This is an article I wrote for International Artist Magazine a couple of years ago. A comment on imagining stories to embellish different locations prompted me to upload it. It is amazing what goes through your mind after thirty or forty minutes sketching. Almost subconsciously stories emerge tying up and making sense of all the observed details.
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TELLING A STORY
It is easy to be seduced by spectacular scenery or panoramic landscape, but sometimes it’s the little incidents associated with fairly unspectacular subject matter that can be the catalyst for a successful painting. In these paintings the appeal, for me, lies beyond the immediate visual impact and has more to do with the incidents or atmosphere surrounding what is depicted.
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Rosa’s New Pink Curtains
These old Italian waterfront buildings tell wonderful stories about their inhabitants. Pushbikes, fishing gear, potted herbs and flowers, an old comfortable chair in the sun. An hour spent sketching all these details cause all sorts of stories to evolve concerning the day to day life of the building.
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The paintings title is derived from the bright pink curtains in the upper window. To stop this bright color drawing too much attention away from the centre of interest, Permanent Rose was worked over the greys in the top corner of the painting. This eases the impact of the curtains, pushing them back into the painting.
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Fine rigger lines and sketchy pencil marks define the detail in the bottom left. This describes what is happening without drawing too much attention.
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The center of interest is treated with strong contrast and sharp, focused detail to act as a pivot point for the painting. The viewers eye can wander out to other areas of less defined detail, but will always be drawn back to this area.
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Fishermen Wait – Pelleistrina
The long thin island of Pellestrina protects the Venetian lagoons from the Adriatic Sea. Passing the Island early in the afternoon it struck me that even the fishermen, along with every other inhabitant, observes the afternoon siesta. Tide and fish can wait, food, wine and rest come first, then the fishing. I have used strong horizontal and vertical lines to give the painting a sleepy static feeling. The vertical drift of smoke adds to the calm quiet atmosphere
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Flowers were splashed in with a mixture of Permanent Rose and White Gouache. I liked the contrast between the dirty, smelly fishing boats, clean washing and fresh flowers. Ultramarine Blue Gouache gives the fishing boats a flat, velvety finish.
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The hazy sky was first washed over with Ultramarine watercolor. After this dried, a glaze of cream tinted Gesso was worked over the surface giving the sky a pearly translucent quality.
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The calm water adds to the sleepy feeling of the painting. The same technique of Gesso over glazing similar to the sky was used. This time the underlying wash was Phthalo blue.
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Last Bus Leaving
The frantic pace of down town London is regularly punctuated by the hot diesel clatter of these ancient relics. Huge and shiny, it’s hard to believe these awesome machines form the backbone of a reliable transport system. This painting plays on the contrast between the enormous mass of lovingly polished duco and the machines apparent attempt to self destruct while idling.
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Loose strokes of red pastel suggest the resonating vibration of the engine and contrast with the glossy sheen of the paintings centre of interest.
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Halfway through the painting a loose scumbling of dilute gesso was scrubbed over the top right hand corner. This obliterated most of the roof and upper detail allowing it to be loosely suggested with pencil lines and red pastel.
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The bonnet and lower section of the bus were treated with more detail to pull attention down to this area of the painting. The bright red bonnet and white highlights make a great contrast with the surrounding black gouache. I normally avoid flat neutral black, but used it in this case to give the feeling of bitumen, soot and diesel oil associated with the bus.
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Pass This Way – Venice
This is one of a thousand romantic corners that draw you deeper and deeper into the labyrinth of Venice. Rather than documenting all the details, I have focused on the essential elements and reduced everything else to simple areas of contrasting textures. Lines and angles have been distorted to echo the random chaotic nature of Venice.
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Flat Ultramarine gouache was used to convey the brilliant blue of the canal boat. By contrasting this with the rich terracotta of the bridge, a focal point is established.
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The washing hanging on the line was torn from pieces of Japanese rice paper and stuck to the surface with acrylic matt varnish. The rice paper shapes were softened by splashing them with a mixture of Permanent Rose watercolour mixed with White gouache.
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A fine translucent glaze of White gouache and Permanent Rose watercolor softens the far end of the bridge, encouraging the eye back to the centre of interest.
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Tags: Art Materials, drawing, Italian Painting, London Bus Painting, Mixed Media, painting, painting demonstration, Venice Painting, Watercolor, watercolor demonstration, watercolor materials, watercolor painting
December 31, 2009 at 1:29 am |
Great post! I do the same thing with my drawings/paintings. I was on a big kick with it about 10 years ago, painting cartoon cityscapes and making the story up in my head afterward. I still have one of them that didn’t sell and I look at it from time to time, but with a new story!
Did you paint these? They’re beautiful!
I’ve been out of the art world for a while. I got burnt out on the elitism, etc. It’s nice to see something as inspiring as these paintings…not the usual.
Thanks!
December 31, 2009 at 7:15 am |
Thanks poverty_dieter,
Glad you like the paintings – sometimes I think it’s more fun concocting stories – tying all the unrelated bits of information together – than it is doing the paintings
Yeah, there are lots of big egos in the art world – I just like to paint.
Cheers,
John
December 31, 2009 at 1:52 am |
they are all so beautiful…thanks for posting!
December 31, 2009 at 7:19 am |
Thanks little Marie,
Glad you like the paintings
Cheers,
John
December 31, 2009 at 1:54 am |
you’re paintings are beautiful!
December 31, 2009 at 7:21 am |
Thanks Parker,
Glad you like them.
John
December 31, 2009 at 1:55 am |
*Your
December 31, 2009 at 2:18 am |
John – Love the art. I always wished I could paint and draw. I like the differences in clarity and blurriness in the paintings. It looks like you had fun making them. Mark (Please take a peek at the drawing we found of a lacrosse player and posted on http://laxlacrosse.wordpress.com … You would appreciate it.)
December 31, 2009 at 7:24 am |
Hi Mark,
Thanks for your comments and thanks for pointing me to the drawing of the lacrosse player – so much movement in it, fantastic!
Cheers,
John
December 31, 2009 at 2:28 am |
Thank you for sharing.
The above artwork is outstanding.
Happy New Year to All.
Henry
December 31, 2009 at 7:27 am |
Thanks Henry,
Glad you enjoyed the paintings.
Happy New Year
Cheers,
John
December 31, 2009 at 2:41 am |
Love Last Bus Leaving
December 31, 2009 at 7:32 am |
Thanks styleinspades
Black, red and grey – lots of fun to paint
Cheers,
John
December 31, 2009 at 2:57 am |
“Imagining stories to embellish different locations” – that sounds interesting and creative. Nice work, really liked the chair detail
December 31, 2009 at 7:36 am |
Thanks faltese malcon,
Glad you liked the paintings and thanks for commenting.
John
December 31, 2009 at 3:16 am |
I love it when I find artists on the front page of wordpress. Congratulations! And, might I say that you do amazing work!!!!! Beautiful! These paintings definitely take me to ‘a place’. Thank you.
December 31, 2009 at 7:43 am |
Hi Tri,
Thanks for your comments, glad you enjoyed the paintings.
Your photograph of Mt Hood brought back fond memories of Oregon.
I’m looking forward to coming back to do some workshops in 2011
Cheers,
John
December 31, 2009 at 3:21 am |
Beautiful rose got macca fi juck yuh
December 31, 2009 at 7:45 am |
Thanks Wisejamaican,
…not too sharp I hope
Thanks for commenting.
Cheers,
John
December 31, 2009 at 3:43 am |
I love the colours and paint techniques in these paintings! The soft, subtle washes enhanced with splashes of brilliant colour are very effective. I work in mixed media acrylics and this post makes me want to get into the studio and pullout some watercolours. Thank you.
December 31, 2009 at 7:48 am |
Hi Nicole,
Thanks for your comments. Glad you liked the paintings.
Cheers,
John
December 31, 2009 at 3:55 am |
Wow. Such wonderful art, and I loved the analysis. Great post and thank you for sharing this!
December 31, 2009 at 8:30 am |
Thanks methesnake,
Glad you liked the paintings.
Cheers,
John
December 31, 2009 at 4:09 am |
This looks like a lot of fun. I can go swimming in it for hours. Watercolor is like bathtime. Squeaky ducks and all.
December 31, 2009 at 8:40 am |
Thanks vodkabeforenoon,
Glad you enjoyed the post – like the bathtime analogy – although, the way I paint, maybe more like a violent shower. Hair drier and all!
Cheers,
John
December 31, 2009 at 4:15 am |
Your artwork is beautiful! Where can I find some of your paintings for purchase?
December 31, 2009 at 8:27 am |
Hi Tessa
Thanks for your comments. My work is only available here in Australia through my studio or a couple of galleries in Sydney.
John
December 31, 2009 at 5:20 am |
Very well done. I had no idea an artist could explain their work.
Never to old to learn.
December 31, 2009 at 8:59 am |
Thanks Mavis
Glad you enjoyed the post.
Cheers,
John
December 31, 2009 at 5:21 am |
Never TOO old to learn – or spell.
December 31, 2009 at 9:00 am |
Hi Mavis,
would never have noticed
John
December 31, 2009 at 5:54 am |
Great post–learning more about the inspiration for art is important yet easily overlooked.
December 31, 2009 at 9:03 am |
Thanks Slamdunk,
Glad you are enjoying the blog
John
December 31, 2009 at 6:55 am |
I love your splashpaint blogsite. I am a frustrated artist but your work here inspires me. Such beautiful colors! I’ll visit from time to time
Keep up the good work!
- Anna
December 31, 2009 at 9:08 am |
Thanks Anna,
Glad you are enjoying the blog and I hope it encourages you to pick up a brush.
Cheers,
John
December 31, 2009 at 7:22 am |
I absolutey adore the Pink Curtains. The detail is fun and interesting.
December 31, 2009 at 8:46 am |
Thanks Linda,
Glad you like the painting. It’s fairly big painting (4′x3′) and was a lot of fun to do. Thanks for your comments.
Cheers
John
December 31, 2009 at 7:37 am |
Wonderfully emotional! I wish the little sketches that I do for my clients were as evocative! Conventional drawings and CAD simply can not commumicate the energy or tell the story of a space the way a “sketch” does.
December 31, 2009 at 8:52 am |
Thanks John,
Glad you enjoyed the paintings.
John
December 31, 2009 at 7:42 am |
Great work! I especially like Rosa’s New Pink Curtains. Also I like the detail shots you include. It gives me an idea of how the look was achieved. Great blog.
December 31, 2009 at 8:55 am |
Thanks streetdiscrete
Glad you are enjoying the blog.
Cheers,
John
December 31, 2009 at 8:44 am |
i really like your paintings
but i had a question for you:
how do blind people dream?
and could you paint that.
January 2, 2010 at 6:30 am |
Hi mvis,
Thanks for your comments. I have no idea how blind people dream. I’ve always wondered how they perceive perspective. It must seem crazy to someone that has never seen – things look smaller as they get further away!
Cheers
John
December 31, 2009 at 12:33 pm |
What a great stuff, some of them looks like pictures from a little kid imagination, so beautiful and rich…
December 31, 2009 at 12:37 pm |
Thanks Patricia,
Glad you like the paintings
John
December 31, 2009 at 3:16 pm |
how can i buy the “rosa’s pink curtains” painting from you? if not, do you sell prints? it says so much about where my life is right now.
thanks.
December 31, 2009 at 5:51 pm |
Hi Lee, Sorry, but the painting has been sold and I don’t have prints of it.
John
December 31, 2009 at 4:58 pm |
I absolutely love your work..! Love the emotions in it.. They convey so much..!
Could you suggest any work (painting or photograph) that could be replicated as a graphic..? I am working on a piece for a student graphic work exhibition (hand-drawn not computer generated) and am looking for suggestions and inspiration..
Any reference would be highly appreciated
December 31, 2009 at 5:59 pm |
Hi anjaly,
Thanks for your comments. Have you tried creative commons for some copyright free reference material? You will find them through google.
John
December 31, 2009 at 5:28 pm |
Gosh. That’s amazing! I wish I could do that; great job using your gift!
Thanks for sharing.
December 31, 2009 at 6:02 pm |
Thanks JeLisa,
Glad you liked the paintings
John
December 31, 2009 at 9:21 pm |
Love Rosa’s New Pink Curtains!
January 1, 2010 at 4:54 pm |
Hi Caron,
Thanks for your comment, glad you like the painting.
John
December 31, 2009 at 9:37 pm |
Spectacular… i could admire these paintings for hours!
January 1, 2010 at 4:55 pm |
Thanks loccalc,
Glad you like them
Cheers, John