Recovering my rejected paintings from Glasgow; submitted to the RGI show for no apparent reason as I am not an RGI member and I am not from Glasgow; right enough there are exhibits that share this with me, but I still didn't have much of a chance. Luckily it gave me a day out in Glasgow, and as a bonus I got to go and see the show, which was only achievable by missing the actual collection day last week and having to beg special dispensation to collect my sad, rejected works a week late while the show was running. Surprisingly easy and relaxing run through to Glasgow made far more pleasant by Stu's company as we managed the normally unmanageable and had a day off together. You would imagine that the laws of probability would make this happen every, say, seven or ten weeks, but we have managed gaps of months this year; it's made weirder by the fact that prior to that we worked together for over three years. Good to see him sometimes while not eating or sleeping...The RGI show was good and reasonably priced which was nice in these belt-tightening times, and we even splashed out on the catalogue. Most of the names were known and predictable but a few wild-ish cards in there too; to be honest I didn't mark off anything in the catalogue as 'of interest' that turned out to not be by a member, ex-Glasgow Art College, RSW member etc. but the pieces chosen were all very fresh and I was relieved in a way to have been rejected for a bunch of predictable sellers and crowd pullers; far better than finding a room full of new names that had knocked me off the wallspace. Enjoyed going around with Stu too as he always adds a fresh eye to what I have to look at; oddly we both chose the same artist as out 'show fave' but different pieces; Joe Hargan's 'Summers Dream' and 'Anima Mundi'. I'm not always a fan of every of his pieces, but these two were both really loose and imaginative, and both great colour. I am smarting a little at seeing so many great colourists as I give myself a hard time about my own use a lot of the time. Sometimes I am almost pathologically lazy or clumsy with colour choice and I end up, as I did this morning, correcting or altering what I have done. Bun was subjected to a last minute change of an orange panel (which Stu quite correctly and helpfully described as 'cheap' orange) for duck-egg blue and cream. Made a huge and educational difference which is well illustrated by viewing the 'before and after' pictures. One to learn from. Pleased as pie now she is finished and liked my oldest chum's comment on Facebook that it seems joyous and fun; I am indeed in a good an optimistic place right now so long may it persist. And thank you Bill.
We had a really big yellow moment at the Mitchell; there seemed to be a real collection of paintings using yellow in a postive and daring way. I have always had a bit of a problem with yellow, especially incombination with other primaries, so I am determined to set myself some excercises in colour combination to aid my learning curve. Milan was very yellow; never has a city struck me as being connected with a particular colour as much, and such an individual one; yellow houses, artwork, shops, clothes.. .I have never seen such a proliferation in a city.
Finished all the little niggly details for the Number Four gallery paintings, which I deliver on Saturday; two I have reframed in Stu's superior surrounds, and done some patching and revarnishing on the ones that had just returned from the Marchmont Gallery. Thinking of putting a couple of cheeky wee box canvases in the car in case they would like them too; good Christmas pressies and that...
A good day, a yellow and grey and blue day. Off to eat dinner and watch 'Violent Cop' on the laptop for our dining pleasure.
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