IN THE MAKING: July 2016

Painting people

Here are two pieces I did at a recent portrait painting workshop with Alan McGowan in Edinburgh.

More horse drawings

Here it is - done for now

Going towards abstract

And more Thinking shapes tbc

I am a week or so into preparing for my exhibition in Edinburgh in early October, and am warming up by making large charcoal drawings and sketches straight from my collection of favourite images. I have more understanding of anatomy now and it is fascinating to draw with that knowledge It gives a freedom and confidence and helps me to express my passionate admiration for horses. It is fairly early days, and I will see how the process develops.
I sometimes like to start by looking and making studies before then stepping into drawing from memory.

I like the "yellow jockey"picture - composition and the lines formed by the reins. Starting to explore abstraction, I think it is my natural home, but still difficult to make the leap. It feels daring but results are quite traditional-looking!

Jupiter Artland Edinburgh

Here are a few pictures from my visit today to Jupiter Artland, near Edinburgh.
The owners of this beautiful estate were inspired by Ian Hamilton Finlay's Little Sparta, not far away in West Lothian, to make a sculpture park in their land. They have just been pipped for Art Museum of the Year 2016 by the Victoria and Albert Museum (no shame there!).

I enjoyed the landscaping, a wonderful mixture of cultivation and wild planting and managed woodland, . For me the art pieces were interesting and added piquancy and interest to the landscaping, but I prefer Little Sparta, which is the unique and original statement of one artist. Other sculpture parks I have liked include Belsay in Northumberland and the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.