Does Banksy get his spray paint at B&Q?

I spotted this one, but the nipples have been painted over. Now I'm curious as to why!

Loosen up, girl!

That's what my arty cousin said to me this morning. She's also told me a I have to work bigger. So I've dragged out a wedge of A2 cartridge paper and set to it on the kitchen table. I worked on the same image in ink - "Steph, your hand is way too stiff, draw with the whole arm, yeah that's better already see", in marker pen - "Yeah, that's betteer see, are you drawing that upside down cos it works", and finally in charcoal - at which point I was shouting for her to come in and look at what I was doing because I was getting QUITE EXCITED AT THIS POINT.

Not quite satisfied

Don't get me wrong - I like to charcoal drawing I did of my daughter. It's just that when I was exploring colours with the oil pastel landscapes I felt like I was making progress, that I was learning something. The charcoal drawings were just putting into practice skills and knowledge I already have.
So what was I learning while doing the landscapes? Well, I was making decisions about composition, and how to use the colour to create a sense of distance and mood.
When I look at Lucian Freud's figures, I feel like he's really getting to grips with his subject. I'm happier with my earlier loose sketches of the children.

What subjects do I paint, and what is it about them that I want to convey? And how do I go about conveying it? How do I manage not to over-think and get stressed about my art. i want to keep the newly found joy I have currently in creating, and not to be afraid of the final product before I even begin.

Sleepy afternoon

Yesterday my baby girl curled up on the sofa. Out came the camera. Here's a charcoal study I've done today from one of the shots. The others have more foreshortening and I'm looking forward to making the time to do some more studies from them too.

Banksy in Roker

I'm very proud. Have spotted some in Sunderland town centre which i hope to get some photos of too, before they're obliterated.

Roker Park

I love Roker Park, it's a beautiful place full of nooks and crannies, corners, hidden areas, and many changing views.

I went sketching there with my cousin (who is a very talented artist in her own right) and we had a smashing time. We sat at one point drawing some gentlemen on the bowling green. One of them came over to see what we were doing, then disappeared off into the club house. When he returned he had a choc-ice each for us (it was a very hot day that day).

When I first made this print it had a sold background, but I added verticals suggesting the trees behind. If I'm being very self-critical i would say that I'm not happy with the foot which is flat on the floor, or the far legs of the bench. But overall I'm happy with the result.

from pencil to print

Some years ago I sketched my dad, but used the side of a very soft pencil to work in tones, not lines, to build up the face and head. This is another piece I'm very proud of, and is framed on my bookcase.
I decided to translate it into a lino print (silly me- I didn't reverse it so the print faces the opposite way to the original drawing) cutting away the surface of the lino with strong diagonal strokes, emphasising the pencil technique I'd used.

Drawing on the past

Whilst at college, we were set a project of drawing a cup. First, we did simple sketches, then we increased the scale of our drawings. The final work was to break the cup & work from the shattered pieces (I missed that day, so I kept my cup whole).
The most rewarding task for me was to draw/paint the cup using no line, only colour. I placed the cup on the table and squatted over it with my paper and chalk pastels. After totally immersing myself in the task, I finally stopped and stood back, and was impressed by the outcome. So much so that when I came across the piece years later I framed it and it hangs on my kitchen wall.
More recently, I started working on lino-printing. It was a medium I remembered fondly from my early school days, and wanting to work in a new area I easily persuaded my dad to get me a cutting set for my birthday.
Seeking inspiration I decided to draw from my cup picture. And here are the results.

The learning process

In addition to drawing and painting whatever grabs me at the time, I'm also working through a set of exercises. These images I created when looking at 'negative spaces'. These spaces are as important in composition as 'positive objects'. Let me think of an example of this.....how about the shapes between the pillars of the Parthenon, or the fantastic fluid forms in the vaulted ceilings of Durham Cathedral. Get the idea. I chose to draw a chair I picked up at one of the antique shops on Roker Avenue - the one whose owner is a fan of giraffes. I don't think the final inked image is a strong as the pencil outline, but I enjoyed feeling the shift to the right hand side of my brain, blurring out the structure of the chair itself and concentrating on the negative spaces, which was the purpose of the exercise.

I know a lot about art, but I don't know what I like!

Getting back into painting, or more specifically, looking at other people's paintings, has been a challenge for me. When I started to get interested in painters, when I was a 14 year old girl, I liked Renoir's lightness (I myself had recently discovered chalk pastels) and Escher's architectural details, and clever penmanship. At 18, during my A-levels, I liked Ingres' nudes and the pure beauty and high-mindedness of the Pre-Raphaelites. Unfortunately, during my years at Art College, my appreciation of the artworld was injured, which then caused my lack of creativity for the next ten years.
Now, aged thirty-mumble, I'm reaching out for inspiration. I've looked again at my old loves, but I find now that, for me, Renoir lacks strength. Instead I choose Monet for his deeper perception. The Pre-Raphaelites are now too 'pure' and not gritty enough. So I find beauty in Lowry's truthfulness ('honesty' sounded contrived). I'm drawn towards the tortured, raw forms created by Giacometti rather than Ingres' grace. I love Van Gogh's passion, which is so evident and whilst I still admire Escher, I find him too tight.
In addition, I'm aware that all of these are from 'art history' and I'm excited (yet nervous) to get out there and find out what people are painting at the moment.
And where does this leave me as a creator of pictures? I'm no longer content with drawing realistically, though I know that it's important for me to practice and hone my skills of observation and drawing. I want to express myself. but what do I want to express?
One of the aims of this blog was for other artists to stumble across me and to give me some feedback on what's out there and what you think may press my buttons. Mmmm. Lots to think about, but also lots to get on with.