As a year reaches its close, I like to tidy up loose ends both in my studio and in my head. It helps me to free up the cobwebs ready to turn a fresh page into 2023. Normally, I’d open the windows too for a bit of fresh air but we’ve had quite a lot of rain here so instead it will be a local winter walk to the Falls of Clyde tomorrow to see it in spate – the energy of the river is breathtaking! These are the Falls which were painted by William Turner; he visited them twice in 1801 and the artwork is now part of the National Galleries Scotland collection.
Falls of Clyde in spate
It’s also a time for me to be thinking about the new body of work that I’ll be preparing for term 2 in my year of Professional Development at Paintbox School of Art in Cockenzie. It will follow on from the theme of ‘The Space Between‘ which we worked on last summer and into term one. Cockenzie is about an hour and a half drive over to the east coast from here – a cross country trek over the other-worldly road named the ‘Lang Whang’ – some intriguing incidents have been reported along this ancient route.
Cockenzie seashore
Ten years ago I began a blog to cover my three year process of learning to paint traditional icons (taught through the Prince’s School of Traditional Arts). I shared the process of water gilding, making gesso, grinding semi-precious minerals such as azurite and malachite to make paint etc. It was a commitment but I’d like to capture at least part of my process along this ever-developing artists path by sharing some of my learning here. It will hopefully help me get used to working with this new website too!
Work in progress in the studios, Paintbox, Cockenzie House
Thanks for reading and hopefully you will join me again as I find my way on this artists path.
Ronnie 🙂
Studio work, term 1, Professional Development