It's proving to be a difficult one for me. Usually I work in rich, jewel-like vibrant colours. Even when they are antiqued they are always deep and intense but here I want a sense of faded decay, elusive hues, aged like long ago memories. This is Sleeping Beauty become an old woman as she lies dreaming awaiting her prince who never comes. Miss Haversham, lost and haunted in the maze of her mind, fading and slowly dying like her wedding flowers.
At one point, stepping away from my work-table for a bit of a breather I was struck by the urge to just pick up my camera and take a couple of snaps. The actual 'Visions' mask was tucked away safely so I could make as much mess as I wanted experimenting with paints, varnishes, glazes and that sort of thing. I always like to see other artists work-places, the little insights and clues it gives you about them :) So this is my spot, I 'm not a very tidy artist, and I like working with all that I might need within reaching distance. But I do have to try and keep a little order, as you can see the space is not so big and some of the masks I make certainly are! ;)
I enjoy a challenge and it'll be very satisfying when I finally get this nailed. I have found a wonderful new crackle-glaze which is proving to be much easier and more reliable to work with than previous ones I've used ,that'll be a great help. So things are going well if slowly.
For those who are not familier with the song that is behind this piece, then here it is. From the Ultravox 'Return To Eden' DVD recorded at the Roundhouse in London 2009. I first heard it in 1982 and fell in love with it then :)
I adore these photos, :)))I love that too ,:))always hope to find out some secrets,( you don't take off the labels of your glass jars ;) and not so messy Dearie !you must be pretty organised to work on so big pieces on such a small desk ! I wonder what are these little bottles, doesn't look like acrylic , and your inpiration board ! nice !
ReplyDeleteand always interesting to read you talking aboue your masks , always poetic !
Thank you dearest,I thought you might like them ;)They seem to stick them on the jars so firmly nowadays, I can't be bothered to fight with all the glue that's left on ;)) The bottles are acrylic paints:)A make called 'Decoart Crafters Acrylic'. They are incredibly cheap compared to the Winsor & Newton type I usually use. They are matt rather than the usual satin and because they don't have such strong pigmentation they are perfect for this piece :) The colours are rather beautifully soft and muted.
ReplyDeleteI'd be lost nowadays without my inspiration board It's always changing as work progresses on a piece plus it's a vey useful place to pin all those little tracings, experiments and bits of paper that I always used seemed to manage to lose ;)) xxx