On this weeks studio update, I have scaled up to make some large paintings and talk through their early stages of making- they are not going to plan! However this is all part of the painting process as I explain in my video udate.
It’s great to be painting large again (large abstract canvas art UK). Recently I’ve been making small abstract paintings as I warm up my painting palette for 2022 & scaling up to larger work requires a mind shift in how I approach the work- using larger brushes, mixing larger amounts of paint which takes longer when balancing tones and finding the right overall balance of space between the varying elements on the canvas. A lot of time is spent simply sitting and looking at the paintings on my studio wall and trying to mentally visualize the direction and result I want from them.
I’ve made lots of large paintings in the past and I find this very accommodating to the type of abstract artwork I make. Last year Gordan Ramsay selected two of my large paintings for his new restaurant at the Savoy hotel. You can see them here.
Also, if you are an artist in the SW London area I’ll be subletting half my studio while I go on my maternity break for four months from 1 April- 1 August. My studio is at Delta House Studio and you can check them out here. Drop me a line if this is of interest and I’ll give you the details- Thanks for watching, Aisling x
Background to my Live Studio Updates:
When Covid-19 arrived in the UK all of my upcoming exhibitions, art fairs and arts facilitation roles were either cancelled or postponed. If Covid has taught me anything it’s the importance of proactivity and self-resilience. If I had no way to physically show my paintings then I had to work out an alternative. I had a small online presence through my website and Instagram account but wasn’t very sure how to use either. However, I saw these platforms as a way to keep my work moving during the pandemic and to get my paintings seen.
I did an overhaul of my website (ongoing!), began to be more active on my Instagram and started a YouTube channel. One of the hardest things I did was I began speaking live every Wednesday from my studio about what was happening, what work I was making, the ethos of my painting practice and all the realities of life as an artist. However, amazingly this practice each Wednesday has proved to be one of the best decisions I’ve made over the last year or so!
Building Virtual Art Relationships
Through chatting and sharing directly from my art studio I’ve connected with first-time art buyers & seasoned art collectors around the world. I’ve had lots of positive feedback but the main thing I keep hearing is it’s great to see what goes into making a painting rather than just buying the finished artwork.
I share the materials I use, why I use them, painting techniques and how I build a painting. Also because abstraction can sometimes be viewed as an inaccessible area of art people tell me they’ve enjoyed learning about this genre as I also share artists who have influenced my work and any exhibitions I go to (when I can!)
For me, I love that people can now buy my original abstract paintings online from me, connecting with me directly and build a virtual art relationship.As these videos have become an integral part of what I do, I’ve decided to start sharing them on my website in my creative journal posts as it opens up my work to you. If you can’t come and visit me at an exhibition or in my painting studio at least now you can see & hear all about what I’m making and how I’m making it!
If you have any questions or comments, please get in touch as it’s always a pleasure to hear from people interested in my paintings Sign up to my newsletter (via website) for sporadic updates, preview access to new paintings, free shipping & a few nice surprises in between – let’s start a conversation! Many thanks, Aisling