Very early in the lockdown, when we were all meant to stay home, our local art shop, Pegasus Art (Pegasusart.co.uk) set a daily challenge to keep us focused. I didn’t do all of them, but they were a stimulus, which was welcome. These are a selection of what I produced.
After two weeks in Tanzania, I have produced just one painting. Of zebras, which fascinate me. Done from a photo as it was not possible on the move. Acrylic on a small canvas.
Back home at Susan Kester’s drawing class. A fabric study in charcoal. It started out terrible, but got better.
A portrait session last week. Using poster paints, which are surprisingly good, and acrylics. I kept wondering why I kept getting an odd turquoise colour, however I tried to avoid it. Mark asked me “how do you get that turquoise? I can’t do it”. No one is ever satisfied.
Not perfect, but who is? There are parts that I don’t like, but if you don’t know what they are, you probably won’t notice.
I finished this lady some weeks ago, and liked her very much, but I was never happy with her head. It’s too big overall and her facial features are just too heavy and masculine. 
I tried various alterations but never satisfactory. Hard to match the pastel finish in any case. So I went back to basics, and painted out her face with gesso, to start all over again.
That gave a good drawing surface, but that doesn’t guarantee a good drawing. Try as l might, the face still eludes me.
So extreme measures called for. I’ve finally decapitated the poor girl and will try all over again. Not sure how it will work. I was tempted to paint a brown paper bag over her head, but that seems a shame. Maybe a Modigliani mask? We shall see.
Drawing a model who looks like a benevolent pirate. Started out by splashing acrylic paint all over the paper. Once that was dried, drawing the figure in charcoal and a little colour. Aiming at detail in just selected areas. The first attempt was awful, but these three are not too bad.
This is another little landscape which has taken up a lot of time. I’m not sure even now if it is finished. The Agglestone rock is a crumbling sandstone outcrop above Studland heath in Dorset. I hiked out to it on a hot morning in August. I took a photo of what is a beautiful scene. There is something irresistible about isolated ancient rocks.
I sketched the view with the intention of painting it, so there are some colour notes scattered about.
The first painting was on the wrong shaped board and I was never that happy with it.
I stated all over again on a long, narrow canvas. This has been repainted at least four times. I’m still not sure about the skyline to the right of the rock. The heather colour is very difficult to achieve but this looks the most convincing so far. I wanted a feeling of a deep landscape, and I think that works. I shall leave it for now, and possibly for good.
I have been struggling over two small acrylic landscapes based on sketches I did last summer. I think this one is just about done. I have completely repainted it about four times. I’m very pleased with the distant hills, quite pleased with the forefront grassy dunes and the sunny lady. Not certain about the sea, but this is so much better than it was that I think I will stick with this. The other landscape still needs a bit more tinkering.
After six months of work, I think I’ll call it “The Red Hat”
I’ve completed my triptych based on the Folie Berge Bar, but what to do with it. The three panels lend themselves to being displayed together, but how? Sticking the arms at each side seems logical…
But swapping the outer panels makes, I feel, a better composition…
The eye travels better, from the flowers, across to the oranges, then down to the loose orange and across to the bottle. I also like the way that the three secondary colours, green, orange and purple are so prominent. That wasn’t planned, it just emerged.
It would also be interesting to display them as a free standing item. But where?
JEGS ART 