New Brass Neck Sketches

Tomorrow the first of my collectors to support this work is visiting the studio. Thanks to him and 9 others I will be able to afford the cost of casting a neck in brass for Sir Fred Goodwin. This latest sketch, very simple I know, is the pre-cursor for how I want my model to stand for a painting on the same subject. The sculpture will be auctioned for charity.

My sketches are 50 pounds each and when the 24 set is complete and sold I'll have what I need to visit the foundry.
I have 14 yet to sell. Contact opipop@gmail.com if you are interested in this collection.

Learn more about this here.

To Gee or No to Gee...(that is his question.)

Today two conflicting views emerge on Goodwin either considering or not considering on giving back his dinosaur sized nest-egg. The chairman of RBS is quoted as saying Goodwin ' is thinking about it'...but The Herald suggests otherwise.....this could suggest they are trying to force him to commit. But if so they haven't accounted for his 'brass neck'. More likely an effort to pacify shareholders at their meeting today...

RBS to face angry shareholders

"Royal Bank of Scotland shareholders arriving at the bank's annual meeting in Edinburgh have expressed their anger at its past and present directors."...

Wine Writing...

I've long thought I should write more on my favourite wines, wine-making etc. But as my knowledge of wine is limited to my taste-buds (and what I can do with it with paint brushes) I've shied away from doing so. Also, there are great sites out there that cover the subject far better than I ever could. So from here on in I'll be including wine related links to stories I think may interest the Wine Ink reader.

Here's one I thought interesting today that is on similar ground to my current artwork..."The wine world needs a Jon Stewart"

Pouring & Staining - click photo for detail

I was asked yesterday if I pour the wine on as I work. Not usually, but this example was established in splashes. With wine its quite to build layers as each time I wet a dried area it all comes live again, but it can work and some of the results are beguiling. There are ways around the problem of course. Also wine pictures tend to begin as rich reds and purples and quickly settle as more a sepia like value. In layering here I did however begin to lose the picture and had come to the opinion that it was lost. SO - I did what one just has to do and hid it from myself and started new work. After a few days I saw it with fresh eyes and did what you see here.

Painted first in wine I established several layers and then tinted in oils. There is also some red pastel in the bottom portion.

I am close to starting with a model, that will be interesting work. A fusion of these drawings and whatever I learn by studying the model. The finished painting may take many weeks. I am thinking of creating a series now but I better watch I don't get too carried away. One thing at a time and stick to schedule!

Stages & Theatre

Today I gave demonstrations on drawing technique to 2 classes at ISP school in Prague. I also talked to students in 3 other classes about my work and the realities of living as an artist, I hope it helped them. Later I'll post examples from the demo's.

I was reminded today that this stage (of sketching) is just part of a process. It would be easy to forget that for me when sketches are made in number (like here) that nothing is fixed, finished or as it will be completed. I forget that it is not always obvious to visitors that something is being shaped at this stage. It's easy to see the work here as finished yet nothing here took more than 15 minutes ( in the brass neck series). It is not precious but it is crucial. Sketching has brought many new things to this project.

it always feels independent of my plans as though the process is informing me with new options, independent of what I want or thought I was planning. It's very strange and seems paradoxical. How can I be learning something from something I'm making? This is similar to something about dreaming that I mentioned a few weeks ago.

But in looking here remember most of the work took only a few minutes and the pictures are just plans, doodles, notes. It may go no further or may become something very time consuming. Just can't say at this stage...

The sketches are available at £50 (GBP) and their sale will directly support the making of the sculpture. The sculpture will cost me 1200 pounds to create and will be auctioned for charity on completion, so support me in this work and buy one if you like what you see.

Isolation large

Adjustment - Brass Neck series

Red wine on a single paper, coloured pencil & Indian ink.

Close in to the Void.

There is real shame in what Goodwin and people like him have done. He is not alone and in fact must be wondering what the fuss is about. There have been many at the top of business to make millions for real failures of leadership/direction. These same fools have at the stroke of a pen jeopardised & destroyed the careers of many many people without much thought. But then it seems they have near destroyed the companies under their stewardship too...so what does that tell you.

At least some at AIG, feeling shame (or heat) have begun to give back, but not Goodwin or many like him.

So where is the Pied Piper to lead these rats away from the market?

Shadows in Wine

In this version I used a lot of wine in the darker places but did no drawing to begin with. I just tried to paint the shadows as I imagine them. A lot will change when I have my model...whoever he will be.

*This is one quarter the size of the image in the previous post. Painted on one piece of paper, the previous sketch is worked over 4 pieces.