Portrait of Lee - life pencil drawing on paper

National Portrait Gallery in London, Friday drop-in session on 23-08-2013. 

This a portrait of Lee. She was also drawing me, so somehow we're holding a silent eyes contact conversation by portraying one another at the sometime. I wanted the upper and lower part of the drawing to reinforce this Chinese lady, her gazing, her concentration, her age and wisdom perhaps and the lightness of her blouse. I created a contrasting but balanced composition through a band of black on the top and white background, the blouse at the bottom of the image. In the end I achieved a very bold composition.

Life ink drawing of my friend Peter

Casual portrait of my friend Peter. I used liberal approach to cross-hatching and parallel-hatching technique.

painting Countryside landscape of Brook Farm in Kent, UK

painting Countryside landscape of Brook Farm, in Kent, UK  - acrylics on canvas

size 30 x 40 cm

year 2013

After hours driving and exploring Kent countryside, yes Kent-shire! is a wonderful region in south east England, my friend Dennis and I settled near by this view of a farm called Brook Farm, down a gentle and windy slope. We painted no more than four hours as the sun and the light was naturally altering the colours of the landscape. Since I couldn't complete the painting that very day,  I took reference photos.

The painting was completed in my home studio.

Life drawing - Study of a Nude with floating fig leaves

A nude study executed when attending free Life Drawing for London Art Students (drop-in) at the Prince Drawing School in Shoreditch http://www.princesdrawingschool.org/ on the first Thursday of the month, last June or July. I just can't remember. The composition was enhanced with a bit of imagination by adding large figs leaves, which were part of the model props setup, by making them floating around the well endowed model like in a Chagall painting. Oh the ballerina light pink shoes on the side :)

from Sicilian garden

 

These two drawings were made this year while I was on my visit to my parent's in Catania, Sicily.
The drawing on the left was made over 3 days session with a simply a gel pen. In both drawings I wanted to comment the short and transient moment of being in a familiar setting while not living there. The Mediterranean light, the atmosphere, the joy and calmness inspired me to record but also draw the subject as if drawn by memory instead of on the spot.
The drawing on the right is of course the typical red geranium which in turn is one very early memory as a child of becoming aware of the beauty in nature, in its details, colors, shapes.

Landscape painting for Pintar Rapido competition - a view of Sloane Square in London

 

 

The first annual art competition organized by http://www.pintarrapido.com/  As I mentioned in the previous post, the subject was outdoor air painting in the Royal Borough Chelsea and Kensington. 

At first I wanted to continue painting along the river even though is at one of the edge of the borough. I was not much interested in adding people in my painting but rather the natural organic aspect of the borough, namely nature. I was somewhat confused about what particular spot I wanted to paint as the final piece for the competition. I heard that the whole point of this new competition was that people could see and be amazed at watching artists painting on the spot and completing the masterpiece on the same very day.
At the end I decided to paint a view of Sloane Square  as it is a one the main busy arteries of the borough.
My partner Marzena was not behind my shoulder police-cing my very brush strokes but in front of me. In fact, as you can see she was sitting on a bench reading and posing for me gracefully (it's very useful to take your partner with you and use as an 'element' of your painting - she was still like a stone :)

At the end of the long painting marathon, I managed I believe, to convey the monotony, the lazy hot day, but also questioning in my mind's eyes: what is so special about Sloane Square? you tell me.
Anyhow, the painting was jealously handed in the Pintar Rapido headquarter fairly in time.
I really enjoyed painting on plein air,of course. Still, my heart was along the river Thames...

Landscape painting - Chelsea Bridge view from Battersea Park in London

Landscape painting - Chelsea Bridge view from Battersea Park in London UK

acrylics on canvas size 30 x 40cm

year 2013

                                             

As a first post I wish to publish a painting I made on the 10th July 2013 because it was my first outdoor experience after veeeery looong  hiatus.

It was a warm-up for the first annual art competition organized by http://www.pintarrapido.com/  The subject was outdoor air painting in the Royal Borough Chelsea and Kensington. The river banks of Thames, the Chelsea and Battersea respectively, are one of my favorites spots in London and ideal for relaxing, contemplating and worth of a subject for a painting. So I decided this particular angle was right and inspired me to start a painting. I wanted to achieve a very airy feel, neo- impressionist? I don't know, still I was unconsciously driven by the atmosphere around me, the passage of time, the absence of time, time outside our 9 to 5 perception of time, time from the past or from the present or a glimpse to the future.

The very beginning

In this blog I wish to display some of my current artwork and to interact - communicate with other people related to art world. Expect to see either my own drawings, sketches, painting of any kind or a photo taken by myself. I hope my contribution will make others contemplate or will provoke to respond.


"The purpose of art is the same as the purpose of life. Both are one, and both are a celebration of our connection to the cosmos. It is as impossible to create without life as it is to live without creating".