Painting of Blakeney Church. (From Roll of Canvas to Painting)

Mary Kemp. Blakeney Church.

Mary Kemp. Blakeney Church. nearly finished.

This is the picture I painted on the canvas I prepared. It feels rather pleasant to paint on. I haven't tried to paint any detail on it yet and I don't know what it will look like when it dries. Still a way to go!

A Roll Of Canvas

Last year I bought myself a roll of canvas with the idea of making my own stretched canvases.
I'm not super fond of canvas to paint on because I don't like the springiness, but I have been using pre-prepared canvas covered boards although the sizes are quite limited.
So the logical thing is to make my own covered boards.
I bought raw canvas which I think wasn't the wisest thing because it needs priming so that is what I have done today. I started with a small board just to try.
I cut a square of canvas bigger than the board and stapled pulled over to the back.
The first effort I had to discard because I'd used large staples and they came right through. The next one I used smaller. Then I primed it with two coats of gesso and that's as far as I've got at the moment. I'm waiting for it to dry.
The canvas is much more luxuriant than the ready made ones, so the next thing I will do is paint on it and see what the outcome is.

Why You Should Keep Track of the Artwork.

When Christmas is over and done with and the world is restored to sanity I plan to be more active in sharing my paintings with the world.

Mary Kemp. Paintings started during "Live Art" at Art in the Heart , Peterborough.

It was a salutary exercise cataloguing all my artwork.
I paint with a one track mind and the only thing I'm concerned with at the time is producing a good painting. When, if, I've done that I loose interest and on many occasions have simply put  the piece aside and carried on with the next one.
It was a shock to find I had so many unseen paintings.
So I am limbering up with a new statement, CV and biography ready to hit 2014. ( I know. It's the art that counts. Why do we have to write about it?)
Meanwhile I have a lovely commission I must finish  which is taking shape nicely so things are looking good.

That Time of Year Again.

It's chilly, it is too grey to go down to the studio today and on top of that I have a cold.

Mary Kemp. Poinsettia in the Kitchen.

So to brighten myself up I drew a poinsettia, like I do every year. I buy my plant at the same shop and bring it home well cellophaned against the bitter winds and it lasts on the kitchen table with very little light and attention well into the new year.
The drawing I executed with an Edding 0.3 profipen and Derwnt Coloursoft pencils.

Priming MDF with Gesso.

If truth were told my favourite surface to paint on is board. I like the resistance of a solid surface and the smoothness and ability to create your own texture. Canvas always seems to give me bumps where I don't want them and the texture from it can be quite a feature. Of course sometimes that great but not always.

Windsor and Newton Acrylic White Gesso

I've been asked to paint a largish painting of a family group at the seaside so I've had my piece of board cut and I've primed it with gesso. I lightly sanded down, wiped carefully then put on 3 coats, probably only needed 2, allowing it to dry between each coat.
When it comes to priming there are all sorts of options. I have been known to use house emulsion but it's not recommended. Usually I look in the art shop or online for a bargain in gesso on the principle that there can't be much difference in a pot of gesso, but I've learnt there is. Some are quite watery, some have lots of texture, which I don't like, and some are horribly shiny. The last pot I had was very good but I threw the container away and forgot to take note.
So this time I bought a large pot of artists acrylic gesso from Windsor and Newton , maximum cover, suitable for both oil and acrylic, and it goes on a dream. It's smooth and beautifully white.
Today I start painting on it. The sun is now up so down to the studio I go!

Landed Exhibition by Sue Shields

On a very wintery evening in Peterborough I attended the private view of a very thoughtful exhibition called Landed, the work of Sue Shields. I have known Sue for some time and always thought her art has great depth to it.
My favourite painting is here.

Sue Shields - Painting.

In Landed her work fills two rooms at the revamped Peterborough Museum. The venue is the ideal setting for Sue's huge paintings, precious copper work many on a sludge green wall and  unusual textiles.

Sue Shields with copper work ready for photos.

More of Keeping Track of the Artwork.

I've started my inventory and am making refinements to the system as I go along.
This is where I'm at.
Each painting I will give a number , and pre-fix it with a letter to denote loosely the category it fits into, for example s for seaside, b for boat and r for random.

I print off the image, write the number on it, and staple it to a 3 x 5 index card. On the front I write, title, size, date, and current framing. In pencil I write where it is on any e galleries.
On the back I write when it goes out to a gallery or exhibition or competition and the price asked. When it comes back I tick it.
I have two boxes, one for available work, the other for work that is out or sold.
Digitally I am creating a file called Ultimate Inventory where the very best image of my artwork goes, labelled by identification letter and number, my name, title, medium and size.
Phew!!!!!