Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Mounting and Framing


Many people have asked me the best way to display these miniature paintings. I have found that an effective and easy method is simply to mount them onto another block of MDF board painted a complimentary colour.  I glue small card spacers underneath so that they "float", and the painting can be easily removed later if necessary.  They look good just like this or the mount itself can then be framed in a conventional manner.  This way the whole of the painting is visible without the edges being being obscured by the frame's rebate. I tend to think of my paintings as three dimensional objects rather than two dimensional "pictures", and the edges are important to me.  This last week or so, I have spent in mounting and framing nearly two hundred of these little paintings for my exhibition at Real Tart Gallery in New Plymouth, opening on 3rd of April.  I have recieved a grant from the North Taranaki Comunity Arts Council to help with costs for which I am most gratefull. 


As most of the as yet unsold works from this blog will be exhibited for sale at the gallery, it means that I will be unable to sell them from the blog.  However, I am looking forward to getting back to painting some new work which will be available as usual here!

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Pencils For Lauren and Jason

Pencils For Lauren and Jason
Oil on linen on MDF


Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Paint Cap - Nickel Titanate Yellow


Paint Cap - Nickel Titanate Yellow
Oil on gessoed card
50x50mm

$80

Monday, March 15, 2010

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Monday, March 08, 2010

Self Portrait on Pittura

Self Portrait on Pittura
Oil on Pittura paper
135x110mm
$100

Another experiment with a different surface. This was a small sample of Pittura brand paper. It's meant to be for oil or acrylic so I didn't prime it with gesso as I usually do. I have to say it is quite possibly the worst surface I have ever painted on. The oil just got sucked out of the paint making it lifeless and unpleasant. A bit like the subject perhaps.

Self Portrait With Black Shirt


Self Portrait With Black Shirt
Oil on gessoed Card
90x55mm

Another for the business card series.  I photographed it whilst still on the painting board for a bit of variety. Or something. Perhaps I could subtitle this one "Coalface".

Belly Button


Belly Button
Oil on gessoed card
$80

With all this navel gazing I thought it would be fun to do a painting of my belly button.

Self Portraits on Business Cards


Self Portrait on Business Card
Oil on Gessoed Business Card
90x55mm

Experimenting with different surfaces and formats. I liked the idea of painting on the back of a business card.  It worked quite well, but I will have to mount it onto something less flimsy.  The next day I tryed a high archive quality card, also gessoed, cut to the same proportions as the business card.  I might do a series of them and group them all together.





Self Portrait - Head Tilted
oil on gessoed card
90x55mm