Works in progress

Here's a couple of paintings I'm working on, could be three. I never quite know when to stop. I get to a point when I'm painting that either I get bored and think that's enough, or don't like what I've done and discard it until a later date and I can tackle it again with renewed vigour. The moment I think I'm done I quickly have to slap a layer of varnish on to stop me from fiddling with it.

I stood and looked at these boards for some time, wondering what to do. I rarely have a detailed plan in my head. I may have an image of a subject, but no idea where to start. In fact the first few marks on a new canvas terrify me. Don't know what to do, I'll make a mess, it'll be rubbish etc etc.

Having trained as a textile designer my artworks quite often have a paterny quality, or I find a repeating patern emerges! It's half the reason why I took sculpture and printmaking courses...to try and break the neatness.

Now I throw stuff at the canvas in a very rushed and haphazard way. Or rather it feels that way. frenzied is probably more acurate. It takes ages. I use my fingers to smear paint straight from the tubes. I find if I use a brush I try to be too neat.

The boards above made me think of doors and then beautiful doorways in Marrakech. I have done a collage similar to this before but thought I would re visit the theme again. The North African, pink, medieval city has a special place in my heart. I hold an image in my head, a black eyed man wearing a dark red hooded djellaba. He holds out a suntanned hand offering walnuts to me. Such a magical place.

This one below, I knew I wanted to do an image of this bowl. I have a post card of the original, made by Lucie Rie. It is held in the Sainsbury centre for visual arts in Norwich. The vertical lines are tiny tiny words, written I don't know how, and impossible to read. But give a beautiful depth to the piece. I'm trying give an expression of that using torn French franc notes and newspaper. Not sure how this is going to end up!