Category: Life Figure

Brush With Fame - painting portraits live!

5/30/2017

'Brush With Fame' on Sunday 28th May 2017 - a tremendous initiative by the Bucks Open Studios organisers to encourage people to visit artists studios in the coming weeks. I was one of the lucky artists to be there, in Milton Keyes, painting Michael Praed's portrait over 4 hours.

After the first hour of nerves I settled into the process (it has been many, many years since I last did a portrait). It was wonderful that so many people, including other artists, really appreciated my unusual approach to doing his portrait as an abstract painting using mixed media (acrylic, liquid water colour).

Watch this space, more portraits to come...

Here we go

The end result

Overt geometric symbolism in Gustav Klimt's art

6/13/2016

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GUSTAVE KLIMT was a pioneering symbolist artist of art nouveau whose style was controversial due to its erotic elements. Symbolism, including that of geometric shapes, was used extensively and overtly in his art. Never subtle, he used symbolism imaginatively in a way that generated criticism since he was so far ahead of the time period. Klimt is best known for the style of his later works, which includes the use of gold paint/leaf, abstract space in the art and exotic symbolism of the female figure.

The Tree of Life (above), symbolic of the union of Heaven and Earth, is a well known Klimt masterpiece. This stunning painting is full of geometry in the patterning and in its underlying structure. The figure for 'Anticipation' (left hand side) has triangles directing you to look at her face, which itself is looking at a desired future of 'Fulfilment'. Symbolically triangles are associated with eyes and directed intent. The embracing figures of 'Fulfilment' (right hand side) are united in an oval. Note the yin/yang male/female faces and within the robes. There are interesting geometric patterns within the males robe, such as the square grid. Dynamic spirals of the 'Tree of Life's' branches unwinding enfold the two sides and also, like a labyrinth, tell the story of life as it progresses.
Click here for a more analysis of the painting by Samui Art Gallery.

Golden Adele Bloch Bauer is the most famous portrait by Klimt. You will note how the head, with eyes, is at the top of an underlying implied triangle in the structure. Eyes within vesica piscae, themselves within triangles, are in a pillar and the triangles point towards the top, head. An Eye in a triangle symbolises our mind frozen in a physical body; the eye of the expansive Mind looks out of the triangular window into a reality perceived by the 3-Eyes (two physical ones and the third inner eye). Spirals of manifestation surround her head, much like those of Buddha. In the background squares of the physical realm provide strength and stability.

1893, Gustav Klimt and Matsch were commissioned to paint the ceiling of the cathedral in the new university of Vienna. Many of the pieces that were designed for the university were met with distain, including 'Medicine' (on the right), due to the extreme symbolism in the art.

'This detail from Klimt's Medicine shows the figure of Hygeia, the mythological daughter of the god of medicine. Klimt was loyal to traditional depictions of the goddess, providing her with a snake and the cup of Lethe. However, above Hygeia, Klimt painted a large column of light, and placed on either side several nude figures and, most notably, a skeleton to symbolize Death. For this Klimt received much criticism from physicians and university officials who were offended by what they saw as his lurid, almost pornographic depiction, of the human form, and for suggesting that the healing arts were unable to prevent death. Klimt's University paintings, of which Medicine was a part, were some of his first works to explore the female form in vivid detail.' www.theartstory.org

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Resting - a work in progress

4/11/2016

20th February 2017

It has surprised me that it is nearly a year since I last worked on Resting. No so that it is because I have had a rest from painting and writing and was otherwise occupied.

Subtle wings have made an appearance after all and this is my current focus of attention. His face needs work too!

20th April 2016

Here is Resting (to the right) after adding some vibrant blues to the background. I am working on the body tones next....

11th April 2016

Resting is a painting in progress and I thought it would be interesting to show you how it evolves.

It's began as a 30 minute acrylic painting sketch at a life class. The model was daubed in white body paint to make him appear to be a stone statue, which made him quite ghostly.

Golden wings are planned but we shall see...