Cancer.

I won't be doing much art today as I have to attend a court case from a car accident where someone crashed into my car while over taking me without enough space. They are trying to claim against me! While that is gauling enough it is nothing compared to what some people are facing.

Help the Teenage Cancer Trust, just visit this link (to Talent House) and vote for my painting below.

CLICK HERE.

Voting starts Friday January 20th 2012. Select "Support Kevin" at the link above (or perhaps you'd prefer to vote for another bit of art, either way, go there). It may ask you to sign up but it costs you nothing and could make all the difference.

Thank you.

Tree Stump Children (completed).

After a little more tweaking I finished off my lovely "Tree Stump Children".

Tree Stump Children.

You can see a larger photo on my web site here.

End of Hope and Glory (completed)

I finished my TWO "End of Hope and Glory" paintings today. Remember that it is one image done as two paintings each on its own canvas.

All that remains now is for the person who wants it to decide if it should be in a single frame or in two separare frames.

End of Hope and Glory.

You can see a larger photo on my web site here.

End of Hope and Glory (part 4)

I decided to follow some of the interesting "arms" of the gel with the flag colour. I had deliberately created the arms in this shape but I'd not been sure until today if I was going to use the flag colour or some other device. The only difference with the arms now is that the paint is generally much thinner than on the body of the letters so it retains some the transparent nature.

Organic, I like it.

The effect is like the letters have roots. I like this and it's particularly nice when you see it for real with the strange texture (because the gel is actually in those shapes).

The big letters at the top will not be so organic looking. I will see if the gel is clear enough for my liking to continue with the K U soon.

Tree stump Children (part 6)

I've not done so much painting today as I have to do a bit of admin from time to time. I also have an event coming up that I'm getting ready for now (with a little time spent on it here & there).

In the cold (actual sun) light of day I was, again, not satisfies with the skin tones in some areas on those children. I have gone over it again. The sun hid away again before I'd finished but I started so...

Latest face detail.

This was one of 3 snaps I did on my phone and the skin tones, well they all looked different in each photo. They all had about the same composition, the one above was clipped after taking the photos and is close to how it looks to me.

I will see how it looks next time the sun comes out.

Tree stump Children (part 5)

Looking at my "Tree Stump Children" painting when the sun shine finally made it beyond the cloud I decided that I was not satisfied with things. I felt that the faces of the children were too pale. I have addressed that and tweaked their features a little too:

Some new features...

Now I need to wait for the sun to return again.

End of Hope and Glory (part 3)

The lower gel has cleared a lot now so time to add some colour to it.

The lower gel is now very clear.

My colour scheme at this point is simple and it may remain so. I will simply colour the higher surface of the gel that makes the letter with the correct colour of the flag. Now because the gel is very uneven this should result in a bit of a wobbly appearance. Here we go.

Lettering stage one.

Very simple you see. Now we still have the upper letters to go and I am not certain that this is the end for the lower letters. I am tempted to colour in more of the interesting texture but want to have a ponder before I decide.

With a simple photo you do not really get the best impression of what this is like. Remember that the gel on which each letter sits undulates from a few mm up to perhaps more than 5 mm thick. In addition there are small spikes and bumps in the painted area. I also still have unpainted (so clear) grooves radiating out from the letters that bend the light a little as you pass. See if you can imagine that!