Subconscious Musing

I've been doing this kind of thing for many years now but only recently have I made it a regular, daily, happening, and also dramatically changed the scale at which I am musing on. Previously it was always small "thumbnails" but, inspired by the daily emaki studies of Mayako Nakamura, a young, gifted student from Tokyo, in Japan, I have taken to make my own musings A1 size. This allows much more scope for the experience and memory inherent in the blood and bones and muscles of my arm to come into play.

The idea is, instead of launching into trying to paint the usual visual reality straightaway when entering the studio, I try to give expression to the other, unseen, reality first. Loosens up the arm and gets me thinking about abstract elements before I give them figurative descriptions:

Acrylics and black Neocolour pastel on paper, A1.

When I take my musing as far as I can at the time I then stand back and can often see the potential for solidifying these feelings into something more tangible and what arises is a painting like this:

Mixed Media on primed board, 42x61cm.

It may be a "road less travelled" but I know there is a road ahead somewhere along this grassy path, and where it leads is the adventure of my life.

Back to the Future

Well here I am living in my bedouin tent somewhere in the wilderness of Western Sahara smokin' my hookah and trying to find the Meaning of Life and where my rounded edges fit with the square holes I have dug for myself, raising goats and milking camels, and fending off dark eyed beauties, and when I have time a little drawing and painting to while away the weary hours between sun-up and sunset. Not a bad life and something I could become accustomed to and yet there is the call to arms and what the hell is that camel-driver doing with my brushes?
In this state of in-between I turn first to Subconscious Musings to let my inner mind have it's say and because my fragile mind can't take too much excitement:

Mixed media on paper, 60x87cm.

Automatic painting with no design thoughts just whatever arises from within (anyone got a spanner?)

Then I return to things I know best: drawing with charcoal and straightforward painting with no intentions to bend reality:

Jacqueline's New Dress 1
Charcoal on paper, 61x42cm.

Jacqueline's New Dress 2
Charcoal on paper, 61x42cm.

Jacqueline's New Dress and Coat
Charcoal on paper, 61x42cm.

This is her outfit for Harry's christening this coming Sunday.

Jacqueline's New Dress
Mixed media: Acrylics and collage on primed paper, 61x42cm.

Was that a mosquito buzzing in my ear?

She really suits this type of dress. Reminds me of her style as a young woman.