Month: November 2015

Ali Cavanaugh – Watercolour Artist

Out of so many artists whose work I find so compelling and inspiring, the watercolours of Ali Cavanaugh are one of my favourites.  One particular subject will always remain on my agenda because of what it means to get that subject right. This is figurative and portraiture. As humans we connect easily with a face, much like facial recognition technology, our brains similarly make connections and readings when we see a face. Faces are something we are almost too familiar with and in art if there is a mistake proportionately then it is clear to an onlooker in an instant. Proportion isn’t always the aim, abstraction artists often paint portraiture, there is so much to read that doesn’t always have to transfer immaculately across as clear as a photograph. Abstraction in portraiture can still capture other things,  we can gauge moods and emotions from slight turns in the many muscles that support the face. Whatever the style of work or agenda, with faces, something has to be ‘right’ for us to be able to relate. Portraits …

Why doodling is so important.

Every morning when I have a long stretch of painting ahead of me I find it beneficial to doodle before I start anything else. I started sketching as a warm up last year and I found that it kick started something in my brain which made my painting flow much easier. For anything that requires any artistic dimension, drawing is one of the fundamentals to the practice. I have known painters, sculptors, architects, designers and jewellers, and although their finished products are rarely a physical drawing, drawings formed the basics of their work and feature at some point in the process. Despite all of the technology needed for the varying careers that rely on some artistic licence, there is something raw and direct about a drawing that photoshop or CAD just can’t meet with. There is an amazing quality to seeing a sketched logo design with construction marks showing, jewelley designs on graph paper, or raw and fast architectural studies in sketchbooks. Being able to draw out what you see in your mind is a way of …

Exhibiting at Smart Gallery – Redbrick

In September I made my way to Smart Gallery in Leeds where they were showing a few originals, some new and unveiled on the day, and exclusive new limited edition prints. It is always a lot of fun to meet you all at these shows and get to speak to you one on one about my work and this one was no exception. It was great to see so many people and get a chance to speak to most of you about the prints and originals that you had bought. I then got to be nosey and ask where in your home you might hang them, what other artist’s you collect, why you like my work etc. Thanks a lot for coming and having a chat! It was lovely to meet you! The gallery was beautifully curated by the talented staff who made the event run smoothly and a lot of fun. I highly recommend Smart Gallery as an official stockist of my work, they have a beautiful gallery as home to other artists who …