16 artistDecember 2019 http://www.painters-online.co.uk
INSPIRATION
Painting in a very public space can be a
little bit daunting, but I’m always struck at
how quickly even novice painters get over
any sort of stage fright. A little thought
about exactly where to set up is always
helpful. Setting up just a few feet away from
the low of pedestrians in busy cities means
you can work in surprising peace and, on the
whole, those who do come closer will wait
for you to take a break before starting a
conversation.
Q I’ve never worked with
other painters, will I enjoy it?
A I’m pretty sure you will. Painting can be
a rather solitary business, and while being
on an organised trip will still allow you to
‘do your own thing’, it’s very enlightening to
see what your fellow painters make of the
same location. It’s like suddenly having lots
of extra pairs of eyes. Getting together in
the bar at the end of the irst day is always
a good moment as intelligence is shared
about the best views and the best cafés. And
we all learn so much from seeing the world
through all those extra eyes. Depending on
the location, I try to stay in touch with all the
painters, dropping in on each several times
a day. The one-to-one conversations that
result from these visits can be really fruitful
with the subject in front of us and time to
talk.
Q In rapidly changing light, how
do you get enough
information?
A When I see something marvellous I want
it immediately! My instant response might
have immediacy but would never give me
enough information to take back to the
studio to build a bigger painting. The
apparent solution of just keeping going on
the spot doesn’t work either, as a whole day’s
work on one piece will result in a confusion
of light efects that will cancel each other
out.
I’m deinitely a heart-before-head person
so my fast study will usually be my irst
response. Often a single viewpoint will ofer
a progression of ideas through the day and
several quick studies made in succession will
reveal changes in the character of a view,
or ofer alternatives of framing as I change
formats or turn a little. With two or three of
these quick studies in the bag I can go and
have some lunch and switch of for an hour.
Later I’ll return to the same spot with paper
and pencils or a pen and make a careful line
drawing that won’t be light dependant, so
I can dip in and out over my time in that
location and add a little each time. I measure
a lot; even after many years I distrust my
guesses. These drawings aren’t pretty but
they are very valuable to me as they give a
clear record of where all the edges fall and
how everything its. A single drawing made
in this way will give me the back-up
information I need to complement all the
little painted studies made from the same
spot.
The main thing is simply to look and make
some sort of visual record. If you ind your
drawings and painted notes aren’t giving
you enough, scribbled notes can give you
another layer of information and, later, help
to stimulate your visual memory. You are less
likely to form good visual memories if you
rely too much on a camera.Q How do I carry wet
paintings, and get them home
safely?
A If you paint in watercolour, pastels or
acrylics this is unlikely to be an issue and in-
ished paintings may be packed in the same
way as your supply of blank paperwas for the outward journey.
For oil painters though, a bit more
planning is needed. For both canvases and
boards it’s helpful to work around particular
sizes as this makes carrying the wet artwork
much simpler. I glue matchsticks onto the
back, perhaps one in the centre of the short
side and two on each long side. These are
stuck very close to the edge and at the end
of a day’s work or when packing for your
return light, the paintings can simply be
stacked in a separate pile for each format
and secured with rubber bands. As long as
the one on top is either unpainted or bone
dry they are really easy to carry as a ‘brick’;
the matchsticks will only mark the very
edge of each board and this can be easily
retouched. Pairs of canvases of the same
shape and size can be packed face-to-face
and separated by canvas pins before being
securely tied with string.Richard Pikesley
studied at Harrow School of Art,
Canterbury College of Art and the
University of London Institute of
Education. He is a past president of the
New English Art Club and a member of
the Royal Watercolour Society. Richard has
exhibited widely and won many awards.
He will be leading a The Artist holiday to
Tuscany in May, see page 18 for details.
His DVD Creating Light in Oil is available
from APV Films, http://www.apvilms.com.p Matchsticks glued to the back of each board allows them to be staked and carried in a ‘brick’, even when wet
TA