'Miles from here'
Julio Rondo
Mixed media on paper
Julio Rondo
Mixed media on paper
I like the way in which Julio Rondo has layed different materials to create these large art works. Its interesting that from a distance your eye focus' on the line, taking a closer look reveays layers of fine texture. Line is something I've come back to often in my work, it reminds me of a seris of paintings I made last year. Loosely applied ink or paint over wet paper allows the line to bleed and spread and merge into other colours.
'Sratching the Surface Joining the Dots' - John Keane
Small Perfect Explosion
Sign from God - 2009
207 x 280cm
Small Perfect Explosion 2
Hindsight - 2009
128 x153cm
These paintings by John Keane have a common thread rather than a theme, most of the paintings refer to the recent events in the middle east, I am interested in how other artist deal with the issues surrounding our contemporary world.
Colour within my own work has been one of my main concern's at present, looking at Keane's paintings automatically gave me a sense that the subject is serious. It also reminds me of Gerhard Richter when he spoke about his painting 'September'; he thought that orange and red seemed to 'glorify' the event. Gerhard went on to remove these colours from the original painting and smeared the canvas with grey.
I also like the way Keane has used other materials, like wire and metal sheets with holes in, he has pressed them against the wet paint, which has left impressions in the texture of the paint. Again this is someting I am interested in. I've been experimenting with how to apply paint in a different way and getting colour to merge or bleed together. Max Ernst was another painter who used glass pressed againt his paintings, this formed a texture in the paint.
Redfern Gallery - Kurt Jackson
Kurt jackson's paintings have a sense of calm tranquillity about them. Although his reacuring subject is the sea and landscapes, the colours and textures are varied through his paintings. Jackson places found objects, string, rope, shells etc, on to the canvas, the texture they create on the surface of the work contrasts with the brush marks, splashes drips and washes.
My favourite of his paintings is the one below, I love the watery wash of blue, the deeper colour in the left hand corner and the thin spidery gestures on top of thin washes... this painting has inspired a new set of drawings.
I am interested in the process of painting, and I am interested in why 
