art

art supplies, Kyoto – Jenny Hill

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art supplies, Kyoto - Jenny Hill

A traditional art supplies shop in Kyoto for Japanese painting. Look at the size of those brushes – they would take a lot of ink or paint.
A couple of days earlier I bought a brush from a temple market in Kyoto, which was just as well as it curbed the urge to buy at this shop without really knowing what I wanted.
I enjoy using this type of brush for my ink paintings as it can be loaded with ink, hold the colour without dripping but still flow smoothly when less saturated. And it makes a nice dry brush mark.

Fungi and acorn – Ink painting – Jenny Hill

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Fungi and acorn - Ink painting - Jenny Hill

A photograph taken on a fungi hunt was used for an oil pastel sketch, which was then reworked for my ink painting – ‘Fungi and acorn’.
Exmoor ponies are now kept on Tiptree Heath to help maintain the balance of plants and growth specific to heathland. 2013 has been described as a ‘mast year’ for England – heavy crops of nuts and fruit. This is evident on the heath where the bumper crop of acorns are cleared from areas grazed by the ponies, limiting the amount of nuts eaten.
Reference for mast years visit
http://www.forestry.gov.uk/newsrele.nsf/AllByUNID/CA9C50439BE651A980257BD000474590

Plant form – Rose hips ripening no.2 – Jenny Hill

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Plant form - Rose hips ripening no.2 - Jenny Hill

On a walk with sketchbook and pens you can get a lot of drawing done that may also be useful for artwork development, (plus it gives you a reason to stand still and look without other people thinking you are a bit odd). If I have a focus and an idea of what I might see, this is a walk of attention and observation, trying to get the most from being somewhere at a particular time and not missing the moment.
Rose hips ripening no.2 is an ink painting developed from sketches made using brush pens and chunky felt tip pens. For any painting I want it to be as light resistant as possible, but in my sketch books this is not an important factor.

Plant form – Honesty seed head ripening

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Plant form - Honesty seed head ripening

Before the seed head ripens to brown and silver it goes through a range of pink, red and green. This year was good, not a lot of rain in the summer, hot and dry, so very little black mould to discolour the drying seed head. I used indian and acrylic ink for this painting, reworking an oil pastel sketch from early summer. Throughout the year I fill sketch books with drawings, initially to record my idea of the transformation of plants but always with a focus that this is a resource for future artwork.
I use photographs when the weather is too cold or wet, or I am rushed for time but my preference is to work from my first impression recorded by drawing.

Art trails – through a window

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Art trails - through a window

This image follows on from my previous blog post and shows the front window of my venue in the Maldon Art Trail 2013. Community organised art trails in geographically recognisable defined areas, work to get art and crafts shown in public space outside the traditional commercial art gallery. These events can be very beneficial as an opportunity to share creativity and skills in public workshops, for artists to meet other artists, who often work in isolation, to develop partnerships with business, and to present another view or perspective of a town or place. As art trails have blossomed across Essex, the County Council promotes these independent initiatives under the umbrella of the Summer of Art.
http://www.maldonarttrail.co.uk/essex-summer-of-art/
If you collaborate with other artists where you live, what initiatives do you have to take to get your artwork exhibited or is it all online?

Maldon Art Trail Venue 2013

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Maldon Art Trail Venue 2013

I installed my paintings last week in the Maldon Cookshop, for the Maldon Art Trail 2013. This photograph has been cropped but I wanted to give you an idea of the venue, (this image taken in the doorway), and of this Essex riverside town. There is a lot of information you can pick out, first my artwork, some you will recognise from previous blog posts, shop products, then posters of local activities, carnival, shop local campaign and art trail plus there are the reflections in the windows. It is a good venue with excellent window space, helpful staff, in a busy High Street location.
Maldon Art Trail is advertised from 28th September – 5th October but most artists work can be seen until Sunday 6th.
More information http://www.maldonarttrail.co.uk

Bramley apples on high branch

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Bramley apples on high branch

This artwork was developed from an oil pastel sketch and reworked using acrylic ink and indian ink. The apples were not quite ready to drop but now two weeks later I move out of the way if a wood pigeon takes off knocking fruit to the ground. Some of the apples are quite big……..
This painting will be exhibited in the Essex Maldon Art Trail 2013. My venue this year – Maldon Cookshop, with a really good window space.