'DIY' - finished

The fun of the DIY is the many and varied objects and signs on its frontage. So I, once again, gave myself kittens trying to actually indicate some of the bigger words. I was mindful of the adage of not 'drawing all the leaves' but abstracting all the signage was not a portrait. What do you think?

'Bartholomew Rooms'-finished

I painted the background with acrylic gold. This influenced how I treated this picture from leaving the colour showing with minimum over painting to scratching through to retrieve the gold. This happened when drawing the features of G and M. I could not get the suggestion of their features with paint as all got were blobs at that scale. I started to clean back the failed attempt discovered that scratching through to the under painting work very well.
The result is reminiscent of a religious icon.

Postbox & Gothic House - Mill Street - Process

What excites me about this door series has been the notion of 'edge' or 'boundary'. This can mean the door as a line between public and private or the edge of dark and light in the shadows. The closed door present one face but the other side could be the far side of the galaxy. The dark shadow hides texture but defines a structure.

The Postbox stands outside the Post Office next to the Betting Shop. It's slot is entrance to missives for the world and the dark shape of the door to the Betting Shop a dangerous place of dreams and excitement.

The Gothic House has been recently refurbished but the front door is a public face looking down Newlands and it yells "look at me". The Victorians intended this to stand for status but the refurbished look hides all sense of the personal. I have been delight to find that the various changes of light here show radical changes of colours and moods. I can not show the wrought iron balcony above the door because the detail is to complex for the small canvases of this series so I shall show the drama of sun and shadows. In the future it would be good to paint again with the cool of the evening light and show the balcony.

'The Marmalde House', 23 Queen's Street-process 1

I started with taking a few photos and this was my favorite.
Slapped it into photoshop, cropped it and played with the levels.
Surprised myself when drawing the scene in my sketch book when I changed the focus.

So the sketch was traced, holes punched on the drawing lines and charcoal was pounced through the holes onto the canvas. Then join the dots.

45 Mill Street - finished

This one is a church converted into a house with the living quarters on the first floor. So this magnificent Edwardian door was a stout barrier to the street for the worship of God but now for privacy to bedrooms.

'29 Queens Street' - finished

I've painted this view a number of times now at various times of the year using various media. Each time I see it differently.