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

The Old Fashioned Way

 Sometimes the old fashioned way is the best way. After many hours, too many, trying various platforms for my blog and hosting options I  decided to host through my Gmail creating a group list. The only drawback so far is that it doesn't have an "unsubscibe". So in the emails I will add a personal note that I will take them off my mailing list.

I am still testing cloudHQ to make a template. So far it is not very user friendly and probably will end up with a request to upgrade to use this or that option. 

So I will post the link on a mail post fingers crossed all will work

Back in the Studio

Haven't been on the blog for quite some time. I really have to think how I divide my energy. So blogging is not the highest priority.

In about 2 weeks, I am off to Ireland, Ballycastle County Mayo to be more specific. First ever one-on-one workshop with Jerry McLaughin,  master of oils and cold wax!

These past months have been very difficult, haven't really been able to focus much. I decided my series will be about my feelings of the demonstrations, loss of control, tension, uncertainty. It will mainly build my palette of saturated colors, neutrals, organic shapes and maybe some symbolism. I had started another series bases on dead sea relationships of salt ,sand and sea but got really blocked. Starting this new series has helped me get some of the stress I feel. 

These pieces have at least 6 layers on paper 14x14" Click to enlarge images

Just a few images of the protest Tel Aviv 2023