My Studio...

Painting in Progress

"I have no philosophy, my favourite thing is sitting in the studio"

Arne Jacobsen

My wife, Merice, has been helping me 're-vamp' my studio. This involved a lot of work  entailing moving things (some very heavy things!) around to create more space and make the maximum use of the ambient light. I am very pleased with the result and have already started a painting. 

Earlier that same day we had bumped into a friend of ours while out walking the dog. His wife is a very accomplished artist. She attended several of my courses and workshops but really didn't need to apart from the fact that she needed somewhere to paint. Each week she could come to a class and paint. She needed this routine, not because she didn't enjoy painting- but because she found it difficult to be motivated when she had to set up and then clean up after every session at home...not enough space there for a studio.

This made me realise how fortunate I am to have the luxury of all this space to claim as my studio. There are so many benefits to having your personal studio. It's such a wonderful thing to have a dedicated area to your art - a place where you don't have to set up or clean up after every session. So if you only have a bit of spare time you can just retreat to the studio and pick up where you left off! This is so important to your development as a painter because there is no substitute for picking up that brush as often as you can. Studios don't have to be anything special. You just need enough room to be able to leave your painting kit set up and a good source of daylight is preferable. But even if you haven't got a window you can always invest in a 'daylight' bulb! Now I'm lucky - I've got a full room to myself but remember the more space you have, the more 'clutter' you will collect...this is part of 'Murphy's Law'.

I suppose we are all different when it comes to how we work in the studio. For instance I never change the water once I begin a painting. I certainly don't wash my brushes  either until the painting is finished....that's why I have a different brush for every colour I use.

When were you last washed?

But my studio is not just for painting. It's the place where I let my imagination run riot, the place where I take time out from the world in general, the place to sit and think, to plan and prepare for my next painting, to experiment and have fun with different styles and techniques,the place where I am at liberty to make mistakes, the place where I develop as a painter and a person - so you can see how vital it is for me and why I will never take it for granted.

www.glennmarshall.org

Galleries, Grumbles and more Grumbles...

"Bridlington Priory from Kirkgate"
iPad Painting by
Glenn Marshall

Prints and cards for sale

I had occasion to visit two art galleries last week. The first was a well known 'contemporary' gallery and the second was a 'community' gallery. At opposite ends of the art market it is good that they are both surviving and prospering (I hope!). Although not a big fan of 'contemporary' or 'modern' art I appreciate that many people are attracted to it and by it, and buy it! I admit to being hopelessly old fashioned and like my paintings to look like real places or things. I am a great admirer of painters who have studied the craft of painting and apply it carefully rather than just 'expressing' themselves with daubs and splodges ..hey this is my blog, so just my opinion - no offence meant to anyone! This being so I should have had a better time in the community gallery, but it didn't work out like that. Why? Generally community galleries charge no commission and are open to any artist who can afford a small monthly rent for wall space. This is fine in theory but does not work out so good in practice because having a 'few bob' is not a guarantee of talent. And if you've paid for a space you are going to make sure you fill it up to get your money's worth! So the gallery ends up cram packed with mediocre paintings that completely overpower and seriously undercut the few talented artists on show.

But let me stress - I am not against the gallery system. I used galleries to full advantage for many years. In fact I used to have my own gallery - 'The Glenn Marshall Gallery' in Old Town, Bridlington.

"Glenn Marshall Gallery"
from an original watercolour by
Glenn Marshall

So why don't I have the Glenn Marshall Gallery now? What do you think? Bad location perhaps...no, because Old Town back then was rapidly gaining the reputation as THE art centre of the East Riding of Yorkshire and featured no less than eleven galleries in High Street! OK...maybe it was because the artwork wasn't up to much. Wrong again...of course I have to say that as only Merice's and my work were on display. Joking aside, we were doing  well with sales -so that wasn't the reason. What about the credit crunch? There is no doubt that this certainly impacted on everybody in the art sector but with judicious pricing and increased marketing we were riding the storm so that was not the reason I closed the gallery either. The real reason was...wait for it....the smoking ban. That's right - the smoking ban.

As well as eleven galleries, High Street had seven pubs, so when the ban was imposed, this forced seven groups of people out on to the streets to have a fag. They didn't mean any  harm to anyone. However congregated outside pubs with a drink in one hand and a fag in the other, and shouting across to groups outside other pubs on the opposite side of the street, they unfortunately presented an intimidating barrier to passers by. By the very nature of things the weekends were the busiest times for both sets of businesses and within a very short space of time the number of potential customers dropped dramatically.....time to close the gallery I'm afraid. I wasn't alone either - there are only two galleries left in Old Town now.
So let's finish with a big thank you to all gallery owners and long may you keep providing opportunities for artists to show their work. 

Come Together..

'Leeds Town Hall'
iPad painting
by
Glenn Marshall
More Information
         
               

This iPad painting is based on an old black and white photograph. I have painted it in the style of John Atkinson Grimshaw. Regular followers will have gathered by now that I am a great fan. We both came from Leeds and I first discovered his beautiful work in the Leeds City Art Gallery (the very astute among you will have noticed that we had a 'Town' Hall but now we have a 'City' Art Gallery - this is called progress...I think!). Back to the story. It had been my very great honour to have had a painting selected for the Leeds Open Exhibition and we had gone to see my work hung in such a prestigious place. It did feel good, I admit, to have my painting on the wall in my hometown gallery. Of course while we there we had a look round and came across the paintings of one Mr Grimshaw. I was totally captivated from that moment on. I bought his biography there and then and have been inspired ever since..whenever I get stuck, I think..'nocturne'.

I'm sure that all painters have heard the comment, "Oh, I wouldn't know where to start!", so I thought it might be helpful if I showed step by step how this painting eventually did 'come together'.

Initial outline to establish scale and dimensions

Drawing some detail

"The devil is in the detail" - you're not kidding

First colour wash and immediate transformation

Starting to look like a painting now the sky's done 

Let there be lights...then just the figures to do

Hope you enjoyed the show.

For You Blue...

Midsummer Night's Dream
Original Watercolour
by
Glenn Marshall
Prints and Cards

From the moment I began to paint I was fascinated by the effects of moonlight..how it could transform the mundane into the magical. Over the years I have added people or animals to my paintings but I do think they work best without. This leaves the viewer free to wander through the painting and make his or her own focal point or points. I have always wanted to lead the viewer into a painting and this is a good example. You are naturally led to the white reflection in the distance and then, hopefully, beyond...enjoy your stroll - it's a lovely Summer night!

Tempus Fugit

'Road Home to Wharfedale'
iPad Painting
by
Glenn Marshall
Click for full details

Well we survived the end of the world, Christmas and the New Year celebrations...and here we are three weeks into 2013 already!
It's a strange time. We are expected to be optimistic about our fresh start while still suffering the holiday hangover.
Years ago New Years Eve wasn't such a big thing - OK a good old booze up and  "Auld Lang Syne" at midnight - but that was it. Back to work the following morning unless you lived in Scotland that is. Now the whole country shuts down for about a month!
But that's not a bad thing and is a good example of people power. You see so many  of my generation (me included!) couldn't be bothered or were simply still too inebriated to be able to go to work on New Years Day that eventually the government caved in and decided they might as well make it a bank holiday. That's another reason to say thank you to the 'sixties' generation....I'm waiting.
I daresay that 'tempus fugit' for the Victorians.
It certainly did for John Atkinson Grimshaw my favourite artist. He had a large house, flats in Scarborough and London, coach and six horses, servants as well as a wife and children to provide for. That's why he started to paint moonlights or nocturnes as his friend Whistler later called them. Because he didn't have to put so much detail in, he could finish a painting quicker. This turned out to be great career move as he is now remembered as the greatest painter of moonlight and its effects ever!
Apparently there is a major exhibition of his work planned for one of the top London galleries sometime this year though I don't know the details yet. I shall definitely be there so 2013 is already shaping up as a special year.
Make the most of every single day because before you know it we will be celebrating 2014...yes tempus certainly does fugit!
Happy New Year everyone.

Seasons Greetings

"Stormy Sky over Bridlington"
Follow link for full details

This painting was done on the iPad and is based on a recent photograph by my wife. There are times when we still can't believe that we actually live here. We see this view nearly every morning as we stroll together with Bonnie, our lovely little dog.

Merice and Bonnie on a 'nicer' day.

We would both like to take this opportunity to send you our best wishes at this time as we look forward to 2013.  

Things we said today.....

"Layby in the Snow"
Original watercolour
by
Glenn Marshall
For further details please follow this link

My mum will be 88 years old on the 1st January and when I'm with her we spend a lot of time reminiscing about the "good old days". Sadly, though inevitably, the vast majority of her peers are no longer with us. I am probably the last person alive who can provide her with a link to certain aspects of the past - these include precious memories of my father especially  the last ten very happy years they had together before he died.

Between them mum and dad constructed a greenhouse. When he could no longer be bothered with the effort of getting ready to go out, they  extended it by adding a wooden "lean to" that eventually evolved into the "den" complete with lights, heating and an assortment of old chairs and wooden benches. He could pass away the hours listening to the radio and watching his beloved dahlias grow.

Then one by one, his former drinking companions began to appear. They too appreciated a place where they could spend a day undisturbed, safe and well away from their wives!

They  smoked and eventually it killed all of them. But they were born into a different age when smoking was actively encouraged to calm your nerves. By the time they became aware of the dangers they all decided it was too late to stop and that any damage was already done - they were right - it was. My mum says that when she opened the door to take them a cuppa she was assailed by a cloud of tobacco smoke so it was no wonder that the tomatoes never did too well...though the dahlias positively flourished!

One day the discussion centered on the granting of wishes. 

Finally it was Joe's turn. "Well Joe, if you could do anything at all in  the world tomorrow, what would it be?". 

There was a silence and then through the smoke Joe replied simply, "Wake up!".

Brilliant answer and definitely one to remember.

Here's another one that I've always liked.

My wife Merice worked for a life assurance company and she teamed up with a guy named Nigel. Merice was (and still is) a very beautiful woman. Nigel was (and still is, I hope) a pretty sharp guy who was very good at figures..

So Merice, in a shortish skirt and all made up, would provide the charm (or distraction!) to prepare the way before Nigel took over and closed the deal.

They were a very successful team nicknamed 'Dempsey and Makepeace' by their colleagues.

Now you might be wondering how I felt about my glamorous wife spending time with such a sharp guy. Well apart from the fact that I never doubted Merice's fidelity - Nigel was ...well... a Nigel.

But he had his moments.

Driving home from visiting clients at their home, a car pulled out in front of them without any warning. Nigel had to slam all on to avoid hitting it. He eventually caught up with the offending vehicle at some traffic lights. Pulling alongside he wound the passenger window down and when the female driver did the same he inquired gently, "Excuse me love , do you know your indicators aren't working?"

She thanked him and pressed the indicator switch. "Oh but they are." she replied.                                   "Well ******* well use them!" he yelled before pulling away....nice one Nigel.

Finally a classic. Leaving a restaurant a waiter asked an acquaintance of mine "Hey man, you got tip?"

"Yes" he replied "Come to my house and I'll show you how to cook ******* steak!"

Don't mess with a Meanwood lad.