Tag: studio
Studio Cam 5 – Dundurn Castle Drawing
Studio Cam 3 – Re-working unfinished paintings
Studio Cam 3 for Aug 2015
Studio Cam is a look into my studio as I work on current projects. Studio Cam 3 covers the period from the end of July and the first week of Aug 2015.
Thanks for dropping by.
Chris Erskine
urban landscape artist
chriserskineartist@gmail.com
@erskinec
Odds & Ends – artist notes
Odds and Ends for Monday 06 July 2015
Odds & Ends – 06 July 2015
Urban homes is the subject of my first painting series for 2015. Our homes are our castles, particularly when the neighbourhood is not so perfect. How the landscape affects our little islands of safety and peace is the focus.
I have asked Artist Christina Sealey to a portrait of my youngest daughter. She dropped by over the weekend and took some photos.
Urban Landscape Artist, Peter Harris, is an amazing artist. He captures that still of the night in locations that are closed for the day. I like how he constructs his landscapes and his principle subject – house, factory, store etc.
He is part of a group show at the Mira Godard Gallery in Toronto that is currently running from June 27th to September 27th.
Cheers
Odds and Ends is a weekly review of the bits and pieces that make up an artist life.
@erskinec
Art Post No.16
Art Post No.16 for Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Art Post is published every Wednesday morning on this blog: Fat Cats – Starving Dogs. As an artist, I focus on urban landscapes and architecture that is found in the City of Hamilton, Ontario. Every building and landscape has a personality, a history, and a story to tell. My art explores these visual stories.
Chris Erskine
chriserskineartist@gmail.com
@erskinec
Art Post No.14
11 Feb 2015
Art Post is a weekly review of my art related activities. Art Post is published every Wednesday morning by 9:00 am.
This week, I continue to work on the Bold Street Painting Project. This is my big return to painting from 10 plus years as a lino-woodblock print artist. As a self-trained artist, I lack many technical insights that are available to individuals who have completed undergraduates or graduate studio/art history programs.
While some may view this as serious weakness, I choose to view it as strength. I embrace my outsider status and freely explore the out-of-date or passé approaches to art. Sometimes too much knowledge can kill creativity or turn something into a visual thesis rather than something to enjoy.
Maybe, I am fooling myself? You are in a better position to judge than myself.
Anyways, to return to the Bold Street Painting Project, I am not happy with results with the large canvas. So, I have returned to my original plan of working of the sketching details in smaller/single building studies. Once the problems have been resolved, I will return to the large composition.
The one danger with this approach is the large composition may lose all its potential energy. Most of my paintings done in the past were done from life. I find the challenge of completing a work within a single sitting quite fun. However, the details in buildings and urban landscapes require more time than can be achieved in one or two sittings. Also, many locations are not the most suitable for extended drawing sessions. At least that has been my experience in the past.
Chris Erskine
@erskinec
Art Post No.11
Chris Erskine
chriserskineartist@gmail.com
@erskinec
Art Post No.6
The arrival of two new books on Max Beckmann (German Artist, 1884-1950). Reflecting on my art while cleaning up the studio.
Chris Erskine
chriserskineartist@gmail.com
@erskinec
Art Post No.5 – Studio Clean-Up
The summer has been very busy and the result is one very messy studio. Before I can start on my winter season of art projects, the studio must be cleaned, no matter how much I hatre cleaning.
Chris Erskine
chriserskineartist@gmail.com
@erskinec
The Art-Family Balance
Five shots of 5 seconds duration – the theme for this video is art-family balance.
Every day of every week I try and carve out an hour or so for art. Everyone is supportive, but sometimes the art-family balance seems almost impossible to achieve. My goal is to disappear into the studio before anyone notices that I am home. Unfortunately, the little people have discovered my studio and feel it is filled with all sorts of craft supplies. And when they get bored with crafts, there is all this wonderful music on Dad’s computer. Suddenly, my art studio becomes the dance studio.
There is an old rule of thumb that you need to produce art for 10 years before galleries will take you seriously. This is partly explained by the need to escape your teacher’s influences and develop your own approach to art. I think the real reason for the 10 year rule is that galleries and collectors want to see if you are serious; that you are able to overcome the challenges of holding a job and raising a family and still develop your art.
The above film reflects my current state of affairs (smile).
