Sunday 21 February 2010

Draw, Draw - and a little painting

Inbetween organising things so I can open TED CONEY'S FAMILY PORTRAITS in April and visiting my mother, who is supposed to be fading away, (however, she did get up for three days and got her hair done!) I did lots of exploritary drawing in preparation for the next painting. I had treated myself to a new charcoal pencil, a 9B lead pencil and one of those pencils you can dip in water, to prepare myself for the challenge. I always find having nice new materials gives one confidence. I did lots of drawings of old telephones and typewriters to represent my great aunts former life in the second world war. I then started a tiny sketch canvas to work out how I intend to abstract some of the shapes I had drawn. I am painting these in monotone as the first layer. I then intend to skim a thin membrane of encaustic wax over the top, before painting the 'afternoon tea' with coloured traslucent oil paint. I had been inspired by an exhibition of Chris Offeli's work, were he had separated layers of paint with transparent resin. However I hate the smell and feel of resin, so hope the encaustic wax will work just as well Bye for now Ted

Tuesday 16 February 2010

Keeping Busy

While on half term holiday I have being trying to organise things , so I can open
TED CONEY'S FAMILY PORTRAITS at Easter. I have taken the sketchbook photos to the Internet Marketing Company for them to turn them into an Electronic Sketchbook (this is so visitors can see how four of the paintings have been made) . I have called in at the Tourist Office to get hooked up to their web-site again and hopefully been successful in them letting me and the Morris Minor appear at Eel Day for free, to advertise the opening. I have also ordered a new tower for the computer (otherwise the electronic sketchbook may not run!) Frustratingly, it won't fit under the computer table which I had built at great expense last year, so I am in the process of getting that altered. Oh yes, and I am also doing some exploritary drawing for the new picture but thats for another blog Best Wishes Ted

Friday 12 February 2010

Keeping In the Public Eye

Working on the idea that free publicity is good publicity, I was especially pleased to see
the gallery mentioned twice recently in newspaper stories. These were totally unexpected, but nevertheless very welcome while the house is closed. One was in a story about lack of signage in Ely, when the local newspaper had rang me up for my oppinion. The other, was when I reacted angrily to the proposed cuts to the Babylon Gallery and Maltings cinema.
'Local arts champion, Ted Coney, who runs Ted Coney's Family Portraits said the council was trying to wreck art and leisure provision in the area' so the story went.

Friday 5 February 2010

Lighting Up

Hazel was horrified when she found out how I wanted to light the dining room, when Ted Coney's Family Portraits reopens in April. Max, our youngest son agreed with her, so I was outnumbered. When Johnathan, my wonderful framer, came to collect the latest painting, 'Snow Angels and No Angels' he had some thoughts on the problem. He has got some lights which are hidden in the ceiling of his own home, which I am going to see next week. Hopefully, Terry (our electrician) will be able to put all these ideas into practise to give more light to the paintings and family harmony will be restored