Here's a few firsts for me . . .
A self portrait and one painted in the Chiaroscuro style (Light and Dark)
Me . . . never a subject that grabbed me, always felt there were more characterful or attractive people out there to paint.
Then I got to thinking (Oh how 'Sex in the City' is that expression. lol) some of my favourite artists who have painted the most amazing self portraits . . . i.e. Rembrandt and Odd Nerdrum . . . were no Oil Pintings either. lol.
Chiaroscuro . . . such a contrast to what I normally do and such an exciting journey into the unknown. The excitement of trying to solve the mysteries of painting the dark in sharp contrast to the light. I was addicted from the first minutes of setting down paint.
It all came about because, one morning I had no paintings that I felt like working on but I wanted to paint . . . so Camera, tripod and blackout backdrop in hand I undertook a photoshoot of me. A challenge in it's own right . . but the results got me all fired up and I started straight away on the underpainting . . and Hey Presto . . . months later the painting is finished.
I have now completed 3 paintings in this style . . . not all of me . . . but mostly. lol
I have a series of these to work on in the Summer. A group called the Irrepressibles kindly let me photograph them (All 10 of them) before a live performance and the results lend themselves beautifully to this style.
In the meantime I'm working flat out for my next solo show (GX Gallery, London, 4th July 2008) and I'm back painting in the light again.
