Thursday 25 April 2013

Chasing 'Visions'

Been spending the past few evenings trying to work out the colours for the 'Visions in Blue' mask.  Now I know it seems pretty obvious and yes it will be blue, can't really get away from that ..lol ;) But it's more about the shades and textures needed to try capture the feel I want for the piece. At the moment she is remaining as enigmatic and inscrutable as the song that inspired her :)

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 :)