Author: Clive

An appointment with Egon Schiele

I just had a fantastic whistle stop tour round 3 of London’s best art exhibitions on at the moment. Egon Schiele has been one of my all-time biggest inspirations (especially his landscapes), but it was a real treat to spend 2 whole hours in the wonderful Courtauld Gallery, analysing his incredible fugurative drawings and paintings. I ended up writing notes on my phone about his use of colour and line, his techniques having always remained elusive to me since I’d only ever seen his work in books before. Seeing those paintings in the flesh, so to speak, was very revealing indeed! His precission line is backed up by almost invisble traces of watercolour for tonal work and his use of dry brushes to apply gouache for the deeper skin tone, hair and clothes (as well as appearing to use a brush to scrape back some of the paint to lighten or add highlights) was done with such care that it looked almost impossible to replicate time after time throughout his works, but he managed it somehow.

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I also spent an hour at the National Portrait Gallery and particularly enjoyed the Grayson Perry exhibits (having watched the accompanying tv show Who Are you? I love his “pots” and can’t imagine how he makes them and at such a rate, on top of everything he does. I also saw a couple of great Lucian Freud paintings up close, which again never fails to impress upon me the importance of paying attention to detail. Every square millimeter of his Caroline Blackwood portrait below has been painted with mind-boggling care and attention.

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So after almost 5 hours to get here this morning and a long day of bashing the galleries, I have a night on the train home to look forward to. I thought I’d booked a sleeper cabin, but it turns out it’s a normal bloody seat (and to add insult to injury, I appear to have neglected to upgrade to the reclining variety!). Still, I’m looking forward to making a start on building up my stock of portraits and figure drawings, paintings and possibly prints too. It’s my New Year’s resolution to fill this website with a new section of these soon.

Watch this space!

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Awaiting the Turn of the Tide

If there’s one thing I know I’ve always been good at, it’s procrastinating! So my New Year’s resolution is to try to get to my studio (or at least start working from home or wherever I happen to be) before 9am Monday through to Friday … from now on and for ever more!

Ok, I know we’re only half way through the first full working week of the year, but I have managed to keep to my new regime and – I have to say – I’m pretty impressed with myself!

So here’s my output so far for the week; 4 small paintings based on previous etchings and larger paintings, all finished and delivered for the latest mini works exhibition at Morningside Gallery in Edinburgh (which begins in a couple of week’s time).

Hope your New Year has gotten off to a good start!

 

Awaiting the Turn of the Tide 1-4 (8x6" mixed media)
Awaiting the Turn of the Tide 1-4 (8×6″ mixed media)

 

At the banquet (or not)!

I wish it wasn’t just my paintings and prints that will be attending tonight’s wonderful looking banquet at the Abbot House. They’ll be adorning these fine medieval walls for the coming weeks, so drop by and have a gander if you’re in the vicinity. All are for sale just in case you’re still on the hunt for something with a very personal touch and created by my own not-so-fair hands!

The Banqueting Hall at Abbot House, Dunfermline
The Banqueting Hall at Abbot House, Dunfermline

Open For Business

Just a reminder that I am at my studio again until 4pm, if you fancy dropping by and brightening up this dreary Sunday afternoon.

Abbot House, Maygate, Dunfermline KY12 7NE

Abbot House

If you can’t make it today, but would like to see my work another time, ring me on 07903 974259 and we can arrange a private view.

Open Studio again!

I’ve decided to throw open my medieval studio door again this weekend, but it’ll be on Sunday instead of Saturday. Hopefully that means a few more folk who couldn’t make it last time can do so this time round. So please come along between 11am and 4pm for a final chance to pick up a great bargain limited edition etching or painting before Christmas!!

Edinburgh Castle From The Grassmarket
Edinburgh Castle From The Grassmarket

 

A Fantastic Open Day and a magical night in Edinburgh!

Yesterday’s open studio day turned out to be fantastic in many ways. I met some lovely new people who made the extra effort to climb all those stairs to my studio and, thankfully, their thoughts and impressions of my work were very positive – always good to hear! It was also great to catch up with a few old friends too.

As well as being an opportunity to sell and show my work to new clients, the viewing also provided me with a chance to see a lot of the work I’ve been doing over the last couple of years framed and hung together as a collection, instead of being shipped off to various galleries, where there is often little opportunity to see that or to get a feel for how it’s all going or any feedback from clients. That was very useful, as sometimes it’s difficult for me to see the cohesion that exists between the individual pieces I’m working on at any given time. This is particularly the case with the etchings, as it can take a pretty long time to complete the whole process of making them and I usually like to work on just the one or two at a time. I think it all worked well together as a whole though, and seeing it all together gave me a few ideas for new pieces to add to my series of etchings and paintings.

I enjoyed the whole experience so much I will be doing it all again this coming Sunday. So if you couldn’t make it this time, please come along between 11-4pm at the Abbot House!

So after a very long but productive week and a successful day yesterday, I decided to crack open the gluhwein and sample the Christmas festivities on offer at Edinburgh’s Winter Wonderland. I feel very lucky to have what I think is probably the most beautiful city in the world – especially at Christmas – right on my doorstep. And what artist could fail to be inspired by scenes such is this!

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Edinburgh’s Spectacular Winter Wonderland