Seasons greetings!

....here is wishing you all a lovely time and season's greetings to all!

Politics and art

Here is some information that surprised me. The abstract impressionists may not even have known! I found this on the independent newspaper website.

I thought you'd like this:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/modern-art-was-cia-weapon-1578808.htmlhttp://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/modern-art-was-cia-weapon-1578808.html

Modern art was CIA 'weapon'
For decades in art circles it was either a rumour or a joke, but now it is confirmed as a fact. The Central Intelligence Agency used American modern art - including the works of such artists as Jackson Pollock, Robert Motherwell, Willem de Kooning and Mark Rothko - as a weapon in the Cold War. In the manner of a Renaissance prince - except that it acted secretly - the CIA fostered and promoted American Abstract Expressionist painting around the world for more than 20 years.

About Deanna Petherbridge's drawings

Here is a link I foundhttps://vimeo.com/185005033 about this artists drawings. I hope you enjoy it.

James Ensor

https://youtu.be/zvGkoFkRzfQ

This is a great little film about this Belgian painter. Such fun to see where his inspiration came from. the exhibition is now on at the RA London.

Abstraction by Kees van Aalst...interesting.

Have a look at this ...about abstraction and skill.
http://www.keesvanaalst.nl/wordpress/

Autumn colours art.

The wind is wilder, the leaves are falling and the colours are beautiful grades of red, yellow and brown. Here some of my autumn inspired work. These are mixed media pieces on board so can be placed on a sideboard or cabinet as well as the wall. Size 29cm high x 45cm wide x 3 cm deep. Special Christmas gift needed for anyone? Do get in touch! Have a fab autumn inspired week.

Look at the colours!

Aren't the colours amazing this autumn!... Here some of my pics to inspire and more autumn related artwork! 'Day dreammmy day' is the painting . Mixed media on board. Each of the 2 boards 45cm high x 29cm wide x 3cm deep. Let me know if you are interested.
Have you found your favorite leaf yet?

Marks that make a water inpired painting.

The paintings I am making at the moment have water as inspiration. Here are some of the  colours, textures and marks that I am working on. They alas can't always stay if they are not in the right place!

Emyr Williams, abstract contemporary artist

This artists uses colour. Really uses colour. Vibrant and strong. Good to brighten up a grey day. I find this inspirational...I hope you do also.
https://vimeo.com/164918559

Clyfford Still in 60 seconds, another inspiring artist

This is another abstract artist whose work has a strong use of colour... I hope you find it as inspiring as I do.
This exhibition at the Royal Academy is now on. See it if you can. Have a good week.

Mark Rothko in 60 seconds..be immersed...

Mark Rothko's abstract art feels so meditative and beautiful.
I hope you enjoy this short film from RA as much as I did.

inspiring shapes in nature

Often I get asked what inspires me. At the moment I have been looking at shapes and patterns in water and leaves. The way the layers of leaves overlap and how leaves are reflected in water create wonderful shapes which I am inspired by. Have a great time looking around you!

Graphic cities...lines to inspire

I found this and thought it rather fun. The use of line is so well used. There are so many ways to use line...let's do lots of drawings this week!

http://www.tysonhannah.com/

Inspirational work by Es Devlin

 Wonderful creative large scale work. Es Devlin  is a set designer, works in music and fashion.


https://player.ooyala.com/static/v4/stable/4.6.9/skin-plugin/iframe.html?ec= Vlb3Z5NTE651FwOPbacNS3uezxV7mToy&pbid=YjMwNmI4YjU2MGM5ZWRjMzRmMjljMjc5&pcode =JqcWY6ikg5nwtXilzVurvI-vU6Ik

Oscar Wilde in prison

http://bbc.in/2c5QgkzThe reading of Wilde's 'De Profundis' in Reading gaol, now closed but at the moment there is an art exhibition there.

DADA 100th birthday!

DADA!!!DA!DA!DAAAA!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/g8WYZb6jHWPwXtrFG6JW6G/anarchy-absurditdada-the-cabaret-voltaire-at-100

More Es Devlin

Here is another video about the Mirror Maze. What talent!
https://player.ooyala.com/static/v4/stable/4.6.9/skin-plugin/iframe.html?ec= Vlb3Z5NTE651FwOPbacNS3uezxV7mToy&pbid=YjMwNmI4YjU2MGM5ZWRjMzRmMjljMjc5&pcode =JqcWY6ikg5nwtXilzVurvI-vU6Ik

New homes

Here are some of my paintings in their new homes.
Fab to see!

Hockney portraits

I think this is interesting as it gives the sitters perspective on being painted by Hockney. His use of colour I find inspirational. It relates to his R.A. exhibition in London.
https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/article/david-hockney-portraits-sitters

Thought provoking animation and other interesting drawings,Jerwood prize 2016.

I think this is a really interesting little animation and it has won Jade Chorkularb a student award at the Jerwood drawing prize.
https://vimeo.com/162212191

Here more about the winners... some really interesting work.
  shttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-37361096i

Pavements

Hi! I was thinking of all the things that inspire me and give me ideas for paintings. This is another one....pavements! Look at these wonderful colour combinations!
have a good week!

Reading gaol exhibition

This  is the place where Oscar Wilde was imprisoned. Now a temporary exhibition.
Interesting stuff.
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/sep/05/inside-review-a-momentous-artangel-project?CMP=share_btn_link

Colour colour colour!

My inspiration can really come from anywhere. Colour combinations are however usually the starting point for my work. Here is a detail, a window and an evening sky all taken recently...feel the red, pink,blue and yellow thing going on!
have a good week! be inspired!

Art materials I use....many!

Well, this is something I have built up over the years.... my weird and wonderful tools. Yes I use conventional brushes on canvas with paint but I use a great many other things also. This is because the marks I want to make will vary enormously so I will use everything including many traditional kitchen cleaning tools, from the humble scouring brush, cleaning cloths to nail and washing up brushes. I also use kitchen paper, towels and sticks.
But the best tools are still my hands...so they can end up looking like this after a good day painting!
Enjoy your week!

van Gogh's EAR!

Amazing what can be discovered! have a good week!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2016/the-mystery-of-van-goghs-ear

Blank canvas...the start

 A new painting is always the start of millions of possibilities. Where to begin?! There is always an element of fear and excitement.
With the commission I am working on at the moment this is no exception. I make sure I have a rough plan so I have something to start with. I put this base layers down and then the obsessive dialogue with the canvas starts! I become completely obsessed with the colours and shapes I am using. Wherever I am and whatever I am doing, the painting is there in the back of my mind. When I see a shape or a colour combination that I think fits with what I am doing I record it. This can be by sketching it, photographing it or saving it on the computer. Then with all this information I can work to put down these influences. The journey begins!
I hope your week gives you a good 'journey'.

CTBUH 2015 New York Conference - Bjarke Ingels, "Social Infrastructure"

It is so amazing what creative thinking can do!!

Alex Katz: Quick Light

went to see this yesterday. the scale of the work is very interesting and makes a big impression.

CTBUH 2015 New York Conference - Bjarke Ingels, "Social Infrastructure"

Really inspiring stuff. Much creative thinking.

Serpentine Pavilion 2016: Bjarke Ingels

I went to see this yesterday and it really is a fun experience walking in and around it. Going through the space I found very inspiring, and is a great reference for adding space to my paintings.
Go and see it if you can.

Art hanging where it is meant to be.

I have received some lovely pictures of my art in situ.
It is so wonderful to see where my paintings have ended up, which walls they have been hung on and which spaces they now adorn. Seeing the joy that my work can give is really inspiring. It really shows how art can communicate in a way that words cannot.
Creating an interesting and personal space that expresses ourselves can be so rewarding.  
As Pablo Picasso said,' Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.' We all need to be inspired. I hope you find something to inspire you this week.

More walking...who is looking at who?

I have been trying to keep up going walking regularly in the local countryside.
It is inspirational and also a reminder that we are a part of nature, not separate from it.
This chap really made me wonder who was looking at who....

 ...and then this lovely path home... with this wonderful light that created such strong dark tones.

Have a good week!

Walk walk walk.

Recently I have been trying to get out and walk regularly. I am lucky to live surrounded by beautiful countryside and inspired by the longer evenings, I have started doing more walking.
Being surrounded by nature I am finding very inspiring for my own painting ideas. Lines, forms, composition and colours are taking shape in my head.
I shall here enclose some pics of this morning's walk...hopefully to inspire you.
Have a good week!

Artist of the month...Wow...2nd time!

July 2016
by Roberta Tetzner

Joyful walk through the city
mixed media
on canvas
80 x 80cm

I had a hard time selecting something but was determined to choose a work I liked by someone I didn't already know. What struck me about this piece was how the heightened colour and composition suggested some kind of memory of a place, half remembered but much cherished.


Chosen from our Online Art Gallery by Robert Fitzmaurice

Thank you!! I was amazed to find I had been chosen...what an honour as it is the second time.
It is lovely for someone who you don't know to pick a piece of your work. ..so feeling very honoured.

http://www.rga-artists.org.uk/

Escape to Cornwall

I have just returned from a great weekend away with a friend to Cornwall. Rosemoor gardens on the way down, with its combinations of plants, water and veg were wonderful.

The rugged north coast was also really inspiring....go if you can!

Ellsworth Kelly plant drawings

I love these drawing.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/08/arts/design/ellsworth-kellys-plant-drawings-at-the-met.html

David Hockney coming back

A new exhibition of David Hockney's work is coming to R.A. London. Potraits...should be interesting!

http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/david-hockney-portraits

Off on its travels

My obsession with water has been passed on and now this one (or actually 3 parts) is on its way to Germany. It is so exciting when someone is moved by your work and wants it on their own walls.
So 'Let's daydream' is off to a new life!

More water inspiration

I have been a little obsessed with water recently and have been painting abstract interpretations of water for a while now....but look how amazing and beautiful these water sources are!

and here some of my interpretation.

It is such a valuable resourse...we must treasure it.