Newsletter: June 2021
Silvery and beautiful: Derwent Water
How silvery and beautiful is Derwent Water in this photo? I love the lakes and the Northern Lakes especially as they are quieter…we’re just back from a super quick trip over, for reasons which will become apparent below! It was all too short but just wonderful to be there again!
Amidst all the Covid stuff, I have hated not being able to see family of course, but I’ve also realised how very much I’ve missed mooching around galleries, museums and exhibitions. So with this in mind we have also managed a brief and careful London trip, with time for a visit to the Wallace Collection, and the wonderful British Museum…so much food for the mind and soul! (Ancient and Modern images below including Assyrian low reliefs and a Grayson Perry Vase) I know there are absolutely valid questions about the acquisition of some of the objects and their future custodianship, but it truly is a wonderful place; how ever often you’ve been, there is always something new to discover!
Oh and the Wallace deserves to be much better known, with its fascinating and eclectic collection from Vermeer, Canaletto and Rembrandt paintings, to furniture that belonged to Marie Antoinette, amazing armour and an Asante trophy head! I love this tender portrait of the artist’s son by Rembrandt.
Work wise it has been a busy month. Last time I mentioned I was working on a couple of new large canvases, and this month I think I’ve managed to resolve them…
Studio shot showing the two large canvases in progress; All the Road Running on the left and ‘Water to Think: Water to Drink’ on the right hand easel.
You can also see my painting notebook with thumbnails and colour swatches etc…and my palette, made from a piece of thin acrylic which I cover with wet kitchen towel and a layer of greaseproof paper, which makes an excellent stay wet surface for acrylics.
All the Road Running
The first of these (shown above)is ‘All the Road Running’, from walks around a reservoir in the high hills with a silvery streak of thin road disappearing into the distance. This is a 1 metre square canvas, and the painting is developed in a range of translucent glazes over a series of relatively opaque grounds. It is very difficult to photograph as the human eye can pick up more of the layers than a photograph does, but I think you can get an idea of how it works. The light was bluish and so I’ve played with blues and blue greens and bluish greys, and contrasted that with the intense warmth of foreground grasses, glazed with Quinacridones; Gold and Burnt Orange.
Water to Think: Water to Drink
In the second painting I’ve focussed on the water, and specifically the darkness and depth of water. Deep, dark water can be the stuff of dreams and nightmares too, it’s terrifying and fascinating all at once…reservoirs seem to be to encapsulate this completely, often hiding in their depths the traces of whole villages, and lives led, submerged beneath the water. This is also 1 metre square, and made slowly with multiple glazes…it appears to be almost entirely blue/ blacks, but actually contains deep greens, yellows and off whites and burnt umbers too.
The exciting news is that I’ve been in touch with Northern Lights Gallery in The Northern Lakes of the UK for a while, and I am delighted to say they are now representing me, beginning with these two large pieces and a small collection of mostly Lake District inspired works…with many thanks to them for the close ups from ‘Water to Think: Water to Drink’. You can find them in the heart of Keswick on Derwent Water, and online too-do take a look!
Northern Lights Gallery: https://northernlightsgallery.co.uk
I’m also excited to say that I’ve been selected for a rather wonderful VR Exhibition curated and designed by Denis Taylor and the amazing team behind Painters Tubes Gallery. This exhibition offers a virtual tour around three exhibition spaces, with the opportunity to ‘stand back’ or zoom in, all available completely free to view : https://painterstubes.gallery/painters-tubes-manchester-2020-vision-deansgate-gallery/
I’m in the Deansgate section, via the link above. The Exhibition overall features an exciting range of emerging artists, artists who exhibit regularly and also some really top internationally known names, like the American Abstract artist, Brian Rutenberg.
Well, I think that’s all from this month. I hope you’re enjoying the summer and keeping well.
Until next time, stay safe and take care,
Keep in touch,
Jo xx
All text and images copyright ©️Jo York 2021