Mother and Child painting Dec 2010-2013

Mother and Child Picture 100x120cm Oil on canvas

I thought it would interesting to show you how I got to the final product of this picture. Firstly I spent more than 9 months in the 7 Cascades, doing small oil sketches, charcoal sketches and generally just being there to absorb the spirit of the place.  Here are the pictures in sequel that build up to the final picture:

Graphite sketch on paper 60x 30cm. done on-site Dec 10.

I took the right hand side of this sketch and made a few colour plays on small plywood 5x7", below:

colour sketch 1. 5x7" oil on plywood

 

colour sketch 2.  5x7" oil on plywood.

colour sketch 3. 5x7" oil on plywood

colour sketch 4. 5x7" oil on plywood.

I then took the one I liked the best, number 1 and made a big picture, 100 x 120cm. It stayed like this for a long time, I didn't know how to finish it.

 About a year later, I started playing with the colours, I made the water pink and one mountain side red.

                                                   I carried on playing with the colours.

                                     I did a few on the computer to try and get the colours to sing

                             When I was happy with the sketch I transferred it onto the canvas

                  This is a small one 30 x 40cm which I did some time ago. I decided to enlargen it.

It turned out like this: 36" x 48" oil on canvas.

After doing the red one above, I was inspired to do a similar one with my purple/yellow one and the painting came together at last.  This must have taken 3years all in all from the beginning to the end.  Paintings take a long time to 'mature' and for the inspiration to come, this is what takes the time, not the actual painting.  They often come together as a group or with the help of another painting, which is why it is important to keep the collection together whilst working on them.  The painting is all about woman hood and maternity.  It reflects my inner self. I see myself reflected in the landscape.  The pools and the mountains look like parts of the female/male body.  This is what  painting is about -  abstract art.  Taking the landscape and expressing oneself  through the sub-conscious mind. I never know what is going to come out, it just comes. December 2013. Happy Christmas!