Paintings #12 and #13

A good week so far. Lots of sales of prints, and an original.

I asked Barbara Buir if it was OK for me to use my version (see previous post) of her 'Roses and Anemones,' explaining that I've only been painting for 6 weeks. She was intrigued and asked to visit the blog ... here's what she thought :

Well !  When I took a look at your blog, I was amazed, to say the least.  You hadn't mentioned your artistic prowess. I salute your eye for color.

You have piqued my interest.  Am I correct you are painting on canvas?  With fluid acrylics ? Using a glazing technique? Have you tried fluid acrylics on paper?

Barbara

So, she didn't laugh! How nice of her to take the time. Seems I should have been using paper for her technique ... so the next one (#14) is to be on paper!

Painting 12 
                     ... is Pat's choice and I don't like it very much, too light for me. The window is 120 years old and is the 'leaded light' in the downstairs cloakroom. The flowers were her choice.

                             "Stained Glass"                John Simlett
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas
(14 inches x 10 inches
36 cms x 25 cms)

Painting 13

                    Is chosen by my best friend and granddaughter, Giselle.  She loves all things Japanese and asked for me to do this one for her 22nd birthday next month.

I

                                                             "Eternity"     John Simlett (after Hasegawa Tohaku)
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas
(14 inches x 10 inches
36 cms x 25 cms))

I have been studying ancient Japanese Art, and Giselle fell in love with this picture, from one of my books, which was first painted by Hasegawa Tohaku in 1599. 

It seems that he was occupied for a number of years painting sliding doors in a large building (the Azuchi Project). Each floor (story) of the building took a different theme. On the third floor were included Taoist legendary figures, including the Queen Mother of the West who you can see sitting in the middle behind the shadow of some large leaves. Here she presides over the reception of the spirits of the dead into her Western Paradise. She is a symbol of immortality.

This was one of the first times that gold (leaf) was used as a colouring in painting. As you can see I used mainly Burnt Umber  Titanium White, Ultramarine, Cadmium Yellow and pen and ink!

It, being a minimalist painting, limited me to copying as exactly as I could (no scope for adding my own thoughts). I have tried to keep my paint strokes as 'crude' as the original.

It was not the sort of subject I would have chosen... but... she wants it framed, which may help a bit!!