Indigo Blah

Another drawing of derelict building.

noreply@blogger.com (Bee Skelton) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:18:00 +0000

Pen & watercolour wash

Cold symptoms almost gone, Christmas decorations packed way. So lovely today to head back to the old house with my sketchbook to make another drawing. I like the composition of this one; the deep tones of the derelict building in the foreground contrasting with the lighter, newer building beyond. Think I'll take it a stage further next time, and make a colour study.... weather permitting.

Sketch book drawing of an old friend.

noreply@blogger.com (Bee Skelton) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:56:00 +0000

I must have passed this abandoned building hundreds, if not thousands of times. For 10 years, that I know of, it's stood derelict, defiantly daubed with a For Sale sign, isolated on a considerable parcel of prime land at odds with it's newer neighbours. While other old property and land in the area has been bought up and developed for Euro-millions, for some reason, probably complicated land title/legal issues, this alone remains neglected and ignored..... that is until I came along and fell in-love.

Don't go getting excited, I haven't come into a fortune, and won't be putting in a bid. But just in case someone does, I intend capturing this brave little outpost of old Cyprus for posterity, in all it's decaying gorgeousness, before developers or weather finish it off. I'd really like to make a series of studies. With any luck it'll lead to a painting worthy of it.

Why beauty matters.

noreply@blogger.com (Bee Skelton) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 07:21:00 +0000

ITALY 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Bee Skelton) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:50:00 +0000

The reason for the silence around here, is because I've been travelling. I'm back home now. It's blowing a gale and the rain is torrential. Working outdoors on my planned cityscape projects, just isn't an option. So instead I'll enjoy remembering some of the wonderful art-time I had in Italy!

I'm sticking just some of my physical art mementoes at the back of one of my sketchbooks. The whole Italian experience, which began as a casual unplanned doodle, seemed to turn into a perfectly balanced and magnificently intuitive work of art.

The only organizing we did, was to reserve hotel rooms for our first and last nights in Pisa, and to pre-hire a car. The rest of the time we just winged it.

After flying into Pisa our first delight, on reaching the hotel, was to be told we'd arrived on a special day. All museums, galleries and shops were to be open almost all night. There were also street markets and open-air concerts. Unbelievably for us, there was a Picasso exhibition five minutes from the hotel along by the river.

The Palazzo Blu d'Arte e Cultura is an intimate venue, with a labyrinth of galleries. As is usual, we weren't allowed to take photographs. There was a limited selection of postcards to take away, which had to suffice. The exhibits consisted of etchings, linogravures, tapestries, ceramics, drawings and paintings. It was the first time I'd seen any of Picasso's work, other than in books, television or online, so it felt very special.

One of the first pieces that drew us was an etching, The Frugal Meal. You couldn't help but feel the poverty and misery of existence expressed in the piece. It was created in 1904 during Picasso's Blue period, when he was living as a struggling artist in low-rent accommodation in Montmartre, Paris.

I think the other painting shown here is a self-portrait. So far I haven't been able to find any references online. The probable explanation being that it's normally in private hands. I liked it very much; the intensity of those black eyes; slightly feminine double face; the composition of light negative space that to me conveyed the transfer of creation from his gaze to the canvas and easel. And especially the sensitivity of the fingers holding the brush. I'm sure there's much more to see. If only it were possible to spend more time just looking.

It was a great privilege to see these paintings from private collections; Still life with guitar 1921 and Seated Nude 1942.

There was an interesting collection of large linogravures, which came from the Picasso Museum in Barcelona. It was possible to follow in detail the process, starting from realistic portraits of his lover Jacqueline, which were then transformed by reworking the linoleum over time. As a single-minded painter, it almost made me excited at the prospect of studying print-making at some point in the future.

I especially appreciated the drawings. The bull series was a lesson in itself; initially the studies were realistic and gradually became more pared down and abstract until the whole essence of the creature was contained in and around a few perfect lines.

I wish I had an image of the large scale preparatory drawing for theDemoiselles d'Avignon, which was also on show.

So much! I would love to have spent more time there, but we had just one night, and the following day after a very swift walk to the Leaning Tower and Duomo, we drove to San Gimignano.

SanGimignano lived up to all expectations and I could fill pages with our overall experiences; the place, people, food. But as this is an art blog, you're just going to have to take my word that in other ways we had an amazing time!

We were struck by the way the buildings of the old town and art have been so beautifully conserved; a vast amount of money has been spent. Like with most of the places we visited, it soon became clear we'd picked a good time of year. In the summer the place would have been heaving with tourists and the experience would have been totally different. As it was, we had space and time to wander the streets, galleries, museums and Duomo with the best of autumn weather. And whilst there were obvious signs of modern life, it wasn't too difficult to half-close your eyes and imagine yourself back in time.

My travelling companion and I were happy to spend several hours examining the extensive collection in the Palazzo Comunale (Town Hall), which stands in the central Piazza del Duomo next to the Torre Grossa. Amazingly we were the only visitors. The building itself was originally built between 1289 and 1298 on the remains of an earlier building, with several extensions made during 14^th and 15^th centuries.

The main building was used as the home of the Podesta, the administrative official, and also the meeting hall for the Town Council. The upper two floors house the Civic Museum with the painting gallery on the third level. We requested some form of written guide, but only a single sheet of photocopied information was available. Nevertheless it was a great experience and we saw some magnificent art of the 13^th to 16^th centuries. Every bit as good as that at the Ufizzi a few days later and better in a way, because there were no railings and we were able to get up-close and personal.

We stayed in the centre of the town for a number of days. Here's a view from one of our rooms. Hopefully we'll have the opportunity to return to this beautiful part of the world before too long. Next time to stay for longer and I plan to have my painting suitcase in tow.

And so to Florence. Our hotel was on the north bank of the Arno, facing one of the outdoor copies of the David on the opposite bank. We were determined to see the original at the Galleria del Accademia, but that came later. First the Uffizi.

From all I'd read, the queues most of the year to enter Vasari's Uffizi museum were long and not for the faint-hearted. So imagine our delight when we walked straight in and got our tickets. Our timing was perfect!

There was just so much to absorb. Too much, in fact, and eventually we had to stop as we were in danger of over-dosing. Even then I was sorry to somehow miss seeing any of Caravaggio's work, which I'm particularly curious about. Plus I came away with the conviction that I will try to return for extended periods, at the appropriate time to study certain areas of art history as part of my degree course.

There were many postcard images I could physically have taken away, but chose just two; a Bronzino portrait of Lucrezia Panchiatichi and a section of Botticelli's The Birth of Venus. Lucrezia because she's portrayed so beautifully and I could study both the technique used on the textiles, and the drawing of the hands for a very long time. And the Venus because of it's connection with Cyprus. The locals are very proud of her. Personally I find the original rather insipid and disappointing. This postcard flatters, I think.

For some reason I don't get excited about classical sculptor; I think in childhood it all got confused with sad cemetery visits and monuments...hard to shake. However, I make an exception in the case of the David. There's nothing dead about him.

I first saw him years ago in London, but at the time, didn't realise he was a copy. My reaction to the real thing was the same this time as then. With the first glimpse of his majestic towering figure high up on his plinth, breath just some how escaped me. His presence and beauty is almost overpowering.

Getting as close as I could, this time I was immediately struck by the proportions of the legs, hands and head. I think there's some kind of reverse perspective going on, in that Michaelangelo has distorted certain features in order to make him look right as a whole, knowing that the piece was intended to be viewed from below. But to me the right hand, which is lower down, does look too huge in relation to the feet for example. Maybe it's me. I tried to find a decent full-length image, but this one of the fabulous face seduced me instead.

I have other memories from our Italian adventure; Laura the lost poet, Giotto and his man, the soulful Antonio, waltzing to Piaf, the mysterious citadel, screeching Violetta and sweet Alfreddo, not forgetting the BEST 'greasy spoon' in the whole of Tuscany.......maybe another time.

When the cat's away!

noreply@blogger.com (Bee Skelton) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 16:22:00 +0000

My DH detests cooked fresh coriander with a passion, whereas I love it. But he's away just now, so today I let the sun crank up my solar oven and cooked Lemony Chicken with Fresh Coriander. It works just as well with lamb, and of course you don't need a solar oven to make it. Here's the recipe for normal cooking. Play around with quantities - I do:

Lemony Chicken with Fresh Coriander
Chicken pieces or Lamb
1 inch fresh Ginger
5 cloves Garlic
2 oz water (4tbsp)
Pinch Chilli Powder (I used a bit of fresh chilli pepper I had left over)
2 tsp ground Cumin powder (or 2 tsp toasted and crushed seeds)
1 tsp ground Coriander (or 2 tsp toasted and crushed seeds)
Half tsp Tumeric
1 Chicken stock cube in quarter pint water
2 tbsp Lemon juice
Salt to tast - add near end
Little oil for frying
Bunch of fresh Coriander

Method:
Fry meat until slightly brown.
Put garlic, ginger and water into blender and grind to paste.
Heat tbsp oil in large pan or Tava till hot and add paste.
Add chopped coriander and spices.
Allow to cook a little and stir.
Add meat - coat with sauce.
Add stock and lemon juice.
Simmer for 1 & half hours, or transfer to casserole and cook in oven.
Taste and add salt if necessary.
Sprinkle little fresh coriander before serving.

Serve with rice or new potatoes and green veg.

Landscape painting work in progress

noreply@blogger.com (Bee Skelton) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 11:21:00 +0000

Work in progress 1

Working outdoors near where I made recent drawings.

I'm looking down from near the top of a mountain onto tomato fields and then across and upwards as the hills recede to the mountain opposite.

I began with under-painting in thin paint to set the harmony and mood; mix of ochre/violet/white and loosely placed the main features with thin raw umber. I've shown more work in progress images below. The completed painting is at the top of the post.

Work in progress 2

In this session, I managed half an hour before it began to rain and had to run for cover.

Work in progress 3

Perfect weather conditions today. Still a long way to go with this painting, but more progress.

Work in progress 4.

Landscape drawings in my sketchbook

noreply@blogger.com (Bee Skelton) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 13:23:00 +0000

I've been working outdoors drawing the Cyprus landscape http://indigoblah.blogspot.com

Painting outdoors in the garden

noreply@blogger.com (Bee Skelton) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 11:10:00 +0000

Fruit Trees

Oil on canvas

I've been dodging rain for a few days and finally completed this painting outdoors in the bottom garden. It features citrus trees, grapevine and bougainvillea, which have interesting contrasts of foliage.

By the way, I've recently started posting work-in-progress images on Twitter. If you're interested to see go to http://twitter.com/bsart .... or look at my Tweets list in the right-hand margin.

I've been trying out my new light-weight plein air easel set-up. So far so good. Off to the mountains for my next project.

Plein air drawing #187

noreply@blogger.com (Bee Skelton) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 14:21:00 +0000

Today I waited until there was a big fat shadow under the palm tree before making this drawing in the bottom garden. The grapevine growing up the wall, grapefruit trees and bougainvillea made an interesting grouping. For the first time for months it was fairly comfortable to work outdoors. Even so I wore my straw stetson; it's very disreputable and full of gaping holes ... but hey, it works!

Plein air drawing #186

noreply@blogger.com (Bee Skelton) — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 14:46:00 +0000

Today I'm drawing looking down onto part of the bottom garden from the terrace. The viewpoint shows up some nice patterns as the darkly peppled paths work with the trees.

Plein air drawing ~185

noreply@blogger.com (Bee Skelton) — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 15:12:00 +0000

This is the first of a series of garden drawings that I'll make in my sketchbook in preparation for a painting. I have no idea of the view I'll ultimately choose. It's such a pleasure to just draw and see what happens. It's still quite hot here; 38C degrees today. So I waited until around 4.30pm by which time the sun had moved and there was some welcome shade under the big pine tree.

Plein air drawing #184

noreply@blogger.com (Bee Skelton) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:39:00 +0000

Down the Valley to the Sea

Fortunately the temperature here in Cyprus has come down a little this week, so that I can work more easily outdoors (en plein air). This view, looking down the valley onto the sea, was made in my A4 sketchbook. I first tinted the paper with a wash of black acrylic paint to provide a nice mid-tone, on which to work charcoal and white conte crayon.

Painted emotions & atmosphere.

noreply@blogger.com (Bee Skelton) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:03:00 +0000

When our boys were small we often spent our summer holiday at Mousehole in Cornwall. History is repeating itself, now one of our son's has taken his family back there again.

After a very busy day, the boys made one last sandcastle before bedtime, on the little harbour beach just as the sun was setting. I was emailed a photo and lapped up the happy memory. The painterly possibilities seemed good too, as I'm currently studying expressionism and atmosphere.

I've tried to show that time of day when the light is just going, and colours and space begin to merge. The appearance of the figures is non-specific, as is their activity.

This painting is about remembered emotions:
Out one day, when one of my boys was tiny, I bought him a helium-filled balloon. He was in-love with this balloon and held on to the string all the way through town and back home on the bus. For safety's sake I offered to tie it to his wrist, but he was quite sure he would hold on tight. OK you've guessed. We got all the way back to the gate of our house ..... and the string slipped through his fingers. He was so upset ... and so was I. Strange the things you remember.

Sketch book: Expressions 4.

noreply@blogger.com (Bee Skelton) — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 13:20:00 +0000

Pastel

Ink pen & watercolour.

Ink pen, watercolour & acrylic.

Sketch book Expressions 3

noreply@blogger.com (Bee Skelton) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 07:56:00 +0000

Before 11^th July 2011, the economy of Cyprus was being allowed to slide metaphorically into the sea by our ideologically paralysed President. At 6am on that day the process was tragically accelerated; a time bomb he'd allowed to be stored right next to the island's main power station, exploded, killing 13 people and ruining the lives of many others. http://www2.onthisisland.com/cyprus-power-outage/2011/07/11/

Sketch book Expressions 2

noreply@blogger.com (Bee Skelton) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 14:10:00 +0000

I can't be sure, but I believe my earliest memory was when I was two years old walking across the street from my Grandmother's house in the snow, to the house in which my parents and I were to begin living. My mother is holding my hand, but being as stubborn then as I am now, I insisted on walking unaided and promptly fell flat on my face in the snow.

I can see things I remember. My father's trilby hat, an essential fashion item in the hat-making town where I grew up. His sport coat has a dotty texture; I remember it was made from rough tweed, which felt scratchy. He is strongly drawn, whereas my mother is hardly there at this time apart from her paisley headscarf. The small figure, is shrugging away Dad's protective hand. The open door (it was green) of our new house, with it's bright interior and windows is welcoming; in contrast the neighbour's door is smaller and darker, as is the interior. My father grew to dislike the neighbour. He was a sensitive man.

Our Last Conversation

Sketchbook Expressions 1

noreply@blogger.com (Bee Skelton) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 14:33:00 +0000

#154

Now for something completely different. Today I begin a new phase of study into Expressionism, which has less to do with what the eye observes and more about feelings and emotions. These two studies are made in my sketchbook using acrylic paint.

#155

Reclining figure portrait - oil painting

noreply@blogger.com (Bee Skelton) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 09:25:00 +0000

Woman Resting

Oil painting on canvas

18 x 26 inches

I had intended to make working drawings from direct observation for this painting. However my model and I had plans for a very yummy lunch in Limassol Old Town, so time was pressing and I took several photos instead. Back in the studio I then made a drawing with colour/tonal notes to work out the composition and used the photos as reference when making the painting.

Trying out my new solar oven.

noreply@blogger.com (Bee Skelton) — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 16:08:00 +0000

Yesterday a friend and I visited an art and craft market in Limassol Old Town, expecting to come away with perhaps a piece of cool arty jewellery. Instead we both updated our green credentials and bought solar ovens.

I just couldn't wait to try mine out. So this morning I popped some chicken fillet, garlic, green peppers, tomato, onions and mushrooms in one pot. And some potato to bake in another. I placed it in the oven following the instructions and then pretty much forgot about it, whilst I did some work and watched the F1 Grand Prix on the tv.

When we were ready to eat I threw a salad together and went outside to see if we had a meal fit to eat. It was pretty much an experiment as I haven't used a solar oven before. So I was really excited to find we had a really yummy meal for two; even my husband was impressed! And all cooked by the sun! Can't wait to try something else ... maybe some bread next time.

If this inspires you to find out more, just Google 'solar oven' or 'solar cooker', there's masses of information and recipes on the internet. Good luck!

Update: Since posting the above a few days ago, people are asking where I obtained my solar oven. So here's a link to Re-newcy the very nice people who supplied it.

Oil painting - Artist and Model.

noreply@blogger.com (Bee Skelton) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 15:20:00 +0000

Artist and Model

oil painting 14 x 22 inches

I began this painting by making a quick compositional sketch looking at myself and my model through a large mirror. Knowing my model has limited time available to pose, I also made tone and colour notes and tried to get as far as a could with the painting using just those alone as reference. I used direct observation to paint myself by looking through the mirror. Eventually I grabbed my model long enough to take a photo of him in position, and then completed the painting using that, taking care to combine the two figures harmoniously, whilst demonstrating that one figure is in the foreground and one at some distance. It was an interesting challenge, as you might suspect from my anxious squinty expression on my face LOL!

Oil painting - Figure sitting at a table

noreply@blogger.com (Bee Skelton) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 13:29:00 +0000

Oil painting 16 x 20 inches

I normally make paintings of people using photographs as the inspiration. Todays painting is a first for me, as I began by making working drawings by direct observation of the subject. I also made detailed tonal and colour notes and then made the painting by referring only to the drawing and colour notes.

It's a pity that most of the people who commission paintings from me live so far away, as I would love to work more directly in this way.

Home and Garden painting

noreply@blogger.com (Bee Skelton) — Tue, 24 May 2011 17:03:00 +0000

Today an oil painting featuring our garden. The leaves of the palm make a clattering sound as the breeze moves them. I tried to give an impression of the movement.

Painting - After the fire 1

noreply@blogger.com (Bee Skelton) — Wed, 18 May 2011 13:12:00 +0000

After the fire 1.

Last summer we had a severe grass-fire on the hills around our home. I took photos on the day, and then some later when the flames had died down.

This rather dull image features partly fragmented snail-shells and charred earth. Some of the shell remained light in tone even after the fire.

I wanted to make a painting of this, so zoomed in on a tiny section on which to base the painting. Taking a closer look, it was possible to see more colours than I did from the large image; light tones of the mineral calcium of the shell and darks of the carbonised soil. It set me thinking, that even when things look destroyed and dead, the raw materials of renewal are still present.

Painting - crochet coffee break

noreply@blogger.com (Bee Skelton) — Sat, 14 May 2011 07:05:00 +0000

I'm making slipper socks for the chillier weather and made a drawing for this still life during my coffee break. I needed to finish the slippers, so I added notes to remind myself of tonal values and colours so I could paint it later.

Garden painting

noreply@blogger.com (Bee Skelton) — Sun, 08 May 2011 15:52:00 +0000

This is a painting of the view from one of my kitchen windows. It's the result of a series of studies I made; sketch, line drawing, tonal study, colour study and finally the painting, which I made by referring to the studies and written notes. Helpful practice, as it's not always possible to paint while observing the actual subject.