various pictures from the first 2 months of foundation

Here are a few pictures from various projects undertaken at Byam Shaw over t'past couple of months, loads more photos to come once I get round to it. Unfortunately my memory stick was lost in the post so it might take me a while to get the pictures but I will get them eventually!! Apologies for the massive delay since the last post on here, I've just been too busy to think about blogging and there was the slight technical problem of not having a computer until 2 weeks ago (thanks mum).

This wax scultpure is a piece for my most recent project 'Sci-Art'. I've been looking at cybernetics (mixing humans and machines) and asking questions about where this is taking evolution and the moral problems asociated with it. This piece is a study for 3 paintings I'm about to start next week.

Camouflage project + subsequent painting from it.

Here are a couple of transcription drawings from the Rubens painting 'Samson + Delilah'

Spacial construction. The brief was to bridge some sort of gap in space so I looked at the gap between inside and out.

Still life of some tea cakes. mmm

Summer Project: Self Portrait in a Double Space.

Here is the finished article the culmination of a summer holiday's work. I really enjoyed being given an actual task to do rather than just being totally free because it sort of forced me into exploring one topic deeply. I think that compositionally this whole piece is quite interesting with all the different angles and perspectives. I'm not really that good at writing all my thoughts about the painting down because I don't really want to sound like too much of a dick so I'll write as little as possible and let people make up their own minds about it.

  

couple of recent life drawings.

Unfortunately my time as a regular at Red Brick Mill has come to a pause (I won't say end) and I am very thankful of all they have taught me and everything I have picked up there. Thanks especially to Tony and Tom who gave up a lot of their time for me this summer.  

With only 3 days now before I enrol at CSM this whole moving away from God's own country thing is beginning to dawn on me and I am already planning trips back home. 

Nib pen drawings.

Here are some drawings of various animal sculptures by artist Brendan Hesmondhalgh. 

Painting of a painting and a mirror for my St Martins summer project.

Self portrait after around 5 and 3/4 hours. I need to be careful not to work too much into it but at the moment I think it still has a bit of freshness about it.

Self portrait

Self portrait after about 2 and a half hours, you can still see the green underpainting. I kind of like the  unfinished quality of the painting at the moment but I'd like to see how accurate I can paint this one so I'll carry on with it.                                                                                                      

Spriggs

I didn't really realise the enormity of my task until I was sitting there opposite Spriggs. If I ever had to do a good job of a drawing this was it. I put on some muse to get us both relaxed and I just got stuck into it (the drawing not spriggs.) I hope I did you all proud and prints will be available for anyone who wants to take a memento of spriggs away to university with them. The original is also up for sale for any die hard spriggs fans.

Just thought I'd put this picture up whilst I am waiting for Spriggs to come and do some modelling for me. I am all prepped and I'm thinking about using a couple of pastels on this one just to bring a bit of life into it. And of course I might put the odd subliminal apple in there as well. 

Landscape

A landscape from 'Luke's Moor' a place that is a memorial to a neighbour's son who died tragically young. It is a really beautiful place with spectacular views, I didn't really do it justice here but the light was very strange that day.

Life Drawing 1/7

Fate decided that I would do a drawing of the model's back last night and I am pleased it did so because it gave me a chance to vary the style of the marks I made. Rogers muscular physique was challenging to draw but interesting to put together. I think that perhaps the proportions are slightly out and next time I will have to look at the model as a whole but here the proportions work.

2 hour painting

A painting of the woods where under-age drinking galore takes place. Also the location of the worlds greatest rope swing.
I've wanted to paint an elderflower bush for a while now having been inspired by some of David Hockney's paintings of the East Yorkshire Wolds.

So i finally succumbed to temptation and bought a couple of 'Ken Bromley Perfect Paper Stretchers' and it is true what i've heard about them, they make the job of stretching paper so easy. whilst trying out my new toy I discovered a new bane of my life. Painting trees. I'm really gonna have to practice a lot.

Both of these landscapes are really near to my house. The one on the right is from a place where i usually go to clear my mind and find inspiration. I am considering doing a larger painting of it later on this summer.

This second landscape is a location that i asociate really with my mid-teenage years but I didn't really have time to do it justice due to the England match starting later that afternoon. I think the time would have been better spent if I'd have just carried on with the painting

My weekly dose

I think I have drawn and painted John more than any of the other models and drawing him so frequently seems to have paid off and I finally feel as though I have captured his likeness.  I am also realising that 90 minutes is just not enough time to do a proper job. I usually have enough time to get some good detail on the face however as you go further down the page it all gets a bit more scruffy. I also still struggle in describing chest hair.
My weekly dose of life drawing is  the best way of winding down I know of, it also gives me a great opportunity to not do revision. Not that I really need another excuse, what with TFLN to keep me busy for days at a time.

The Hoyle Family Portrait

This is the Hoyle family portrait at roughly a half way point, the only face that i would consider finished is Ellie's on the far right. I have found this painting very frustrating and since taking this photograph I got the turps out and erased Josh's (the lad's) face.
Any constructive criticism would be most welcome at this point.

Life drawing 10/6

You might think it a bit boring of me just doing pencil drawings every week but I find it has become very addictive and I can still see a long way for me to go. Deciding to go for a profile view this time  made the challenge of tying to create the illusion of depth a bit more difficult but I hope I succeeded. Next time I will treat myself to some new drawing equipment; the limitations of 3 pencils, a graphite stick and a fat, dirty rubber are beginning to become quite evident.

Various Portraits and life drawings

On the 22nd of May I was given the chance to paint 2 models at Redbrick Mill. In the morning we had an Elvis impersonator, unfortunately he did not look that much like Elvis but it still made for an interesting 3 hours. I had decided for the first time to try my hand at watercolour. It made for very difficult work however I started to find my way in the afternoon when we had our second model Obboh. I think I realised that less is more when it comes to watercolour paint and pencil. Sometimes the marks that you don't put on can prove to be just as effective as bold marks.
My third drawing on this blog is of Michaela who I have painted before. The pose was more or less the same as the previous occasion apart from the fact that she was standing up. This drawing is quite different to my drawing from last week.

Life drawing 20/05/10

I think perhaps i got a bit carried away with angles in this life drawing. Roger had a really interestnig face to draw and a lean physique. I spent a lot of the session focusing on his neck. I think i made the background a bit too dark in comparison with the drawing so i might have to change that at some point.

Merch

I have recently invested in some postcards and whatnot with my paintings on them. If anyone is interested please let me know :)

Life Drawing 13/5

After having missed last week's life drawing due to being absolutely knackered after my art exam I was really excited to get drawing again. I have had a very hectic week this week what with French orals this and music coursework that, and it was really good just to take my time over something.

Portrait of Harold Addy

This is my A level exam piece. taken me around 13 hours to get to this stage. I really tried to capture his character in this painting. Other than the face I tried to keep it quite loose, half because of the time restraints and half because of my impatience. It was quite a strange experience painting a man who is such an important and loved figure in the local community and I felt quite a bit of responsibility to do a good job. I hope he likes it.

After 5 hours of struggle with this painting I sort of managed to redeem it during the last hour. I think I might give painting a miss next time we have a Saturday session and try something new. At least the eye looks quite good.

Latest Life Drawing

This an unfinished project I started over Easter when I was on holiday. It is a portrait of our French/Basque neighbour who has a quite volatile personality. I will be writing more about this painting when I am finished and happy with it but for now I though I would just put the pictures up and keep the words to a minimum.

Wonderful sky at Shepley Cricket Club

Reminds me of Turner.

Life Drawing.

Thought it was about time I did something different at the life drawing session so I went back to basics to see if my painting had benefited my drawing ability. Finally think I understand what I am doing with this medium now.

I was really looking forward to Saturday's life drawing class and I was not disappointed. The model Michaela stayed very still for over 5 and a half hours which gave me the chance to really get a substantial piece of work done. I'll also take this chance to thank Tom and Tony for their help yesterday.

Life drawing

There are still a couple of areas on this painting that I feel need a bit of work on still, but on the whole not a bad piece of work for 2 hours. I can't wait to see what I get done with the 6 hour life drawing session on Saturday.

Latest life drawing

My latest life drawing form the sessions at Redbrick Mill. It was quite refreshing going back to oil paint, however i think i spent a bit too much time enjoying myself and when it came towards the end of the 2 hour I was really in a rush to get the finer details done and all the white bits covered up.

New Landscape Painting

This morning i woke up and decided to go back to an unfinished landscape painting to give it a second chance. I tried to put some more energy into it by bringing out some stronger colours and faster strokes.

The before picture on top, after picture on the bottom. I don't think I am done with this painting yet though....one more session perhaps.

Ceramics

Here are a few images of my ceramic work.