I wish I'd paid more attention in Maths lessons..

Yesterday I went to my first York Art Society event - a demonstration on the principles of composition by Reuban Mayne. It was very interesting and nice to meet some of the other YAS members. I haven't consciously thought a great deal about composition before, and was interested to hear that in classical painting (and in some contemporary art such as pop art) composition has its roots in geometry - so artists use concepts like armature and root rectangles, spirals and s shape curves to make the picture more interesting to the eye or, as Reuban put it, to use the space you have to create a 'visual rhythm'. Very interesting and something I am going to experiment with. I am also thinking of submitting a couple of works to the York Art Society Spring Exhibition coming up in March - in any case I have volunteered to be a steward on the afternoon of Saturday 28th March so come along to the Merchant Adventurer's Hall in York and say hello!

Painting news

After a slightly shaky start things are now coming together for 2009.  I am painting again - I'm currently working on a commission for a friend of Mljet, a beautiful island in Croatia.  Next I'm returning to Venice for another commission, this time a picture of Venetian Palazzo.  With all those windows I foresee fiddly bits.  Also exciting is that I've signed up to do the Moonwalk in Edinburgh in June - a 26 mile walk in aid of breast cancer charities.  My friend Susan and I have a plan of action, and we've already completed two 3 mile walks (it's a start, OK)?  I've had the urge to get walking more for some time now and this is the reason I needed - bring it on!!