Globalisation and the Commodification of Spirituality

There. Had to start the newest post with a pompous title :) I have been getting some painting in the cracks between trying to work, travelling for work, and taking some holidays.

"Christchurch Cathedral" 18 X 24" Oil on Canvas.
Well, I keep trying to stretch myself--and succeeding. I think I have got the light down.... Lots to like about this piece, I think. And I have finally overcome my fear of greys. Still only 3 colours, baby!

I leaned the thing a little to the left to give the solid, monumental edifice a touch of the precarious. Yup--maybe a social commentary (I'll leave it to you to unpack. Hint: the dumpster also has something to do with it as well.) But the lean to the left also makes for a bit of drama.

Seems as though I can't paint a bad sky, although painting a luminous overcast sky is not as easy as it looks! So I resorted to pointillism. I have also been trying to capture an effect of the light of the sky and how it wraps and bleeds around the edges that meet it. Very happy with the sky-edges in the trees on both sides.

There is actually a strong sunbeam coming from the right of the picture--this is in the photo as well. A chink in the bottom of the cloud, I guess. I took this photo about this time last year.

The focal-point is the street-light on "yield", but it is held in diagonal tension by the yellow tree areas on either side.

I'm really starting to hit a stride with various paint-handling techniques. I may post details of several areas of this piece. You might not be able to see the thick-thin treatments, and the various rubbing/ grinding/ touching/ wiping/ slashing/ feathering of the paint that went on here. This is pointing away from an homogeneous style, in the manner of Monet or Cezanne. But maybe that is my style--a flexible emotion shorthand. We'll see.

And no, I was not inspired by Monet's Rouen Cathedral paintings--which are brilliant, but still look to me as if they are assembled out of multi-colour granola. I like granola.


The underpainting helps to see the subtle interplay of diagonals. I spent about 4 hours on the drawing, and laid it out with a straight-edge. I need to do some more work in front of the live model. Even the Old Masters knew (especially the Old Masters), that drawing naked people helps you paint churches--and everything else in the world.

And now for globalization.....

"Freighter" 14 X 18" Oil on the Usual Stuff.
A fresh little piece, wiped on in an hour. 3 colours again, if you needed to know! This piece always gives me a jolt of delight when it catches the corner of my eye. The tones are spot-on. Shot the pic from the ferry. Simple, dramatic, solid composition. Kinda de Stael, kinda Group of 7.

That creamy orange in the sky and water is actually the ground. Mixed up a big barrel of it--it brings out my famous blues :)

OK, up next--a lily-pond. (automatic associations with Monet again--I can't escape!) And maybe a painting of Harrison Lake. I'll let you all know.

Be Blessed All,
Nicholas