Experiments

In the next group of paintings, I decided to stop worrying about what I was doing and just paint something from my imagination and experimenting with colours. They are definitely not anything that I am proud of.

Colours 1 - I almost like the glimmer of silver light that comes through here and there. One to be painted over...

Colours 2 - Not very well photographed. I was playing with dark colours and bursts of rich dark blues and reds. One to be painted over...

Colours 3 - Tried to play with pastel colours and gradients etc. Horrid forms. One to be painted over.

Abstract face 1 - I like the weird dark lines contrasting with the colour of the face. Otherwise, I think it's pretty bad. The block of colour, inspired by Wong Kar-wai films, is something I like very much and have used in other paintings.

Abstract face 2 - I do not like this painting! A week after I had painted it, I taught an ESL class and the topic happened to be 'art'. I told them that I was trying to learn to paint in acrylics and showed them this painting. The whole class couldn't hold back their laughs. It looks like a muppet.

Cartoon animal - In this painting, I had the intention of painting a strange creature with a cartoon like face. I liked the shape of the outline but didn't feel very inspired to do anything with it. One to paint over...

Well, after those paintings, and the laughs I received from my class, I decided I needed to go back to what I was doing before - painting from reality. It was a good lesson in what doesn't work!