TIME ZONE TRICKERY

I have had 2 painting sessions today, one in the morning and one in the evening. Because my website is in UK time zone the morning will be dated 2nd March and the evening one the 3rd March. My laptop is also the same. This painting has not gone in exactly the direction I had planned, (when does it ever?). This has resulted in a curious treatment of the sea. However the overall effect has created a more interesting painting. I don’t intend to change this. Rapid progress today. The previous photo really shows the orange effect of taking it in the middle of the day.

Islands and sunset, Mexico. Day 3

LEONARDO IN MEXICO

The way I have painted these islands has a vague resemblance to Leonardo’s ‘Madonna of the Rocks’. Now I will have to take a look at it and my delusions will quickly evaporate. I will accept an odd combination of Leonardo and Modernism. Despite all of that I am liking the way it is starting to emerge. These black marks in the sea are not birds, they are the shadows within the waves, but its not working at the moment, the white ones are working better.

Islands and sunset, Mexico. Day 2

ISLANDS AND SUNSET

The reference to Kong Island yesterday, was because I am left with 4 square and 1 landscape boards to paint on. The original photo was landscape and in order to fit it onto a square board I simply compressed it horizontally. This has led to some dramatic needle peaks on the islands. This is not the kind of sunset you would put on a postcard. It is dark and brooding with some interesting very bright lines that mark the edges of the clouds and in some areas become completely detached and seem to float around the cloud.

Islands and sunset, Mexico. Day 1

A LEVEL OF CONFUSION

Exists within this painting that seems appropriate. When I look at the scene in reality, its hard to discover any real clarity within all the palm trees. They do not have a clear structure like a tree, plus they are always in motion on this coastline. The strong breeze here is as regular as clockwork, every day, still at 8am then around 9am every morning the breeze starts. For any one who was wandering what that pink triangle in the pool is, its a reflection from one of the umbrellas. I like the way it softly echoes the shape of the kite. One thing I have noticed is that my palm tree painting has improved over time, the three least interesting palms are the first ones at the top of the painting. This painting is finished. Next painting, Kong Island, I am looking forward to it.

Girl flying kite, Mexico

PAINT THE IDEA

The fundamental aim of most serious painters, the problem of getting that blurry, unresolved image from your head onto the canvas. Its this intention that causes the most frustration as the translation often disappoints. I started this painting following too closely to the rigid scene that was in front of me. Today was another leap of faith with the hope of painting my way out of the mess I was creating. Little by little this faith was repaid and now this is the painting I had as the idea. Especially with the intention of the kite having the most drama, I suppose the focal point, with the purest colour. Now the picture is going well.

Girl flying kite, Mexico. Day 3

THE STAGE IS SET

I have some rather theatrical lighting on the main character, the kite, but he is the star of the show, and I like the drama and artificiality of it. I also like the curving horizon and the way this is counterbalanced quite subtly by the girl who is curving the other way. This is all lit under a bright pacific ocean sky and I am trying to get that in the scene. I want to turn up this light more in the ocean and to get some more drama and space in it. A good start.

Girl flying kite, Mexico. Day 2

A BRIEF ENCOUNTER

I was sitting on the terrace looking out across the ocean and I noticed this girl standing motionless with an odd pose. I thought, what is she doing?. Its only when I looked up to the sky did I realise she was flying a kite. She was perfectly positioned between the palm trees and there is an interesting disconnect between her and what she is doing as a mass of palm trees are between her and the kite. I will find out whether I have an adequate solution for all these palm trees. I am optimistic.

Girl flying kite, Mexico. Day 1

COLLAGE AND CHAOS

This painting contains a hotch pot of styles. My idea is that somewhere in this chaotic mix something surprising and unexpected emerges. Its my version of Spanglish, I think it works. I have always liked early David Hockney when he was painting in an almost collage style and very graphic. I think the way I have done it is with the aim to make a subtle unified picture. This is a night time photo and the difference to the ‘Day 3’ day time photo is quite noticeable. The picture is finished.

Four swimmers, Mexico

QUITE DIFFERENT

I thought the ‘Day 2’ version was close to what I wanted but after prolonged viewing I got the feeling that the painting needed to look a lot more ‘worked’. You can often tell if a painting has arrived to a conclusion too quickly. When there is a depth of colour and the painting has developed a tough skin then you know it has been knocked around and not treated like a precious object. This picture is now close to being finished, I like the atmosphere and for me the crazy kaleidoscope of bright shapes (the headland is made of big rocks) does actually work.

Four swimmers, Mexico. Day 3

A MORNING SUNSET

The photo was taken at 8am and needless to say, there was no sunset. For some reason I wanted to set it when there was a minimal amount of light in the sky. I think it works better. I am putting in a lot of pure red and saturated greens, I hope I can maintain some sort of balance and subtlety throughout the picture. I also wanted to create a very calm glass like surface so the sky was reflected quite strongly. As a start I think its close to where I want it.

Four swimmers, Mexico. Day 2

FOUR SWIMMERS

When you go out actively looking for subjects for new paintings you will often find things that are unexpected and compelling. I went out to photograph the headland meeting the ocean with some interesting rocks in the sea. When I got there I realized the scene was not that interesting however what transformed it was the four swimmers. There is a stillness to it, and the simplified figures remind me of Milton Avery. You instinctively know what ingredients make a good painting. This has it.

Four swimmers, Mexico. Day 1

PART TWO

The problem with having your studio in your lounge is that I am continually looking at my painting, looking for things that are wrong. Its quite exhausting. What I would describe as an hour of fiddling has proven to be a productive hour. So much so that I have issued a Trump executive order and made a second posting. (My website is in the UK time zone! meaning its still the 15th February for me). My ambition to make paintings that I don’t fully understand has been realized with this painting. I would call it beguiling, is it finished? I will review tomorrow.

The blue house, Mexico.

ITS A PIG OF A PAINTING

Constant prodding over the last few days was getting me nowhere. Starting this morning with more feeble prodding I soon realised I would have to go ‘all in’. This meant ignoring the photo, putting the wellies on and jumping in. In the past this could end up with temper tantrums and a destroyed painting. Thankfully due to better technical abilities, rather than brute force, the picture is normally turned around. Looking at it now it has improved a lot although another mid'-day photo does not do it justice. The ‘clouds’ look like a Hollywood billboard, but for some reason I like them?

The blue house, Mexico. Day 5

WORKED THROUGH LUNCH

almost. I had agreed to work until 2:30 then meet the wife by the poolside restaurant for lunch. I have never suffered as an ‘artist’, and therefore will never earn the title ‘artist’. It was 2:45 before I looked at my watch but as the wife is Mexican, she was also late. I have got the painting to a good position, now I can look at the nuances and improve it some more.

The blue house, Mexico. Day 4

CABIN FEVER

Its only because I am wearing t-shirt and shorts while painting that I know I can’t be in the UK. I am spending so much time painting I am starting to lose where I am. As my ‘studio’ is west facing I am painting in the morning as the sun and heat hits in the afternoon. With my painting at the moment I am finding I have to be quite a way into the picture before I ‘discover’ the light. That moment has arrived and the quality of the picture always follows. For a daytime photo, this is very accurate, I must be fiddling the right knobs in Photoshop.

The blue house, Mexico. Day 3

THE WRONG BLUE HOUSE

Its not quite the blue that the house is actually painted and I still want to make it that blue. However, because its the only blue of any size its working in the painting the way I want it to. I am enjoying the simplified approach to painting buildings, there is some Paul Klee going on. Sky is a bit mad, it looks like a line of elephants. I am going to resist the temptation to turn it into a Dali and take a more sensible approach for once.

The blue house, Mexico. Day 2

EXPRESS PROGRESS

This is more like it. I feel my painting has developed at such a pace since arriving in Mexico that I can barely keep up. This is a ‘problem’ that I have not dealt with before, normally it feels like walking through setting cement. I am actually fearful of a return to drab, grey cold England, I fear my painting will fall down a metaphorical sink hole. In the meantime I will make the most of my time left here, there is an endless reel of subject matter. This painting is finished and it has thrown up a lot of questions around stylistic solutions.

Houses on a hill, Mexico

INTERRUPTED PROGRESS

This morning my pop up studio was not going to pop up due to some interruptions at our apartment. I did have an hour and a half before this started so with ten minutes to spare I was able to finish this drawing for the next painting. What is interesting about this scene is that the owner decided to paint his house an intense mid blue when all the other buildings around are concrete grey, white and terracotta. Its a blue that actually glows. I will finish my current painting tomorrow.

The blue house, Mexico. Day 1

Sviatoslav Richter

‘Notebooks and Conversations’ is about the Russian pianist that Prokofiev called the greatest pianist of the 20th century. One of my favourite quotes from the book is: ‘I listened again to my recording of Rachmaninov’s 2nd piano concerto with great pleasure. In terms of my virtuosity I found it quite acceptable’. It is clear that he has the mindset of an uncompromising artist, a highly intelligent and thoughtful man. I would describe this photo as a bit punchy in terms of contrast but its quite close to the painting.

Houses on a hill, Mexico. Day 4

IS THIS AN ICON?

I started to become aware that my blue sky landscape was resembling an icon. I may have pushed the sky a little too far towards gold leaf. In fact the whole scene has become quite Italianate, is it the steep hillside perspective? Maybe the appearance of some palm trees will convince this is still Mexico, maybe not. Anyway, I am happy with how it is going and will take the lesson on board.

Houses on a hill, Mexico. Day 3