#CAOSart17 – The Consulting Artist

Lavender Fields

The Carshalton Artists Open Studios starts in about a week and a half. Having never exhibited before, I’m excited and nervous. Thankfully I am channeling those feelings into creating a few more pieces to show.

This 50cm x 40cm canvas represents the lavender which in years gone by, was farmed all over the place around here. It is an important part of local history, and is still commercially grown in the area today.

Here’s a photograph of the early stages of the painting, and the complete version.

Update : I’ve decided to make this the Christmas 2017 free art drop.

Lavender’s Blue?

Preparations for the Carshalton Artists Open Studios are in full swing here, aka panic mode! I’ve been working on a larger (80cm x 30cm) canvas for a while, with a local theme in mind…

I’m currently torn between the River Wandle and the lavender fields which our area is well known for. I’m keen to work up this canvas and because I am unsure where to go next, I’m currently experimenting with some patterns on smaller pieces.

The intention is to offer up some cut shapes containing various colours and patterns to the larger canvas, and see how they do, or do not work. Earlier in my painting career I’d have blundered on with the main canvas and maybe ruined it. Now – when I get to a point where I feel experimentation is required, sometimes I do it in such a way as to preserve something good and as yet unfinished. Also – by working like this, sometimes I get the added bonus of a free art drop emerging out of the experiment.