate time to that on a regular basis now and am planning to enter some Art Exhibitions and submit my own Art to the next Members Exhibition of the Red Point Artists Association.
Till next time!
Written by David Johnson
26 January 2022
My Watercolour Sketch a Day images can be found at:
https://www.instagram.com/communicatingcreatively/
My larger paintings can be found at:
Thoughts In Flower
Oil Painting Lives Again!
Since I started my Watercolour Sketch a Day aka daily Art practice on 26 January 2019, I haven’t used Oil paints. I love painting with them, it’s just that I’ve been so focused on Watercolour they seem to have disappeared from view.
That was, until last weekend.
I thought I’d start again and decided to paint two subjects that I had previously painted some time ago and see ‘how I would approach them now?’
The earlier paintings were painted with Student quality paints, the latter with Artist quality (Art Spectrum) paints.
The first one is of a Sand Dune:
2014 & 2020
In some ways I like the first version better (top shadow effect – dune) though I like the sky in the 2020 version better.
The second one is of the ocean:
This one is ‘no-contest’ as far as I can see! I love everything about the 2020 and not much at all about my earlier version.
I shall continue with my Watercolour Sketch a Day practice but Oils will not be disappearing into the background again, in fact, I’ve just started another one, a shipwreck.
Loving the journey!
Written by David Johnson
18 October 2020
What Lies Beyond
The Blank Canvas
A First For Me!
Last month I achieved a First with my painting!
I had the pleasure of seeing one of my paintings on a gallery wall for the First Time Ever!
The opportunity came via a local Artist, Kerrie Abello who had recently set up the ‘Dragonfly Community Gallery in Campbelltown, NSW, Australia which is about 15 minutes drive from where I live. Campbelltown is a City situated approx. 50kms from Sydney in the Macarthur Region.
The Dragonfly Community Gallery is the first of its type in the area and hopefully, not the last.
Kerrie is looking to give local Artists a chance (just like myself and others who were part of the gallery’s First Exhibition) an outlet to show off their talent.
The painting I chose was one I had finished painting in 2017, an Acrylic and Oil called “Abundance of Joy” 90cm x 30cm and can be seen below.
I also had the pleasure of being interviewed at the Gallery by Brian Laul and Frank Michel, two local businesspeople who video interview local businesspeople and identities in the Macarthur Region for the “Good Morning Macarthur” Facebook Page, an initiative they set up. Thank you, Brian and Frank.
I’m not a full-time artist and had thought that (apart from wanting to enter the local Art Prizes for fun), it would be a while before any painting of mine would grace the wall of a gallery.
It was an amazing experience sharing the wall with other Artists, some of whom are part-timers just like me. It has now inspired me to think about having my own exhibition or having one in conjunction with one or two other people.
I would like to thank Kerrie Abello for the opportunity, not only for accepting my painting as part of the Dragonfly Community Gallery’s 1st Ever Exhibition, but for inspiring me to expand my thinking around my Art.
Written by David Johnson
12 October 2019
Good Morning Macarthur interview: Kerrie Abello followed by myself (@15 minute mark)
For more details about the Dragonfly Community Gallery:
https://www.facebook.com/dragonflycommunitygallery/
For more details about “Good Morning Macarthur”:
Everyone’s A Critic
Over the past few weeks I’ve discovered an ABC TV programme called ‘Everyone’s A Critic.’
The programme states that “each week a cross-section of Australians become Art critics as they discuss some of the most renowned art works in the country.”
Some of the critics are avid gallery visitors, whilst others are going into a gallery for the first time…
So far, I have watch four of the episodes and it is thoroughly fascinating to watch.
I’m sure that we are all aware that all of us have:
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different points of view
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grown up in different environments
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have been subjected to different influences
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Have different belief systems
A single piece of art can effect different people in dramatically different ways and often we judge the image and the artist based on what is there in front of us. How often do we see what we think the image is about, only to find that what the artwork is about (in the artist’s mind) is completely different.
One such image is “The Cripples” Arthur Boyd -1943. Pictured here, most who saw it were aghast that it was an image depicting those with disabilities in an unflattering way.
It wasn’t until they heard the Artist’s backstory and the Artist Statement regarding the painting that they could begin to appreciate and understand why it was painted and what the painting was about. It was influenced by World War II and the fact that they kept sending previously injured soldiers back to fight again.
When I go to a Gallery I will look at the image first and see how it effects me then I will read the Artist’s Statement.
How about you? Do you read the Artist Statement first then look at the Art?
Written by David Johnson
September 2019
Watercolour Calling…
In 2010, when I first ‘heard the calling’ of painting and embarked on a basic, 6-week drawing course, I started with Watercolour. I remember my Mother-In-Law (whom I get on very well with, share the same sense of humour with and who has painted in Oils for many, many years) said ‘why did you start with the hardest medium?’
I shot slides for many years and the transparent effect of Watercolour reminds me of them. They are similar also in that you only ‘get one shot’ at doing them. If you muck them up, they stay mucked up!
Susan’s Family bought me some Student Acrylics for Christmas and off I went in that direction. I enjoyed being a beginner painter with them and sometime later, was lured into having a go at Oils by the local, friendly owner of an art/framing store.
So began my Oils journey, firstly with student paints, then artist paints. In between (as I guess a lover of art and craft does), I’ve managed to accumulate Oil Pastels, coloured pencils, Watercolour pencils, aqua wash pens, Charcoal sticks, a set of drawing/sketching pencils, Inktense pencils and so on…
I should say at this point that my artistic endeavours are not my source of income and I allocate time at night during the week and on weekends to pursue my creative endeavours so self-learning and experimentation have been a bit of slow grind but I am enjoying the journey nevertheless.
In May last year, I purchased a mixed-media A4 Ivory page journal in which I write poetry, sketch, scribble and paint. More and more I have noticed that I was using Watercolour pencil and aqua wash pens in the journal.
I am also gaining inspiration from artists on Instagram in the various art mediums. Over the past few months, I’ve noticed that I am following a greater number of Watercolour artists, and feel that I am being drawn back to that medium.
I still consider myself a beginner and love both Oils and Watercolour for different reasons. Watercolour is becoming an increasing influence, so much so that I purchased a set of 45 Winsor and Newton Cotman Half Pans this past week and have been enjoying using them in my journal.
With Watercolour, I see me doing just small sketches at this stage as there is an immense amount for me to learn. I will still do Oils though on larger paintings. That way, I can enjoy my two favourite art mediums.
David Johnson
25 February 2018
Communicating Creatively 