"Made in Peru"

“Made in Peru”
35cm x 27cm Oil on Canvas board
I knew how I wanted this painting to look from the very start.
Ursula had kindly agreed to come and sit for me at the studio and my mission with this portrait was to do another work from life rather than my more common material – photographs.
The painting got off to a good start. I felt the benefit from having my model in the studio, it certainly gave a much more personal attachment to the painting and was more fun. Ursula is a very talented artist herself so we had plenty to chat about as I worked.
I managed to get all the ground work down during the sitting and I was able to figure out the skin tones and add some colour.
There is so much more information coming at you when you paint from life but I try to keep it under control by trusting my instincts. If I suddenly see ultramarine blue in her hair then I put it on the canvas, see how it looks and adjust it accordingly.
Ursula was with me for about 3 hours and of course ultimately I shot some photographs of the sitting to help me complete the painting later.
I had plenty of time to do this painting, so over the following weeks I worked on it when I could. New layers had time to dry before I did more, and I really got a lot of value from setting it aside for periods of time whilst I worked on other stuff.
Each time I came back to it I saw the painting with fresh eyes and was able to make adjustments and move it on.
Over Christmas it sat in my studio for quite a while almost complete - just out of the corner of my eye. A couple of weeks ago I put it back on the easel and in 20 minutes it was done.



If anyone local is interested in joining in on my workshops drop me a line on steve@focaleye.com

Workshops 2

Oil Painting Workshops

Just a few more places left for the Oil Painting Workshop Starting this Friday 4th October.

First session:
The idea will be to get you painting. I’ll put together a simple set up in the studio and I’ll show you how to go about painting it.
We will look at composition and image placement.
We’ll get your equipment sorted out and I’ll show you how to map out your painting.
We will look at mixing colour, brush technique and ways of helping your painting build into a more successful piece of work.
We’ll cover drawing and ways to make it easier, along with notes on inspiration and the best subjects to paint.

The workshop starts at 10:00 until 13:00.
If you let me know you are coming I’ll email you directions to the Studio and a list of what to bring – its just a few ks’ outside Periana.
Its 15 Euros per person and we will run a workshop every 2 weeks.
steve@focaleye.com

Oil Painting Workshops

Oil painting workshops

Starting Friday October 4th - 10:00 – 13:00

With Steve Godfrey

www.focaleye.com

This Autumn I am beginning an oil painting workshop at my 

studio in Moya (Nr Periana)

This is an ideal opportunity for anyone interested in oil painting 

to learn a whole host of innovative techniques and tips from 

an experienced artist.

Some of the things we will cover at the workshop;

materials and equipment, surfaces to paint on, what to paint 

and how to get started. 

Drawing, brushwork, colour mixing, and painting outdoors.

We will look at ways to make your paintings come alive with 

the use of perspective, colour and subject choice.

I will show you how to go about painting still life’s, landscapes 

and live figures. 

My style is impressionistic with a strong ground in traditional 

techniques. I combine these techniques with modern subjects 

and styles exploring still life, landscape and figurative.

I’ve spent many years adapting to being an artist in this part of 

the world. I know what materials and subjects are available here 

and where to get them. I know some great locations for outdoor 

painting and I can show you how to use photographs and the 

Internet to help you develop as an oil painter.

The workshop format is based around  6 parts with a session 

taking place about every 2 weeks. 

These sessions are designed to be fun and informative and will

help you progress and improve your development as an oil painter.

For further details and information and to secure a place at the 

workshop please email Steve at: 

steve@focaleye.com

telephone 695707151

Each session will be 15euros and there are 5 places available at 

each session.

Update 01

I’ve been painting some local landscapes recently, I’ll be showing them at the exhibition on 17^th May.

This view I spotted up on the old railway track near where I live.

Exhibition

my next local exhibition

Fun with a burnt stick!

I was inspired looking at some of the charcoal work by one of my favourite artists Casey Bough.

This is charcoal on paper 30cm x 40cm and is taken from a stock shot I found. She is called Darla.

Lauren I

  "Lauren I" 

30cm x 40cm 

Oil on Canvas

This is the finished painting of Lauren I started as a demonstration at my last exhibition.

I only had a few hours at the show to get going on this and it wasn’t very long before I realized I was going to need a lot more time.

I guess it took about 20 hours over the space of a few weeks. 

I restricted my pallet on purpose and I’m pleased with the overall warm tone.

I also spent quite a bit of time just studying it, trying to feel the balance of the image, taking care where I was going to go next and making my brush strokes count. 

I’m happy with it at the moment, although I may come back to it again in a few weeks with a fresh eye to see if I need to adjust any shortcomings.

Exhibition

My latest work has been mainly focused on the female figure. Last year I managed to get along to quite a few meetings with a local figure drawing group and a few months ago I started working with my new model Lauren.

I’m finding it interesting seeing my style evolve as I spend more time working on these paintings.

Also at the end of May I’m off to Italy for a few weeks on a study course with one of my favourite figurative artists Zhaoming Wu.

I’m looking forward to the opportunity to meet with other artists in the figurative field, do lots of painting and get into the true psyche of a master and his work.

I also have a small local exhibition scheduled for 6^th April where I hope to show off some of my new works and get a feel for what people think.

I’ll post some more pictures of my paintings after the exhibition.

Horse head sketch in charcoal

I finished the drawing adding in some dark blacks, some fine hairs with the neadable rubber and some highlight touches of white chalk.

A nice frame from my friendly framer in Torre del mar and I’m very pleased with the finished piece.

A sketch of ‘Vern’

‘Vern’ 30cm x 40cm Oil on board

The commissions I’ve been working on recently have evolved a great deal of geometry and measuring to get the subjects planned out on the canvas.

I fancied a break so I started this portrait of my Dad, Vern’ sketching in the garden during his visit a few weeks ago.

I fancied just diving in on this study without pre drawing, just to see how it would come out.

…well, I think it looks like him! The test will be to see what my sister thinks!

It took me about 5 hours over 2 days working from a hand full of Paparazzi pics I shot of him without him seeing me.

horse head sketch in charcoal

I used to think the great pleasure in charcoal was the wonderful rich lines you get when you really squeeze the black stick into the paper. It’s such a satisfying feeling.

But, I’ve grown up a bit now - it’s not the black that is interesting at all, it’s the use of that wonderfully diverse colour gray.

I think gray is such an underestimated colour and can be easily forgotten about in painting. It’s very expressive and mysterious at the same time.

Perhaps it is my past as a photographer and all those dark hours wet processing black and white prints, (yes I’m that old!) but I am on a mission to experiment and explore gray more in my painting, and find out more about its magic.

This horse is nearly finished now.

Steve

Here is the next stage of the drawing. I've left my arm in just to give a reference to the size of the image.

I've laid in most of the mid tone grey and I'm now putting in some dark charcoal black.

Next stage to follow.

Horse head sketch in charcoal

I have been occupied recently with commissions so today I thought I'd have a bash at this image to get myself back into some drawing.

It is on a sheet of coloured pastel paper 50cm x 65cm, the sketch is mostly in charcoal - then I'll finish off the highlights in chalk. 
This is the first stage, after lightly sketching in the form I'm now adding some of the shading.
More posts about this sketch - to follow. Steve

O.k. here she is, finally complete. The painting has had enough time to dry now and I have given it a coat of varnish. This unifies all the colours, gives it a nice sheen and will protect the surface from dust.
I’m really happy with the way this portrait has come out. I think it shows Evie’s unique beauty with a gentle modern style.

Nearly there

I changed the background! I took a long hard look at the painting and decided the earthy colours didn’t feel right. I am much happier with the new design.
The cooler colour scheme on the background has made Evie come forward and I think the painting now has a more modern impression.
I have some more touching up to do on the face and add a few highlights. I would like to soften the back of the chair a little too as I want it to go further back. Another couple of hours and I think it will be finished.

The painting is beginning to come to life now. The face is looking more refined and I have brought in more of the background colours and filled in some detail on the chair.
I’ve added more colour shapes into the hair and kept most of the detail on the blouse quite loose so as not to draw attention from the face.
I’ve had some fun with the embroidery detail on the right cuff though, adding some of the highlights to try and bring the arm forward.
Its really looking like Evie now.

While applying the detailed work on Evie's face I've had time to consider the colouring for the rest of the painting. The pink blouse will work well as I will have the opportunity to use an inherited tube of magenta paint I've had for years.
I also feel, knowing Evie as I do - I can't possibly do a portrait of her with out putting some 'green' in the picture somewhere. She has beautiful blond hair and in the summer months - due to the fact she is such a water baby - her hair does tend to take on a bit of green tinge from the swimming pool. Green is in fact the opposite colour to magenta so the two are complimentary colours. This should help me with the design of the background.