Checkerboard bluenose

Checkerboard head, originally uploaded by deepwarren.

I've got strong memories of the checkerboard floor from Twin peaks. They used it in the dream sequences, and also the black and white floor in the diner. Symbolic of other lands, or other states of consciousness, it was forever in the foreground highlighting the other-world that was a small, impossibility corrupt town somewhere in small town America.

The checkerboard pattern is a stark contrast between black and white, good and evil. Evidence of a 'checkered past', it has been the 'classic' backdrop in many a crime classic, and trotted out in the crime scene photos as the ultimate backdrop to a sprawled body in the kitchen.

They are all headless to some degree. Aimless? Disembodied, disassociated perhaps.

Painting a life model

the frenchmodel, originally uploaded by deepwarren.

As part of the painting course I got given for Xmas, we get to do 2 weeks with a life model. This is week 1. It's in oils on paper, with a concentration on using primary colours and staying away form heavy whites and darks. You will notice that i've manged to disobey that by using white on the lampshade/post, and edging in some dark umber.

We spent time drawing it up, trying to think of a composition and generally farting around before (finally) the paint comes out. She was a lovely model, and did a nice pose with good angles on the legs to try and get some shadows going.

Composition seems to be the hardest part of this - i was aiming for more square with the model off to the left, but lounge seems to be determined to center her. Somehow the lampshade - which is actually taller than the model seems to have shrunk down, and has become the object of the models attention.

She wore sunglasses (to shade herself form the studio lights - which are both hot and bright). I've not painted in them in, as they are going to be removed. We're leaving the face till last apparently. Trying to keep it light and sketchy ..

Hats on heads, no hats on beds.

hats on tables, originally uploaded by deepwarren.

I've started painting a bit more in the last few weeks. More because I brought a couple of canvas pads off ebay and discovered I really them. Painting on paper, is quick, minimal mess (well, for me) and it dries fast.

Using a lot of darmar varnish/turps and medium (about 1/3 each mix), to get a nice smooth drawing line. Trying too. it's a bit hit and miss, and I'm still overworking everything like there's no tomorrow.

About 7 years ago (pretty much the last time i did any painting, aside from some half-hearted attempts) I did a series of people wearing hats, and it's weird that I've ended up at the same place. Maybe it's just not quite finished yet.

And I'm trying to get large strokes. I just want to paint a big fuckoff painting for the lounge. It's harder to paint something like this than smaller for me. I think it's almost you have to embrace the loud brushstroke. And maybe that means a bigger paintbrush. More mess, I think. But needed, somehow. I've started on a little bundle of an old lady in her coat and hat. It's only 50x70cm, but if i can actually resolve that space, then I can go larger. Somewhere she's gone from dark to gradually lightening up, but trying to go too high-key. But she is wearing the very practical world of a hat and coat, while somehow has the air of being rather old fashioned. Will post pix of the work in progress at the end of today.

Stuffed toys can be art, right?

Night markets - the toy maker
Originally uploaded by deepwarren

I've been wandering the streets in Leung Prabang in Laos. It's one of the world's beautiful little secrets. Tranquil, relaxed, fabulous architecture.. perfect for a romantic /dirty weekend with that special other. And they have night markets, with a sprinkling of food, but mostly just handicrafts. All the scarves fisherman's pants, bags, more bags and bracelets, jewelry and Buddha's a person could want. Because the goods are sourced from outlying villages there is a lot of similarity in some of the stuff, but also lots of little differences.

You can buy stuffed toys made from old fabrics and bedspreads at a dozen different stores, but the range is slightly different and the pattern that the bunny or chook is made from differs. So when you see something quite different - it sticks out like the proverbial dogs balls.

Wandering the market on night 3 (yep, it's fun and market shopping is just my idea of good time), even when it's raining! We spotted this woman with her collection of misshapen toys, all made from basic fabrics (the stuff that other stalls where using as a base material for their bags) sitting next to one of the many stalls selling bedspreads was this woman with her wonderfully odd collection of stuffed toys. In the photo you can see the ones we didn't buy. I should have taken a photo before we started bargaining, but one moment you're looking at something, and next you involved in a limited but detailed discussion on price. With one mentally trying to work out what these thousands of kip mean at home. After too many zero's my brain turns off, and you just feel like it's all paper money. Not real, and one can just spend and spend and spend.

Anyway, the toys were weird, and loveable. And they seemed to be trying to say something about her (or whoever made them) with their 2 heads, and the dreaming of riding rhino's and everything just that touch wonky. It was maybe naive art, maybe just a local woman selling stuff for her children - but i liked it. It had the sense of dreams.

relaxed, but comfortable

relaxed, but comfortable, originally uploaded by deepwarren.

Moving. Is there anything more fucked?

Game's almost over. My life now fits in a 1.5m x2.1 meter space somewhere near Padstow. I've colonized a space in P's house as a temporary measure while I wait to move into the Beach house. My colony is about a 3ftx1ft space that is a sea of clothes, and bags, and only 4 or 5 hats.

The scree slope lives! The bare minimum (i've discovered) is about 7 pairs of shoes, 4 bags and a few hats, with a scattering of sketchpads and a vacuum cleaner. Now that's all a girl needs. I had to set free a few things... fly little paintings fly! But Scratchin Dog posed with them happily enough.