Some progress........

Adjusted the shoulder, dress etc. Added tone and detail to hair....don't know whether to keep it simple in the background so that I actually get this one finished! 

Finished DNA.....maybe?

"DNA" Oil on paper

After drinking a glass of vino quite quickly last night, I threw caution to the wind and slapped the paint on, I am much happier with this now, it's much closer to my original vision. I feel that I have learnt so much from this painting by seeing it through and I am excited about starting a new piece using what I have learnt. I may even contemplate entering it for the Coventry open....I hate rejection though!

Guess what....Another work in progress!

DNA (WIP)

This is the latest painting that I have been working on. As usual I'm not happy with it. I can't seem to get my colour pallette right. The painting started quite muted but I felt it looked unfinished and a bit insipid. So I tried layering more colour on and using some injections of brighter colours but now I really don't like it! Arrrrh! Painting is very frustrating sometimes! I'm going to try toning down some of the colours, particularly the blue! OK, in an attempt to try something new, i.e., being positive....what am I happy with? I quite like how the hair is developing. Composition is nice, skin tone OK! Further inspiration is definitely needed! At least this work is nearer to being finished than most of my work lately!

Doodles, doodles, I love doodles.......

Today I enjoyed myself doodling, inspired by my lighthearted paint splattering doodles yesterday. It's so therapeutic and addictive but I also think it is really helpful at seeing your work from a new direction. After doodling these birds, I'd quite like to study painting and drawing these in more detail by getting some reference material.

Face over stripes = like!

Hand sketched below was drawn in the car on the way to a soft play-centre. Hands are something I want to sketch more regularly as they are so difficult to draw, and as they say, practise makes perfect.....or better at least!

Pirate (WIP)

Pirate (WIP)

 

 

 

 

 

 

I feel as though my work is starting to progress in the right direction and it is definitely becoming less of a struggle. My main problem is just finding enough time to spend on it. I discovered instagram a while ago and was finally able to download the app today without breaking my phone. I took this photo using the instagram camera and it looked quite nice on my phone but now that I see it larger on the computer, it is a bit blurry and the colours aren't as rich as they looked on my phone. I'll have to keep on experimenting. I've still got some bits to work on with this piece, mainly the eye patch and the bubbles, but I am really bad at going back to things once I've worked on them for a day, I find I'm itching to start a new piece instead! There are a couple of exhibitions that I am hoping to submit work to soon so I suppose this is something that I'm going to have to tackle.