Magic and Logic Flowering on the Same Tree (update)

I have been making good progress on the paintings for the Gosport War Memorial Hospital, Daedalus Ward Project. Having settled on the tree motif, (see earlier blog post) I found a fabulous orchard just north of Portsmouth where I have gathered much inspiration from the trees and landscape. I am very grateful to the owners of the orchard and Farm Shop at Funtington for giving me permission to observe, photo and draw in their orchard.

I look at the texture of the wood, the layout of the orchard, and see that each tree appears to have an identity all of its own.

I then take my observations and build my composition from my insight into the space, and from my knowledge of dementia. (I lost my dad to Alzheimers) - and construct my image from these ideas.

So I embark on developing the composition - in simple charcoals to start with  - then transferring the ideas onto the canvas...

 Next - I make a start on the canvas... very terrifying!! The large empty white space is always a challenge - how to make that first mark!??!!

Canvasses arrive!!!

Where to start!!!??

Coming later... making a start on the canvas.... :)