Archibald Prize Entry

A 2013

 

Archibald Prize Entry

“Waiting Too” Mixed Media; Acrylic, Charcoal and Pastel, 1080x1700mm

This year, having thought about many people to approach to sit for me, I decided to work on a self portrait which also included my daughter, Tahlia. The inspiration for this portrait came from seeing a Degas painting titled “Waiting” which I had executed a pen and ink sketch of. I was attracted to the composition and concept of the painting. I often will sketch a work I admire- this helps me get a practical idea of the artist’s concept, technique, composition and lighting.

The concept of a mother, or guardian, waiting for a young person to audition for dance is very much a theme of my life at present. I have, on several occasions, waited outside the Australian Ballet School while my daughter has auditioned or taken classes there. There is a garden nestled between the Art Centre, National Gallery of Victoria and The Primrose Potter Australian Ballet Centre, which contains a sculpture of dancer. It has a walkway to the Ballet Centre and there is a low concrete wall that I sit on. I sketch, read or write in my journal as I wait.

In this painting I deliberately distorted the image to fit in all the elements; figures, sculpture against the sky, garden, Ballet Centre, Arts Centre and city buildings, while retaining the face as the focus.

It had long been a goal of mine to submit portraits for the Archibald Prize. With the Prize exhibition being shown at TarraWarra Museum, near to where I live, last year I decided it was time. Last year, in 2012, I submitted my portrait of local doctor Jenny Conway posed in a portrait titled:

“A Matter of Life and Death”

Pastel Tip; Creating Simple Life Drawings with Pastel

This is taken from my latest Pastel E News e-newsletter, Issue 19. If you wish to view the entire newsletter please contact me at info@janethayes.com.au or put in a request via my website www.janethayes .com.au

 

Op

en Pastel Tip

Creating Simple Life

Drawings with Pastel

Pastel is ideal for portraits and life drawing partly because the light and colour reflecting particles resemble the glow of skin and partly as the soft powdery particles give a similar surface to skin. The fineness of the medium helps to create subtle transitions in tone that also give a believable three dimensional effect. I often use a technique with charcoal and pastel to create form quickly with a drawing from life. In a life drawing class, particularly with more difficult poses, there is a short time to “get it all onto the paper”. So, I choose a deep mid tone such as “Cachou” “Tobacco” or a mid to dark grey such as “Felt Grey” or “Steel Grey” in Canson Mi-tientes paper. There are also sanded surfaces that work well such as Art Spectrum Suede or Colour fix papers in sand, elephant, terracotta or blue grey. I sketch the figure with charcoal first then let the paper work as the darks and mid tones then I use a pastel to indicate the lights in the figure- such as a Rembrandt light, Burnt Sienna or Naples Yellow. Anything that will give a light flesh colour effect. I mainly use the pastel on the side to broadly and painterly fill in the areas of light falling on the figure. This gives a believable three dimensional effect whilst incorporating an impressionistic technique. It means that I can produce a finished drawing within an hour or two (such as the time in a life drawing session). I can then choose to use the sketch as a basis for more finished artworks or keep the sketch as the final piece. If I have more time working from life on the same pose I can choose to go back and fill in the dark and mid tone areas with pastel for a more finished pastel painting

Artwork and text copyright of the artist; Janet Hayes

 

Success with Pastels; Near and Far

I am using Facebook and Twitter to exhibit my recent artwork and talk about my art. I update them regularly. I invite you to follow me. Links to both are on my website http://www.janethayes.com.au

This is taken from my latest Pastel E News e-newsletter, Issue 19. If you wish to view the entire newsletter please contact me at info@janethayes.com.au or put in a request via my website www.janethayes .com.au

Success with Pastels; near and far

I received an email recently from a student I taught way back in the late 80s. Luci Smith wrote…

“I was a student of yours in Melbourne, at some evening classes in 1987/88. All these years later, and the pastel techniques you taught me are still central in my work!

In 1989 I returned to England, and have been living and painting in Yorkshire (Northern England) since the 1990’s. The open moorlands here are wonderful – their contours, weather and light give me endless inspiration.

I use a variety of soft pastel brands - lots of Daler Rowney, and Unison – so you get Unison over there? Lovely, creamy, soft pastels, in vibrant colours. Ever since my Australian days I like to use colour in my work. (If you’re curious you can take a look on www.luciasmith.co.uk).

Your technique of creating one’s own surface to work on is still my method! It has probably evolved a little – but in essence, the same. I usually underpaint in acrylic, and use Art Spectrum’s CLEAR pastel primer on top – allowing me a huge colour range under the opaque gritty surface. But, on top of this, I add areas of texture with adding EXTRA moon dust to the primer, and placing that carefully within the picture to add emphasis. And here’s the bit I need help with – I still have a bag of ‘moon dust’ (your words?) which we used to add to the gesso, but which I now add to the ready-made primer. But the bag of dust has almost run out (must have been a big bag, I’m sure it’s the original supply from 1988!). Can you tell me what it actually was?

With big thanks for your inspiration and teachings from all those years ago.”

The “moon” dust is actually ground stone- either pumice or marble which is an inert (which means it doesn’t change) material that can be added to oil paint for texture and body and is also used by pastellists to make a sanded surface to “grab” the pastel. It also allows you to experiment with creating texture; when you apply pastel it shows the painterly strokes applied beneath. This is a technique that I sometimes show and facilitate in my classes.

It was great to hear from Luci and I was so impressed with her website. I asked her to send me some images I could use in this E-newsletter. She sent me the two featured here saying:

“I hope they show how my experience with Australian colour and landscape affects how I use colour in my paintings of the Yorkshire moors (North England) – which are traditionally much more sombre, but not if you love them like I do”

Teaching, for me, is sharing what I have so gratefully learnt. It is wonderful to be instrumental in having an effect that helps someone produce something as beautiful as Luci’s artworks.

Closer to home…

It was my pleasure to receive a very excited phone call from Healesville Pastel Class student, Marion Dennis, to inform me she had won the “Visage” $1,000 Portrait Prize at the Upper Yarra Arts Centre recently. Not only did she win but she informed me that Kate Bills also a Healesville Pastel Class student won second prize ($750). I was elated, and so proud!!!

Marion’s award winning portrait with the sitter

Marion has entered the competition for the three years it has been running and she had won a prize for the first two years but the first prize had eluded her. Not to be put off, she applied herself and reached her goal- Well Done Marion and well done Kate!

                             Marion's Portrait with sitter

Kate’s “Portrait of Lucy”  

All artwork copyright of the artists                                    

Fine Art, Fine Artist

Art is a way of life for me; I'm happiest creating and helping others to create.It is wonderful to firstly create a piece that pleases me and doubly so when some one likes it enough to purchase it so that they can appreciate it and see in it what has pleased me or even something completely different that pleases them. It is a magical process and I would like to share some of that magic by documenting some of the process. I currently have 3 artworks in process; a portrait commission, a large figurative study and a still life with a difference. I also sketch a lot- figures, portraits, objects, landscapes and anything that captures my artist's eye. And I teach; I have three regular classes in the Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia where I live. I like to write about art too. I'll be showing snippets of these images and writing about some of my processes and considerations in their creation in my following blogs. For now you can see some of my work at www.janethayes.com.au