…As I found out that I’d in fact been suffering from a vicious little lung infection. Joy. I’m not going to jinx myself by saying that i’m over it, I’m still cream crackered. Anyway, that’s enough about me – let’s talk about me . Just finished preparing a new batch of no-sun linseed oil à la Tad Spurgeon (diamond geezer).  Woohooo! And am busy using it and occasionally giving away small samples to colleagues. Oooh, it’s lovely. Anyway, back to the pictures that I’m posting.  I know,  single-subject, still-lifes – I didn’t promise to stay away from these, and in all fairness I’m using them to trying to get to grips with establishing three-dimensionality and bravura but the multiple- subject still-lifes are coming along. All these paintings are teeny tiny. I’ve a couple of more complex works on the go (apart from the small study of onions and garlic.) It’s been a little challenge to keep the drawing of the non-organic objects solid whilst trying to put more paint down. Big thanks, again to Charles for getting me out of a rut regarding the adressing the hierachy of darks-to-lights and daring to be bold enough to put down perceived colours. Cheers, mate. I’m really working on it. The constant assessment of form and re-drawing by scratching in reference lines and points with the end of my brush whilst working seems to be really helpful in stabilising the forms. Oh yes, I’ve had a portrait painting accepted for display in the Jacobsens Portrait Prize Competition – the Scandinavian portrait exhibition!

Back to the easel.