Islands and Cities: It's turps time!

...and, translated, that means: back to uni!

I'm continuing to look at mapping, systems, and multiple perspectives through painting and drawing. I've done quite a few new experiments since going back, but here are the most successful (and the ones Blogger will let me upload without rotating them of its own accord!):

The two images above are drawings on tracing paper overlaid onto oil paintings on MDF. I've been trying to focus on varying the "pace" of mark-making across the surface of my paintings, so to make these drawings I traced over elements of maps, satellite photographs, and my own drawings to create compositions. I'm currently in the process of translating these experiments into larger paintings.

Another aspect of my painting I want to improve is the illusion of depth and an increase in "painterly" marks. As the image above demonstrates, I'm beginning to build up layered backgrounds by dripping paint and using thin washes... more on this as it develops (and hopefully as Blogger lets me upload the pictures properly!)

In the meantime, I'd like to share a couple of images from an artist I have recently discovered and fallen in love with- Matthew Ritchie. Enjoy!