Winter Paintings, 3.

right,

summer has arrived - well, in theory - and we're still posting work from winter and spring (which if you live in scotland pretty much amount to the same season) and so, let's get down to some serious posting again.

first up, a composition that will look familiar to anyone who remembers these and their progression from the chaos of dark old october, to earlier this year:





















































































. . . yes?

three drawings of essentially one composition that was sticking, but not. . . quite working out. i added the single 'emma in profile' image there because it was key in getting me from A to B, and to this *deep breath* here:











































. . . granted, not in one GO. again, as with the other paintings i've posted recently, the figures here are lifesized. which is hard worker for starters.

this is one of those pieces that was started, abandoned, started again, reworked. . . emma's hair went from full length and curling around her shoulders to the short - barely a - bob in the final image in about three stages, and my clothing was changed at least that many times. from plaid shirt and t-shirt, to coat and superman t-shirt, to closed coat and red t-shirt.

this was clearly an image that wasn't simply fulfilling an old compositional idea and i lost. . . SO much sleep over getting it as far as it got. the faces were repainted, and repainted, the hands - sweet JESUS, don't get me started on those! is emma's right hand tucking itself under my coat because that was my original intention for it? let's just say 'yes' shall we . . . ?

the background too went from plain, to a detailed backdrop which didn't really work, another backdrop, and back to plain again - which was fine except that i then obsessed about getting the colour and tone JUST right. . .

this painting DIDN'T paint itself, then, no, it's not my 'moby dick' - that painting i've YET to try and tackle, but let's just say i HAVE a composition for a painting in my head that will never leave me alone until i paint it - no, but it was harder work than anything i'd painted in a long time. and i will. . AM hard pressed not to go and rework it STILL. i only refrain from doing so because i've been threatened with a kick in the testicles from emma if i DO. . .

. . . i love this, though. i'm proud of it. again, as with the otehr pieces i've done recently, the likenesses are really strong. practise, i guess. i think i did things with colour through trial and error that ended up taking me somewhere new, and somewhere i liked. and there are little details here that i'm incredibly fond of, such as that lovely butterscotch coloured freckle on emma's ear, the ear itself (remember that whole page of ear drawings? came in handy, huh?) the slightly more subtle freckle on her cheekbone, the colouring around her eye, her hair. . . and just the feeling OF the painting.

detailed areas. flat, undetailed areas. emma's hair shorter than it's been since she was about one year old, but it WORKS in the image more than painting her hair longer would have. and i know that because i bloody DID :P

emma pointed out to me early on that we're not quite touching in this. like the drawings i posted where the figures are in that moment before a kiss, this is similar, but it's an embrace ABOUT to happen. she's ABOUT to turn. . . if you see what i mean.

emma also provided a tile, 'shelter' to an otherwise umpteenth untitled piece. anyone who can tell me WHERE she got the title from gets a gold star. . .

anyway. details:






























































and that, for now, is your lot :)

-iain