Colour choices... or no colour choices

This week I finished another module in my art course. Only one more module to go this year and a break for a month now although there is a list of preparatory work for the next one that's as long as your arm.... I'll now be moving from focussing on abstract work into abstracting the landscape, trying to build on techniques I've been using recently. In recent weeks I've probably painted more canvases that I ever have in my life and my tutor has pushed me into using colour and breaking out of my favoured monochromatic choice. In some masochistic way I've enjoyed the challenge yet choosing to paint is not truly me.

When left to my own devices the inclination is to layer up the paint using those beautiful sounding names like 'transparent red oxide' and 'quinacrodone burnt orange', throwing in a bit of 'phalo turquoise'.... and not forgetting black... deep, unctuous, glossy, carbon black.

I did lots of work for the course and made abstracted constructions accompanied by loads of sketchbook work. I really felt energised by the whole thing but need to channel that energy now into some print based activity for the next few weeks until the next part of the course resumes. My tutor is great. She's very supportive and I achieved my second First in succession so I must be doing something right, but you can't keep all the things you make so I've been trying to scale down the drawings etc today and throw away what just does not work for me. Trouble is I then start tearing them up, re-postioning them and thinking 'I could create a collage with that' or 'what if I stitched those pieces together and re-worked them.......'

The more I look at the pieces I like the more I see that they are very akin to prints and the depth of colour is so similar to what a print can give to you. I think Im going to follow the urge to make a few collagraph plates and get my hands covered in ink instead of paint for a few weeks.... watch this space.