Once More Unto The Blog

Sorry all you followers (I won't mention the number just yet - let's say it could grow a bit more before I do that) for the extremely long gap between posts. Today blogs were mentioned in a class I attended and that inspired me to write a few words before I watch a film and put my feet up for a while. So, what's new? Well, I am in the flow of teaching now and I am enjoying it very much. That's not to say that it can't be nerve-wracking at times but meeting new people from different walks of life and hopefully assisting them on their own journey to making art is something I find rewarding. I have boxes of books and materials in my painting room, all packed up and ready to go - either to Newtown or Welshpool where I am teaching 'Sketchbook Studies'. The title gives it away really, but I like to include some of the basic principles of composition and colour theory so that it encompasses some essential information for anyone wishing to embark on producing artwork.
As for my own work, I gave a talk recently at a PhD seminar entitled "Landscape Blots and Spots of Time" which enabled me to focus on my work so far. It seems that the mirco/macro element is a theme, not only with subject matter but in the scale of work. I have also finally managed to complete two acrylic semi-abstract paintings after a long time thrashing about without success. These have been exhibited in Tregaron with the Aberystwyth Picturemakers group and I feel I have made something of a breakthrough with the medium. Why is it so difficult? I will ponder this question over the coming days, no doubt...

Morlan Exhibition

I thought I'd upload a few images from the Morlan Centre exhibition in Aberystwyth...

Back from the North...

Below and right: Views from where we stayed

I'm back from the Lake District after a short break. Lovely scenery but a tad cold for sketching out of doors but that didn't stop me. I did a few oil studies and some sketches - no doubt they will be fodder for some future work, but the process of doing them is valuable too. This time I was keen to try and match the colour of what I could see to what I painted. Often I sketch with pencil and don't use colour but make colour notes. However, after sessions with my students recently I decided to brush up my observational skills, because time spent observing is never wasted. It is more difficult than we realise, too!
There were winter colours everywhere, punctuated by the fresh yellow-green of the first flush of new foliage. Blossoms added a softness to the scenes and Steve remarked that he could see why the Japanese are so fond of the Lake District - Wabi Sabi (very roughly, the beauty of the imperfect, as explained in a recent tv programme) - twisted trees and rocky outcrops with a backdrop of mountains prevail.
One of our best days was a trip to Wastwater to see the rock screes. I did two studies here even though it was windy and cold. The light was ever-changing, consequently the colours were amazing and I felt I couldn't do them justice in a quick sketch. But it was the experience of doing

it which was important - I believe something seeps into the subconscious every time we draw and paint.
Today, I popped in to the Morlan Centre to see Dot and Harry who were stewarding the Picture Makers 'Cwm' exhibition to fill them in on my break and to catch up on what I'd missed.

Dot stewarding at Morlan

Morlan Exhibition in Aberystwyth

Today I helped hang the Picture Makers exhibition at the Morlan Centre in Aberystwyth. Heulwen Davies is curating this show with work by both professional and amateur artists living in the area.
Several of my 'micro' series are on display as well as one of my collage pieces. I had the thought that the micro pieces would be interesting as 'One Hundred Views Of...', following the Japanese printmakers Hiroshige and Hokusai. Or what about one thousand? I wonder how it would progress between the first and the last...maybe I'll give it a go.
Also I'm thinking about scaling up the process and materials to make large pieces in this manner, though I imagine it would be difficult to achieve. One thing I have rediscovered is that it is simpler to work with a limited palette (which is quite possibly why I tend not to most of the time!), and this seems appropriate for the subject matter of remembered winter landscapes.

Once more into the art shop

Some dramatic light and shade on the hills made me realise what a visually interesting time of year this is. Thus inspired I ventured into the art shop in town and bought a tube of artist's quality Winsor Green (yellow shade). I was after just Winsor Green but it wasn't available, so I'll see what happens when I start mixing colour. I read recently that it makes a good base for a travel kit when outdoor painting and I really am trying to restrict my palette. I seem to remember about twenty-odd years ago I read that James Fletcher-Watson, a watercolourist, used Winsor Blue and I bought a half-pan at the time and enjoyed using it. It made very intense darks when combined with burnt umber. This afternoon I worked on the Morlan exhibition pictures, I shall post them in due course...

Pochade dusted off...

Today I showed my students my rather dusty pochade box. It seems to have been in storage for a couple of years and perhaps it is time for it to see daylight again. This box is a clever little item, with space for three small (around 6 x 8 inch) boards, paints and brushes etc, and it reminded me that I should do some outdoor painting again in oils. It seems that pochade studies are having a renaissance at the moment and there are several available from manufacturers online.
I am tempted to get a new one, maybe a bit larger, but then it wouldn't really be a 'pochade' box at all. If you don't know what pochade means then look it up! I want to try a limited palette and do some quick landscape studies so I'll post any results in the fullness of time.
A cold, windy day but at least there was some bright weather and it was useful to see the rapidly changing light on the landscape around Aberystwyth - the colours were 'greyed' out and not really bright apart from sunlight directly on the near fields. I wonder how closely we actually do observe when we see...

Welcome to my blog!

Hello and welcome to my blog!

I am hoping to share with you some of my thoughts on painting - the struggles, the whys and wherefores, the happy moments - yes, there are a few! I'd love to hear from fellow painters out there, and while I can't promise my blog will be a daily or even weekly event, it will be good to have the chance to exchange views.

I have a website which I am in the process of rebuilding, it is www.juneforster.co.uk so lookout for news on that.
What am I doing now? Well there is an exhibition by Aberystwyth PictureMakers coming up in April at the Morlan Centre and I need to finish off some small works for that...I'd better get busy. I am also painting some larger canvases as part of my art practice PhD and these involve a different approach - or do they? That's something I'll be pondering during the coming days.