Scroll right down to read about the exciting Ucare project.
If you are able to visit me at Aston Tirrold during Artweeks on the 21st and 22nd May, you’ll see these tulips I was experimenting with, for the *Ucare Tulip Project…but – they were snapped up in the first hour at the opening of Artweeks!
I have been experimenting with how I would like to paint tulips at Art in Action and I think I have found a way forward.
The challenges I set myself were:
- Oil painting
- Demonstrating
- Working from Photos (tulip season will be over)
- Small artworks 15cm square
I decided to work as follows:
- Close-up details
- Using photos taken either by me or my brother who is a professional photographer
- A plain flat background in black white or grey
- Alternatively a metallic background (possibly including pattern)
And so having painted all these tulips plus the delicate mauve one below, against the light, I came to a few conclusions.
You are going to love this as I have turned all my fine-sounding concepts upside down!
- Watching me or anyone paint something as carefully as this, head down with no interaction with the audience will so lack the WOW factor.
- Trying to paint an exact replica of a photograph takes skill but it can be rather boring. (I also really admire botanical painting, and don’t enjoy doing it for the same reason)
- I will produce about 10 little paintings with black backgrounds – they look fabulously dramatic to sell at Art in Action.
- I cannot resist doing a couple of enormous 50 x 70cm paintings with black backgrounds, which will be much more fun, and will do these before Art in Action.
- I have decided not to demonstrate oil painting at Art in Action. Since this is a charity to raise money I’ll do wild watercolour swatches with mingled colours for people to cut out and add to a group tulip collage for a tiny donation. I feel this will engage the public and make the Ucare tent more exciting than a careful oil painting demo.
- Needless to say, at AinA, my tulip paintings will be for sale with a portion of the proceeds going to Ucare!
Ucare is a cancer charity dedicated to research of bladder and prostate cancers. The U is suggestive of a tulip and is the charity’s emblem. Ucare have been invited to have a tent at Art in Action to raise funds and awareness. There is also a Secret Tulip Artwork Auction. It will culminate in a live auction at Waterperry. Professional artists, amateur artists and celebrities have taken part. Do have a look and see if you can find my artwork. And if you like it who knows, you may be able to pick it up for a song!
Oh Lin, what a brilliant idea to do watercolor swatches and invite audience participation in group collage – always the best way to fund raise! It will no doubt be great fun. I look forward to seeing the post-event photos. xox Micki
Thanks Micki. I am going to thrash out exactly how I’ll do this this week and hope to design some greetings cards for Ucare en route.
So there’s a good chance you’ll see pre-event photos as well.