Monday, 28 October 2013

Why I've not been around much recently.

Why I’ve not been around much recently.


 I’ve been away from the computer quite a bit recently, and this, is the reason why. I decided to paint two paintings for entry into this years Meffan winter exhibition, held in the Meffin gallery in the next town and open to all artists who live in Scotland. Competition is high and hanging space is limited which means only about 25% of what is submitted is actually accepted into the exhibition.
So………..after many a long hour at the kitchen table, these are my two entries. Both paintings are now finished and I took them to the framers yesterday. This gives me plenty of time to get them to the gallery on submission day. Submission days are Friday 15th and Saturday 16th November. Then I have to wait until the opening night of the exhibition to find out if they have been accepted and hung. Even if they are not accepted I get an invite to the opening night and private viewing on Friday 29th November. I'm looking forward to that, its one of those wine and nibbles occasions where you get to meet all the other local artists who have submitted paintings. I'm posting a picture of me holding the finished paintings to give some idea of size.
Anyhow, these are the finished paintings; the portrait will just be titled Leo Cortana, Actor from Marseille, the other one doesn't have a title yet I'm still thinking about it. I’ve been planning this little painting for a while now.
It started with a tiny magazine (national geographic) photo of two little girls in old fashioned plastic rain coats, then I found a picture, an advert actually, of another little girl looking at the camera and holding an umbrella. Originally she was looking to the left and I had to reverse it. Then my granddaughter saw what I was doing and asked my to paint her in where the girl in the foreground was, so, we then had a bit of a photo shoot of granddaughter in the living room playing with my umbrella. And then………she decided she liked the  coat in the original picture so I had to paint, granddaughters face, my umbrella and the coat from the magazine. The red balloons were an afterthought but one I considered putting balloons in I knew it was the right thing to do. Like I said, this one doesn’t have a name yet, Any suggestions??
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16 comments:

  1. Doug's Blog28 October 2013 at 23:31

    Looks like your time away from the computer has been well spent, Loretta. Best of luck with the exhibit.

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    1. Forgetmenot5257 December 2013 at 12:14

      thanks Doug, as you see from the date.................I'm still 'missing' from here most of the time. Retirement has become a very busy occupation :-)

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  2. Lia Storm29 October 2013 at 04:44

    I love both of the paintings !! I'm sending good thoughts and wishes that your work gets accepted.

    And I have to say that the lady behind the paintings is just beautiful !

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  3. brendainmad29 October 2013 at 09:24

    I don't have much of an imagination when it comes to naming paintings. I'd probably call it 'Red Balloons in the Rain'. What a treat that your granddaughter wanted to be painted into the picture! I love both of them and wish you lots of luck. Let us know what you decide to call it. We'll just have to wait to know if you've been selected. I'll keep my fingers and toes crossed that your paintings are there hanging..

    I'm really excited because my artist friend is going to do a painting for me. It's a completely different style, of course, but he did say it was going to have reds. I'll take a photo of it when I finally get it in my hands. I've been wanting one of his paintings for a long time.

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    1. Forgetmenot5257 December 2013 at 12:16

      In the end I named it Balloons and umbrellas, not particularly original but it was all I could come up with. Anyhow...............in the end they were not accepted for the exhibition but as my daughters keep saying, there's always next year.

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  4. Anonymous29 October 2013 at 18:35

    oh I love both of these paintings-I am thinking one should get admitted. Perhaps Red in the Rain

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    1. Forgetmenot5257 December 2013 at 12:19

      alas...............neither were accepted but thanks Kathy, maybe next year I should request a selection committee full of people from here, since people here seem to like them a lot more than this years selection committee.

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  5. AaranAardvark2 November 2013 at 11:29

    I love the pictures Loretta good luck with the exhibition....I must say thinking of a title for the lovely one of your granddaughter with your umbrella flummoxed me, all I could think of is ' weather balloons' or 'so every cloud has a bright red lining'.....not very catchy I know, but the picture is I think a interplay of complex images and hard to pin down. Weather balloons travel into space and so does this picture I think, who are these girls what are they doing there beyond the cityscape in open space? Who else is out there beyond the all threat and with bobbling blob of redness to pierce the gloom too I wonder?

    As I looked at the picture I kept thinking of storm petrels for some strange reason but I think both paintings are great and both look as if they have a French influence to me, but I am of course reminded of the film of my childhood The Red Balloon, but with a girl in the lead role on this occasion.

    Thanks for sharing Loretta :-)

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    1. Forgetmenot5257 December 2013 at 12:21

      Thanks Aaron, originally the painting didn't have the balloons in and yes..............I thought of that film before putting them in. So I guess there was a slight influence.

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  6. Susan4 November 2013 at 07:12

    Loretta you have out done yourself. Both of those paintings are really well done.
    Can't help with a title on the rain one, but it is great and the actor, perfect.
    Very good reason to stay away from the computer, oh and your retirement seems to be going well for you. You look great

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    1. Forgetmenot5257 December 2013 at 12:22

      thanks..........( re the 'you look great') I don't often post photos of me so its nice to know they are OK when I do.

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  7. Iri Ani27 November 2013 at 01:44

    I haven't been around much either. I do like your paintings and I hope they were accepted.

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    1. Forgetmenot5257 December 2013 at 12:23

      Hi Iri...............I'm still not around very much, this is the first session on the computer I've had in a ages. Maybe I'll manage a bit more in the New Year, but its nice when it does happen. . :-)

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  8. Cynthia I Maddox5 December 2013 at 20:57

    I love that umbrella painting! I love rain and this is just so lovely.

    Those yellow raincoats are marvelous! Transparent! I don't know how you did it.

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    1. Forgetmenot5257 December 2013 at 12:24

      Thanks Cynthia, thanks for commenting and I'm glad you liked the paintings.

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