Ballinglen Fast Sketches

Each morning, we would start with a timed warming up exercises on small substrates.  I taped arches oil paper with masking tape. I did these in about 40 minutes per group. Some were later tweaked the next day. I did the square set on paper that I brought from home. All done with oils and cold wax.

My intentions in this series was to explore larger shapes and line work with various techniques and materials: scratching, crayons, pencils, etc.

Day 1

6x9" each

Day 2

5.5x8"

Day 3

9.5x9.5"

Day 4

4x9" 8x9"

Day 5

6x9"

Ballinglen Continued

 Continuing the determination/uncertainty concept, I started 3 new pieces at the workshop with Jerry McLaughlin at the Ballinglen Foundation in Ballycastle, Ireland,  Finished, resolved, not sure.

For now, I will leave them sit. All are on Multimedia Art Board. A new substrate for me. A little harder than the paper I have been using. They are very good for scraping back, but fragile. Some corners chipped in transport.

17x16" Multimedia Art Board
Oils Cold Wax

17x16" Multimedia Art Board
Oils Cold Wax

16x12" Multimedia Art Board
Oils Cold Wax

Ireland Ballinglen Foundation Workshop April 2023

 Workshop with Jerry McLaughlin 

I signed up for this workshop around the beginning of October 2022. Little did I know how things would change by April when we finally embarked. My world was turned completely around. I am basically not a political person, one of those that take for granted that I live in a democratic country with developed civil rights.

 Jerry requested we start a few works and think about them as a series with specific intentions in mind. I had started a few pieces where I want'd to explore the colors of the area of the Dead Sea, specifically salt sea and sand. At one point I couldn't continue, blocked completely. Switched gears and started a new series, my feelings about what was happening around me. Two weeks before leaving, I started some new starts . See Back in the Studio. So off I went with the 3 starts and lots of hopes. 

Not only did I choose a very political content, I chose a specific color palette that also is way out of my custom neutral and muted palette. My more formal intentions were to use neutrals with high saturated primary colors of RED, BLUE, and YELLOW. Think I really took on more than I could handle. Finally, narrowed content to two words: UNCERTAINTY and DETERMINATION. Still a very abstract ! 

I am not sure if I expressed these ideas, or how all these worked out,or if I finished them. I did learn a lot about myself, sticking to an idea, adjusting goals, the importance of intentions.

First three are the continuation of the starts I brought. Don't know which came from which start, doesn't really matter.

14x14" 

Oils and Cold Wax on paper

14x14" 

Oils and Cold Wax on paper

14x14" 

Oils and Cold Wax on paper