More Sktchy Portraits

It's been three months since I developed a new obsession - using the Sktchy app to create portraits. I've written about the portraits before, but I'd like to share a few of my newest sketches.

In this day of the endless selfie, and the current love of sharing these on social media, there's an endless supply of wonderful people to be inspired by. 
Many people who are on Sktchy have no plan to create any portraits, they are content to post creative photos of themselves for others to use. Are we becoming a tad self-obsessed?

Each weekend there's a different challenge, the Weekend Art Extravaganza. It may be  #WAXinyourshoes - creating a portrait in the style of a fellow Sktchy artist whose work you admire; or it may be #WAXinmotion where the aim is to capture movement. 

The lovely photograph of this little girl jumping with delight over a puddle of water made a perfect reference to use for #WAXinmotion. I was delighted that it was featured as a 'Sktchy Pick' 

 Jumping watercolour and gouache

Last weekend it was #WAXmini - making a very small portrait and photographing your painting with something to show the scale. Some years ago I painted many miniatures so it was fun to re-visit the world of the small. I had to search for my smallest 3/0 brush to paint this portrait.  

 

Yasmin - watercolour on Canson Hot press paper

Often when working on paintings in the studio I'm reluctant to experiment and I realise it's important to make time to play; to use different materials; to try another technique. These portraits give me the impetus to do just that - use an unusual colour; add a lively wash to the background of a ink drawing - and in this case, deciding to leave the portrait itself in black and white, adding no watercolour washes to the face. 

Men and beards is another favourite theme - here are two of Ronin Memphis. What a magnificent beard - a pity it's now been trimmed !!  

RoninI Ink and watercolour

Ronin II Ink and watercolour

And here's a portrait of the co-founder of the app - Jordan Melnick

Jordan Ink and watercolour Beta sketchbook

Sktchy has a Tumblr site where many of the portraits can be viewed as well as interviews with some of the artists. 

And of course, here's a link to the Sktchy app itself is where you’ll find all the action!

My previous post is here: Fun with Sktchy

Finding Inspiration

When I was writing the previous post about the Lethbridge 10,000 and the current theme of my paintings, I realised something. I realised that somehow, surreptitiously, I had become a landscape painter.

I hadn't been in Australia for very long, maybe six or eight months, when I drove up the coast to Mooloolaba to have a look. Previously, rocks had featured in a number of paintings and I wanted to find something here in Australia to kick start a new series. The day seemed fine when I set off but when I arrived it was cloudy and gloomy. I took a lot of photos of the pounding sea and the rocks. 

Then I wandered into a gallery - The Gallery Beneath and chatted to the owner. I explained to her that I had come up from Brisbane, having recently arrived in Australia, looking for inspiration. 

She turned to me and said: 
"You can't look for inspiration, you've got to feel it here," holding her hand over her heart.

Her words took me by surprise and I almost felt chastised, as though my explorative outing was in some way false. And perhaps it was. The couple of paintings I did from those photographs were not very good at all. I needed to do more than take some photographs to understand a place.

Riverside Trees - oil on linen 

Her words have stayed with me and I've thought about them often - she was absolutely correct. I really needed to be here longer, to live in the country and to let the special places find me rather than the other way around.

When I look at the paintings done over the last few years - Riverside Trees, Windarra Reflections,  and Bunya Riverside and  I see that the landscape has become part of me and that inspiration has found me after all.

Inspiration from Cedar Pocket

I have been busy in my studio painting for a number of exhibitions coming up soon. These entry dates never fail to take me by surprise when the beginning of the year rolls around. 

Every year I make promises to myself to start early. In fact I resolve to plan during the year for these shows. This never happens because there's always something else to work on especially when there are commissions to be painted. Oh well - it's good to be busy.

This large work was inspired by a trip up to Cedar Pocket last year. I took loads of photos and this painting is a combination of a few. I love to re-invent reality, taking a bit from this one and another bit from that. This way I have the freedom to change the colours, to edit and alter rather than slavishly work from only one reference. 

Here's a sneak peek of the work in progress. The painting measures 1200mm x 915mm.

You'll have to wait a bit for the finished painting...

WIP Detail - Cedar Pocket Inspiration - oil on linen ©  2015 Carol Lee Beckx

Bunya Riverside

Walks along the beach are the one thing that I really miss about living here. Now before you say - but there are great beaches here - absolutely - but they aren't on my doorstep. I need to drive for a couple of hours rather than fifteen minutes down the road.

However, I have found Bunya Riverside. It is an idyllic spot close to my home. It is very tranquil with a path along the river bank, meandering between trees. Reflections fascinate me - there is the magical quality of doubling a beautiful vista. 

Bunya Riverside oil on canvas 1000mm x 1000mm © 2013 Carol Lee Beckx 

My usual process is to work from plein air sketches and photographs. My aim is never a completely representational painting, but rather an image that has been edited, altered and transformed. Completing the painting away from the inspiration allows my inner sense of place to be foremost, rather than a slavish rendering of the scene before me.

The use of photographs originates from my years of living in South Africa where painting in the countryside was fraught with danger. Even stopping along the road to take photographs could often be extremely risky. Consequently, I am used to absorbing the essence quickly and then using the photographic images as a backup.

Bunya reflections © 2013 Carol Lee Beckx

When an artist takes pictures it's hard to not to edit and compose to such an extent that when back in the studio one often wishes the zoom had not been so enthusiastic and that extra details just beyond the image were included.

Bunya riverside © 2013 Carol Lee Beckx

This painting started with a bright under painting of Permanent Rose and a mixture of Cadmium Yellow and Indian Yellow. There are two benefits: the under-painting gives the painting a warm tone and helps banish the fear of the white canvas.


I was so sure that I had some work in progress photographs bit either they are hidden in my vast store of photo files or I got so carried away that I forgot to take any. I do have some of the plein air sketches. These will give an idea of the origins of the composition.

Bunya Riverside Watercolour sketch © 2013 Carol Lee Beckx

Bunya Riverside Watercolour sketch in Fabriano Venezia sketchbook © 2013 Carol Lee Beckx

When I start a painting I refer to my sketches and photographs so I have a framework for the composition. Later in the process the photographs are abandoned as the painting takes on a life of its own. Occasionally, when I lose my way, I go back to the sketches and re-discover elements that I feel need to be included in the painting. 

Knowing when to stop is an art in itself - and I'm afraid I don't really have an easy solution. I get to a stage when I feel there is nothing more to add - or remove. 

This painting has been accepted for the Moreton Bay Regional Art Awards. The exhibition opens on Friday 11th October at the Strathpine Community Centre. You can view all the finalists here.

Brisbane's amazing sunsets

The evening skies here in Brisbane constantly amaze me. 

This frequently causes a dilemma - how to capture the moment when I am most often in my car. It necessitates swift photographs while stationary at traffic lights. Thank goodness the lights take ages to change - it’s all very democratic, everyone gets a turn so there’s plenty of time to take some photos.

Sometimes I'm lucky and I am home. These were taken from my balcony.

These are a few of the amazing skies during the last few weeks.