I feel I'm still settling into my new studio, even though I got the keys just before Xmas!
Lighting has been an issue, even though it is basically a light space, with roof window and a large bay window, there are places , under the sloping roof, where it can be challenging to sit and paint! I'm conscious of my students comfort and have clamped my IKEA bendy lamps to table easels etc. The rep for the building, offered me some slightly larger clamp lamps, with a bit more power.
Hubbie got roped in to fix a clamping rail to the wall, to hold these lights. This morning we had our first class with the new lighting. I pushed the three large tables together and have the lights shining down on them.
The new system seems to work for most of the students, it needs tweeked a little , but overall I'm pleased with the result! I have portrait and life drawing workshops coming up this summer, so I need to have great lighting for those too.
I've been drawing and painting hares for a little while , experimenting with mediums and supports. The last couple I used acrylic inks initially. Number one, I roughly rendered the basic hare shape with yellow and orange/ red, then did a pencil drawing over the top. Number two, I literally splashed around with the yellow acrylic ink, then some sepia ink. The yellow dripped though the sepia, I then drew the hare with a sharpie marker pen. I had a fun morning!
In the afternoon, a group of French tourists, came to see my studio and hear me talk about my work I don't speak French , luckily, Helen , the lady in charge could translate for me! They left a bottle of French perfume as gifts for Lizzie and I. Lizzie is a willow artist, who has a studio downstairs - she organised the visit.
