do you mind if i knit

Emily Sutton's work...............

When I first saw the work of Emily Sutton, she was having a joint show with the artist Mark Hearld, and she was studying at Edinburgh College of Art. I fell in love with her beautifully crafted birds immediately............... When I saw them at the Private View, they had sold out, I was mortified, because I remember wanting to buy one badly............... So I was very excited to learn about a month ago that she was to be having a one-woman show at St.Jude's Gallery. Emily has just graduated from Edinburgh College of Art............ so to have a one woman show at a prestigious gallery like St.Jude's............. and have an article about your work in World of Interiors magazine (October 2008 issue).............the classiest and most sumptuous interiors magazine I know.............. has to be about as good as it gets if you've just left art college........ .........The craftsmanship of Emily's work is exquisite............. you can almost imagine her fingers bleeding with the intensity of their creation.......... ............ There is also something very endearing about the little creatures she forms, with their beady eyes, and decorative feathers............ ........... Many of Emily's birds sold at the private view. St.Jude's Gallery don't allow people to reserve a piece in advance, but you can make a note of interest. So I said there were four birds I was interested in, and just hoped we would get one of them................. We did........... this Hen Sparrow..................... Which we both love, and marvel at................ Coincidentally, Sparrows are my favourite birds, I love their bold characters............. and their very small size................

I can learn...............

..........I hope I have learnt enough from my mistakes, and that in the future the successes will be higher in number than the disasters........... .......... I can tell you, I was so tempted to just add one more thing to this painting................. My heart said "go on Vanessa......... just a little bit more, and it will be perfect!"................... My head said "now Vanessa, hold your horses and think back to what happened before, when you added just that little extra thing....... think Vanessa, think". So I had a big think, a big long think................ and I followed the advice of my head.................. I kept it simple!

Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity...............

The disasters of the last post all came together to teach me this mantra............ simplicity, simplicity......... simplicity................. To date, this is still my favourite painting............ Tomorrow I'll show you the second piece I did that I was happy with.................

I must explain my absence..............

Gosh........... the last couple of weeks have been a journey! Since, finishing the painting from the last post, I have been caught up in work, and attempting different approaches to my paintings ................... I've been concentrating on composition, and my success rate has been............. appalling............... ............... I think I was adding things to this painting without really thinking about it......enough............... ...........I lost interest in this painting in the end............. it just seemed lacking in a focal point, and I couldn't be enthusiastic about it............... So I started a new painting.............. Looking back on this now, I should have left it at this composition.............. ....................but no, I had to go and add more objects.............. ..........................I'm so annoyed with myself now............... you can see yet another object creeping in at the back.............. It might have been fine if I had left it there! What was I thinking?.............. This painting turned into something grotesque, and I only have myself to blame............... I don't want to leave you on that depressing note, so I'll show you what happens to disastrous paintings.............. They get cut up into smaller paintings............ if, and only if, there's a corner or section I think works. With this piece I used the left side of the painting, and started a whole new composition. The whole learning curve has been an uncomfortable process, but I have learnt a lot....................... and I think I'm starting to get there.......... to understand what it is I'm trying to achieve. I know that from doing my illustration work, it is much easier to create a busy picture, rather than hold back and brave a simple solution to a text.............. I have a bit of a hang-up about wanting to give value for money............. producing something simple and clear makes me feel I've short-changed my customer............. It can be the hardest thing to do, to pare things down............ which is what I am trying to do with my paintings. I'm happy to report that it hasn't all been disastrous........... I've done a couple of pieces which I'm happy with. I held back, didn't over-crowd the compositions, enjoyed the space around the objects, and the colours were more successful............... I'll show you the first one tomorrow...................

The seventh, and last, stage of my painting..........

I decided I had crammed in enough............... the painting was complete, it felt right to stop. I've started another painting now............. where I feel I've improved my technique, and developed my sense of composition. Something I have to watch in my watercolours is over working them.............. I build up too many layers, and they lose some of the magical translucense that is particular to watercolour, it's a constant battle to hold back......... not be too intense........... This painting has been a good learning experience........... I've been able to see where I could improve by getting it wrong..............As the painting progressed I was learning from what I was painting........................................................ I'm ready to move on to better things now.............Hopefully.................

Stage six of my painting.................

............Tomorrow.............. you'll see the painting finished.................

Stage five of my painting..................

.......... Just to let you know............ the painting will be finished this Sunday! Have a lovely weekend...............

Stage four of my watercolour painting...................

Stage three.............. of my painting.................

Stage two of my painting..................