Portrait of Imani

So, my next project is to do a portrait of Minnie:

It will be in part inspired by the style of Anthony Murphy. I love the simplicity of his work, the fluidity of shape and the scumble technique I think he uses when applying his oils.

I've also been looking at the beautiful colours in this Xenia Hausner painting:

Having contemplated incorporating some collage into the painting, it led me to questioning whether cutting out the body shape itself was naff. So I've spent the afternoon investigating other mixed media portraits, and these are some of my favourites:

I particularly love this last one, by Michele Meister

A Rose By Any Other Name

Is still a rose. In a rum bottle. On the bedroom wall of a Mexican hotel (in Clerkenwell) on the eve of my daughter's 13th birthday. Nice memories.

Am liking the rose and the background, but definitely not liking the writing on bottle (with which I got too impatient, waiting for paint to dry, so smudged the red). 

Probably prefer it with no writing, but it's a bit too stark.

Final one. Varnished it - so can't change it! Writing, to be honest, is a bit of a bodge (and there's still vestiges of the red).

In fact, maybe it would be better if I just cut off the bottom bit.

Still, overall, very pleased. It's apparently quite hard to paint a glass bottle. That I found quite easy. But, phewww, the label was another thing entirely...

Computer Art

So, I'm getting to grips with using Photoshop, In-Design and Illustrator. And it's really good fun. 

Here are my designs for the front cover of next year's Strode diary, which I'm quite pleased with. Especially as I drew them with a mouse.

(And many thanks to good old Radio 4 for all those facts about tomatoes).