Explanation of how I paint abstract and other works
The starting of most of my painting is fairly spontaneous. I usually let the marks on the canvas dictate the ‘story’ of the painting. Often I ‘prepare’ the canvas by gluing on pieces of collage (fabric, paper and other bibs and bobs) and/ or I might splash paint or ink on it and let it dribble and run. Once there are some marks on the canvas I look for images and patterns which I sometimes draw out in charcoal; or sometimes I just doodle an image in charcoal strait onto a blank canvas and work from that. Sometimes I add more texture with paste or collage or outline with gap filler.
As the painting progresses the previous marks and blobs of paint suggest where I should go next. A lot of the time the paintings turn out to be what I call remembered or imagined aerial views of landscape. Other times they are fanciful images of people or animals.
I mostly paint from memory (remembered images) or my imagination, and a lot of my landscapes, particularly the abstract ones, are map like or aerial depictions of places I have flown over or been to.
And sometimes I just paint what I see.
I work fairly quickly with several paintings in the making at one time. Some works are finished in a day or two, others I might keep revisiting over a couple of years.
More recently I have been making small imaginative works using coloured pencils. I try inject a little bit of humour.
I have to thanK Suzanne Kiraly for organising a Canberra arts Meetup site for the Icarus sessions – Icarus Canberra in 2012 . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wb2XRwet3K0&feature=youtu.be
and a video of the ASOC Friday Group also featuring me at : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GH1p3-cRtRU
You can watch all the other videos of me and my friends by hopping onto the Meetup page at : http://www.meetup.com/Canberra-Culture/about/