The Process

I am at the magnificent Eco Beach, 150km South of my home in Broome, WA. We have stepped away from town for a much-needed break and to celebrate a significant birthday, of with I am struggling to accept….
It’s just after 5.30am and I have woken with a painting swirling around in my head.  This often happens to me, it is rather lovely.     I lie in the stillness of the new morning and let the picture form, I see the colours, imagine where the glimpses of Aluminium will glow through to give light and difference to the piece.    In my morning mind painting I always envisage the sky first, the sweep, the glow, and the light play, then the horizon line – is it over the ocean, the land, is there an element passing across it, where will this significant line sit in the composition of the painting?
By 6.30 I’m on the sofa, sketch book in hand, pencil scratching out the thumbnail from my morning mind painting.   These are small, simple sketches, they just show the profile of the canvas or aluminium panel and the way the work will be pulled together.  I work until I am happy with the composition, weirdly enough I have a sense of satisfaction at this stage, as though the painting has been achieved.

The end result may well change, but at least I know where I am headed when I put the brush to the sub-straight.
​

As you can see it did change somewhat, but I was happy with the finished product, it's all in the planning, this takes the guesswork out of the composition, helps you iron out any 'glitchie' bits on the paper rather than your canvas.  Happy painting everyone.  I will endeavour to blog again soon.....