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Well. I am nothing if not absent minded. Double checking my tumblr before assessments tomorrow, realised I don't have a picture of my final display. This is not that picture, but it's pretty close. Mostly, I chose to stick with the sinks because I feel that is more cohesive, easy to look at, and include a few examples from life drawing and guided painting. The bit of scrap fabric hanging behind the self portraits is from the group project with Eoin. There are two other bits of canvas mounted onto card which I then painted over. They're expiremental samples of something I was trying to capture about the decay of the school building made with recycled bits of this and that I found on the floor.

I don't know that I really found my stride with this project, but I'm satisfied that I've demonstrated my ability to apply myself to a brief, work diligently, and produce paintings that show growth as an artist as well as my personality. All of these paintings and sketches displayed here are outside my usual subject matter and I used techniques which are very new to my practice.

I have said many times this year that my goal as a student at LSAD is to be a better painter. I feel that I am in the right place and off to a solid start

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I did one last big painting. This was about 5ft by 9ft in size, was really too big to leave hanging for assessment and it is unfinished. It's a personal reflection on the year, my thoughts on how what we create remakes us and then we change the things we make and how that process goes around like a coil. Music often inspires me and the lyrics if this particular song really started me thinking about the concept I've described here.

"My soul became a hammer, I started to feel better

My hatred turned to pity, my resentment blossomed flowers

My bitter tasted candy, my misery was power

The truth in me grew brighter, my nature and my nurture

No more shame, no more fear, no more dread

I am, I am, I am, I am the truth"

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Life painting again today. Unfortunately only able to complete two 20 minute portraits. Chose to try to use up more of the paints i poured and mixed yesterday.

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Life painting from Monday. First was in Sylvia's tutorial. The blue-orange was a little too muddy and i wanted part of the model to stand out with more contrast. I was also using a stiff 2 inch flash brush which made rendering any fine details challenging. I choose to use an only slightly altered blue for the highlights on the model and to make the reflection of the lamp more vibrant. The next rub of paintings were layers on layers of twenty minute poses using a variety of tools (sticks, brushes on sticks, a large house painting brush.) I particularity liked using the house painting brush.

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Painting practice at school and sketching at the bus stop

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Painting this photo of my boys again. Trying a different approach with acrylic washes too build up a smooth gradient. Should probably switch to just practicing the gradient alone instead of a portrait, but as I've already begun I reckon I might as well continue

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I like the way the paint looks here

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Normally, i would render the boys' faces in water colour as i find that much easier medium to capture the subtle shadows and softness of children's faces. Today, i only have acrylic on hand and ugh. It's a work in progress. I think I've already over-painted it, but Im going to take a break and see how i feel about it after.

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Feeling tired and meloncholic after lunch. Gonna set school work aside and paint something for myself this afternoon instead.

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Setting up to paint images of the decay around the school this morning.

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Painting on Wednesday

I got in at around 8am and started setting up my boards for the day. There was no card available so I scraped white paint over some of the life paintings I did on Monday I didn't intend to keep.

It's a really nice day, so after checking the easels weren't needed for another class I set up outside to paint this corner of the school I like the look of.

Started with a pallet knife. I like the kind of crumbly look of the school so i think scrappy paint scraped over a rough surface is suitable for my subject.

I also like this first layer as it is. Its Nice and bright (spring) but also a little delirious (like myself). Taking a break now to think about how to push it further.

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Sink sink sink sink

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Exploring different ways to paint the same thing, using a pallet knife mostly which isn't something I'd usually do but i like the effect.

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Let that sink in

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Updating from yesterday into today

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Today's progress. Using very thick paint so putting four in progress.

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Drawing the sink. Painting the sink. Mostly used the palette knife on the painting. Looking at Freud and Auerbach for artist research