We recently turned our dining room into a temporary art studio so that we could flex our muscles before embarking on another Spanish arty trip with our friends. Pushing all the furniture back and spreading paint tubes like heavy confetti is rather liberating. It gives our house a “working” feel. One with a few rough edges and a transitory sense of “Work In Progress”. Much like, I guess, having very pernickety decorators in.
I thought I’d post up a couple of sketches I completed during this wand-waving spell as I begin my journey to arrive at a style and content/context I can call my own.
I’m like Glen Campbell. I’m a lineman. So whatever I do will include the strength of line in some context whilst I try to encompass what I see and what I want to represent. Such ideas are not always material or easily identifiable.
I am also concious that the more you can talk about your art the more you give the impression of being an artist with some purpose and some pretence to being what you purport to be – an artist. So, I’ll shut up.
Here are the pictures;
singlemaltmonkey 
I love these sketches. As soon as the Grand Canal popped up, I said, “Oh, wow! Great idea to turn the dining room into a temporary art studio. Hope you have another great “arty trip” to Spain.
Thanks Lynn, That’s very kind. We’re looking forward to sunny Spain.
Beautiful work, the colours invoke the countries.
Thank you, Phoenix. If I can communicate – it’s working.
Bravo! Love the work and your post!
Thank you very much.
I love houses that have a ‘working’ feel 🙂 I’m sure it looks great!
As do those sketches……they’re amazing. Very palette-knife-ey 🙂
Thanks, Mun. I like scratchy-scrapey painting. 🙂
Oh, I love these! I adore that “working” feel too — makes me feel purposeful. I’m so envious of all you painters who can make energy and motion come across in your work. Those strokes on the mountains are fabulous. I know my style is really different and there’s no point making comparisons, so I should just say: well done. 🙂
Thank you, Lisa. I appreciate all the kind words from yourself and all the fellow painters above. Different we are, but that’s the wonder of visual art. 🙂
The joy and wonder and often frustration. 😉
These are so beautiful, Al – I love the colors and the line-y-ness you spoke of. The first one feels good to look at. I really like it. In the second, I see power. I don’t always see power in mountains, sometimes they just look pretty to me. These look assertive, like they want to tell me something. (I’m sleepy, so forgive me if tonight’s truth sounds a little odd.) The point is that I like them. I’m glad you shared them with us.
Thanks Ré. Power in the mountains is an interesting reaction and sounds good to me. 🙂
Wow.. as in these are wonderful and I love, love the idea of having a place to create art within your house..The vibes in the air will be all creative & such..
Thank you, Lynne. We’ll have our own little community thang going……….with one ear firmly listening out for any pretentiousness…….man.
Wondering where you are going in Spain – but everywhere is inspirational really. Wandered around a local art gallery yesterday admiring some paintings of nearby Spanish hilltowns.
San José east of Almeria where the mountains are red and the sea and sky are blue and the beaches peachy. The nudist beaches are distracting though – honestly.
Beautiful work, just stunning.
Thank you very much. Kind words indeed.