rahina qh

study of dreams 2/xii 15" x 20"

2012-01-15T12:05:00.009Z

removed for rethinking

oils on canvas
FOR SALE
if you would like to purchase this painting, please send your bid to rahinaqh@gmail.com

a heatwave in Brooklyn
lunch....
the scene is set
won't you sit down?

2012

2011-12-31T22:34:00.004Z

thank you everyone for giving me so much support throughout 2011: whether it was to visit and/or leave a comment or buy one of my paintings, i appreciate it so much.
i photographed this seagull yesterday and used this image as the painting i have been working on is still not cooperating;)
warmest wishes, rahina

study of dreams 2/xi 9" x 12.5"

2011-12-27T20:46:00.007Z

oils on canvas
FOR SALE
If you would like to purchase this painting, please send your bid rahinaqh@gmail.com

there is a sadness about this face and i was intrigued how it became visible in different muscles on the face.

study of dreams 2/ x 9" x 7.5"

2011-12-14T11:44:00.008Z

oils on canvas
FOR SALE
if interested please send your bid to rahinaqh@gmail.com
all bids considered:)

a small study that i have been working on over the past few days. rather tongue in cheek in every sense...

study of dreams 2/ ix 17" x 13"

2011-12-09T10:36:00.005Z

oils on canvas
SOLD
If you would like to purchase this painting, please send your bid to rahinaqh@gmail.com

a small shop, full of the most unique handmade waistcoats, goatskin handbags as soft as soft can be, hats that seemed to have come from a century ago in enticing colours, bits of this and bits of that and gentle music ....and it was all because of her vision.... and down a narrow winding staircase, in the basement, she showed me her workshop, a low ceiling held up by beams hundreds of years old, a tiny Vemeer window, and silks, cottons and tweeds that could have been brought from travels around the world and stored in this Aladdin's cave.... and all this on a street near Micklegate in the old town of York, England.

for sale, 6" x 7" approx.

just a quick little study of a rugged face that caught my attention

study of dreams 2/viii 16" x 20"

2011-12-05T13:46:00.007Z

oils on canvas
SOLD

it started snowing today... which should make this Wyoming cowboy feel right at home.
i have been working on this for over three weeks as well as another painting which is still not finished...
things seem to be happening to my way of seeing so i am taking a lot longer to complete each painting.
when is a painting done? i look at the number of paintings i produced in previous years and i promise you, i probably spend more hours at the easel now than i did in the past (average of 8 hours or more per day). i wonder where i am going with this new metamorphosis in sight...

study of dreams 2/vii 11" x 13"

2011-11-18T11:45:00.004Z

oils on canvas
FOR SALE
If you would like to purchase this painting, please send your bid to rahinaqh@gmail.com

this is the previous painting that i posted over a month ago, now as complete as i can go with it. i have been working on this as well as another painting continuously starting early, finishing late... content;)

the colours in the painting are of a simple palette: such a palette allows me an uncluttered skin canvas on which to develop the theme of the face and the direction i want to take your gaze and then question who is watching who.... for me the older face is as beautiful to paint as autumn must be for a landscape painter...

underpainting

2011-10-11T20:54:00.003+01:00

every now and then i have to go away for about a month at a time and the time has come to leave my easel for that period of time again. as i organised and packed i couldn't stay away from starting an underpainting... while doing this i managed to get the car washed, pruned a tree, planted some flowers for spring, cooked, cleaned and organised my books etc and yes, i still have a bag to pack!! so why start an underpainting? if you are familiar with the story of the elves and the shoemaker then i guess that is the only analogy i can find... when i get back, this painting will be waiting to be further developed as an underpainting as it is still incomplete at this stage.... and may be at the back of my mind i'm thinking some elves will come and finish it for me;)

study of dreams series 2/vi 12" x 16"

2011-10-10T17:07:00.006+01:00

oils on canvas

FOR SALE
If you would like to purchase this painting, please send your bid rahinaqh@gmail.com

I recently watched a video by Scott Waddell and used his model (i mean the actual person frozen on computer screen) and his palette to paint this portrait. it was interesting to compare my choices with his ... an excellent learning experience. it was quite a challenge to work deprived of colours that i am instinctively drawn to but it makes one more creative to use what they have. Scott starts with a pencil sketch of the subject and then transfers that to canvas and outlines it with raw umber. he then works like an ant over the surface of the face moulding it with the paint.

my process is rather different: i start with my brush and raw umber diluted with a mix of turps and linseed and feel my way around the face... several hours and even a day later i am still fiddling around with the underpainting. then i move in with the other colours, developing form and sometimes i make major changes to my underpainting as i really get to know the face. i take short breaks as i become quite blind to the larger picture

perhaps this painting would not have been done if a portrait i had been working on for over two weeks had not been destroyed;)

Keith Proctor and Jack in Glasgow

2011-10-09T19:10:00.003+01:00

i met Keith Proctor, his son Jack and his wife Debbie today at the exhibition of his paintings at Castle Galleries in Glasgow. It was great to see his paintings up close: the 'Jack' paintings are so much more full of energy in reality! Keith is a brilliant artist with a great eye for composition and play of light. and what i particularly liked about Mr Proctor was his generosity, humility and openness. Jack of course took the limelight: what we see in the painting, a child unpretentious and in his own world is what you see in reality.... this was a pleasure to see.

his paintings are well worth investing in: i watched two paintings (a print and an original) fly off the walls half an hour of each other! Check out his blog and see for yourselves: http://keithproctor.blogspot.com

L.A. Ring a Danish artist

2011-10-04T08:42:00.007+01:00

i wanted to share some of these images of the work of artist L.A. Ring. I was recently sent a book from Norway (my sister and my beautiful nephews are always on the look out for books to help me improve;) with the work of Harald Sohlberg (a wonderful Norwegian artist) and Ring. I fell in love with Sohlberg's work when I visited Oslo earlier this year and to discover Ring's work is a delight. I photographed these images from my book as there are so few online... the man at the doorway is my favourite.. i use that as my desktop image;)

study of dreams series 2/v 10" x 14"

2011-09-15T10:58:00.011+01:00

oils on canvas
FOR SALE
If you would like to purchase this painting, please send your bid rahinaqh@gmail.com

it's grown to this... worth knowing what my fellow artists think if you have time

listened to Chuck Close being interviewed by his biographer Christopher Finch. it is a wonderful enabling dialogue from Chuck and his perspective on art: honest, sincere and unpretentious... personally it gave me belief in being myself rather than trying to be Velezquez;)

if you have an hour and a half to spare or while you paint, go to this website and hope you see what i mean:

http://www.artbabble.org/video/aic/chuck-close-conversation-christopher-finch

study of dreams series 2/iv 10" x 14"

2011-09-09T14:28:00.012+01:00

oils on canvas

for sale
If you would like to purchase this painting, please send your bid rahinaqh@gmail.com

apologises for posting this and then not posting it again for a few days.... a family crisis took up all my time. though i am still occupied with that, there is nothing better than the smell of linseed oil to repair one's focus;)
this painting has elements of where i am trying to get to....a direction! ok, a window;) the window is small and i had not noticed it before as being a useful light source.
if i were to name this i'd call it 'Velezquez's window' and hope to do more in this series if i don't get distracted by shoes etc.

study of dreams series 2/iii 12" x 16"

2011-09-08T14:52:00.008+01:00

oils on canvas

FOR SALE
If you would like to purchase this painting, please send your bid rahinaqh@gmail.com

a painting based on a sculpture in the Glasgow Art Gallery... she seemed oblivious of her frozen beauty. i guess art of art is okay since all we paint has already been sculpted by nature or people.

study of dreams series 2/ii 12" x 16"

2011-09-02T10:23:00.005+01:00

oils on canvas

FOR SALE
If you would like to purchase this painting, please send your bid rahinaqh@gmail.com

there might be different readings of this painting...
for me, it was the composition
of a guy playing a West African drum
with 'Dominican Republic' written across his t-shirt

study of dreams XII 22" x 18"

2011-07-07T23:39:00.000+01:00

oils on classeans belgian linen canvas
SOLD

This is the painting that was recently sold to Karen Schmidt... to cut a long story short, the original painting had been mounted wrongly and i decided to repaint it while the framer sorted out the problem. By the time he had sorted it out, I was well on my way into this one and determined to make it better as I had already made Karen wait for the painting she originally wanted. It was an anxious two weeks as I had made many changes and she and her husband had liked the original. this evening i sighed with relief... they had finally got it and are delighted with it... what more can i ask for? they very kindly sent me a photo of it in their home:)
this brightened my evening as i have just had a wee operation on my right hand and won't be able to paint for a while... i shouldn't even be typing and i think my doc sometimes looks at my blog....

study of dreams series 2/i 16" x 20"

2011-06-17T16:31:00.005+01:00

oils on canvas

FOR SALE
If you would like to purchase this painting, please send your bid rahinaqh@gmail.com

this has been on the easel forever and a day...
i wanted to capture the stage of life of this woman... that precarious mid-twenties stage leaving behind a childhood and facing adulthood.... of course it is my interpretation of a precious moment:) r.

on another note i recently sold study of dreams xii (man wearing hat and trench coat) to a brilliant artist and fellow blogger Karen Mathison Schmidt Check out her paintings: the energy and effective use of colour is sublime!

three old works

2011-05-16T11:48:00.000+01:00

16" x 12"

10" x 10"

24" x 36"

these are three paintings (a copy after Van Gogh, an original tree from me, and a copy after Picasso) i did a few years back and which, for one reason or another, i did not post on the blog...
they all still carry a lot of meaning for me and none bar the copy of Picasso's work do i still have (for some reason i am quite attached to this terrible replication).
the interesting thing is that although i know more about painting in oils now than when i did these, i like them because they were spontaneous, from the heart, a totally absorbed passion without inhibition....
I hope to be back in my painting saddle next week some time and hope i haven't regressed too much after 8 weeks of not painting... but i have lots of observation and thoughts which i hope will hold me in good stead;)

African art and Picasso

2011-04-01T04:26:00.000+01:00

it is fascinating when i find a jewel of personal significance and in this case it was in the African civilisation collection on loan to SIngapore Asian Civilizations Museum. Picasso was influenced by the masks made by African tribes and the resemblance in some of his paintings (i wasn't allowed to photograph them) is uncanny... anyway he says something...
"who sees the human face correctly the photographer, the mirror, the painter?"
nice, eh?

unfinished study 20" x 16"

2011-03-24T18:48:00.000Z

oils on canvas

why put an unfinished study on the blog? i didn't have time to complete it and hope to do that in a few weeks when i return to my easel. i hope to post some sketches during my time away... and all you who have access to an easel and your paints... enjoy;)

study of statue 16" x 20"

2011-03-21T17:29:00.001Z

oils on canvas
for sale
If you would like to purchase this painting, please send your bid rahinaqh@gmail.com

statues are timeless... as i painted this i thought wouldn't it be wonderful if time could stop still while i caught up on all the time i lost not painting?
imagine after 200 years i might just be able to wink at Vermeer like a fellow artist... nice dream, eh?

decommissioned 16" x 20"

2011-02-15T16:30:00.004Z

SOLD
If you would like to purchase this painting, please send your bid rahinaqh@gmail.com

a pair of boots, hanging in an attic in Oslo, used during compulsory military service. the mud and scuff of many years ago.... so significant now.

oils on canvas

mind the gap

2011-02-13T10:10:00.001Z

i will post a new piece soon but meanwhile i wanted to share this:

if any of you are in Glasgow, why not pop into Mind the Gap: it's a new art shop and it has 7 of my works hanging up for sale for a few weeks:) Ann and David, who run Mind the Gap, are both artists themselves and do special deals for artists on art material and support local artists... now doesn't all that sound good:)

De Courcys Arcade
5/21 Cresswell Lane
Glasgow
G12 8AA
Tel: 0141 3342144

study of dreams XVIIII 16" x 20"

2011-02-05T13:32:00.004Z

oils on canvas

FOR SALE
If you would like to purchase this painting, please send your bid rahinaqh@gmail.com

spent a few days in Oslo visiting galleries and meeting other artists. this painting is not how i had intended but i guess it is what it is.

study of dreams XVIII 16" x 12"

2011-01-17T09:15:00.004Z

oils on canvas

FOR SALE
If you would like to purchase this painting, please send your bid rahinaqh@gmail.com

there is a eucalyptus tree in my garden. it was slightly taller than me a few years ago. now it has outgrown me five times over and its new heights are beyond my reach... it is an evergreen and so a source of colour and hope through the winter months. the leaves have become a raw umber muddied with white (or vise versa)... i wonder if it has survived the well-below-freezing temperatures we have been having lately... i hope so

study of dreams XVII 16" x 12"

2011-01-09T15:39:00.003Z

oils on canvas

FOR SALE
If you would like to purchase this painting, please send your bid rahinaqh@gmail.com

a slightly different style... hmmm...

study of dreams XV 8" x 10"

2011-01-03T10:28:00.003Z

oils on canvas
FOR SALE
If you would like to purchase this painting, please send your bid rahinaqh@gmail.com

i hope my fellow bloggers have had their fill of the festivities and 2011 is a productive year for us all. here is my opening to 2011, something i have never tried before: an animal!!
i do love the idea of having a dog... you know, company while you paint rather like Don Gray's Winslow but a recent experience with a rather depressed anxious guinea pig has put that idea on hold;)

study of dreams XIV 12" x 16"

2010-12-21T17:35:00.000Z

oils on canvas
SOLD

i posted this and took it off; readjusted it and re-posted it; stayed there for about a couple of hours and then took it off; now i've had the thumbs up from the buyer and all's well so here it is again... it's a daft life;)

study of dreams XIII 14" x 17"

2010-12-15T09:56:00.000Z

oils on canvas
SOLD

just want to share some of my understanding in art whch may be useful/useless;)
i have often been told that it is important to keep painting no matter what. it is not enough to keep painting without vision. if i don't really know what i am challenging myself to do, then i'll just keep doing the same stuff and development won't take place. from my own experience when i have a clear goal eg turn from shadow to light on different areas of the face or balancing values etc, the first thing i have to do is to really understand the concept. for me that means studying and copying the old masters so that it is not just a cerebral exercise but a physical one in which i can feel and almost taste what the experienced artist acheived and it is easier to critique myself as i stand back and compare both versions.... rant over and out;)

study of dreams XII 18" x 24"

2010-12-10T13:56:00.004Z

oils on canvas
FOR SALE
If you would like to purchase this painting, please send your bid rahinaqh@gmail.com

this series has been going a long time and will continue til i feel i have made a turn... hopefully it won't be back the way;)

study of dreams XI 16" x 12"

2010-12-03T13:10:00.003Z

oils on canvas
FOR SALE
If you would like to purchase this painting, please send your bid rahinaqh@gmail.com

i have been painting despite not posting as nothing seemed to work for a long time. spent time copying stuff using charcoal, maybe i'll post that at some time but the ten or so canvases that i have destroyed made an excellent bonfire.

... and if you must ask, that thing around the neck is a bunch of furry tennis balls that have been well worn out on a tennis court...or maybe lots of rabbit tails or a fake fur scarf... take your pick.

study of dreams X 12" x 16"

2010-11-07T14:58:00.002Z

oils on frederix canvas

FOR SALE
If you would like to purchase this painting, please send your bid rahinaqh@gmail.com

a face merged into a face, blurred my vision
put on my glasses to sort it out
didn't help....
brush wanted to go one way, vision in my head another
eventually there was a compromise...

i have often been asked why i have kept the same title for these recent posts: it is something i wish to achieve thus the title, not very imaginative but there you have it;)

study of dreams IX

2010-11-05T11:31:00.000Z

oils on fredrix canvas
SOLD

a fascinating study... never realised how much information could be stored within a moustache and beard;)

study of dreams VIII 12" x 16"

2010-11-02T16:19:00.003Z

oils on fredrix canvas

FOR SALE
If you would like to purchase this painting, please send your bid rahinaqh@gmail.com

i once read that it is always possible to save an oil painting.... well after the destruction of nine canvases, i think i am in a good position to refute that theory;)

i photographed this again since the first posting:)

study of dreams VII 12" x 16"

2010-10-26T03:27:00.002+01:00

oils on fredrix canvas
FOR SALE
if you are interested in buying this painting send your bid to me at rahinaqh@gmail.com

every now and then something comes to mind while painting and i write stuff, not poetry but ramblings... here is the latest:

not a piece in your jigsaw
am i
but a jigsaw in my own right

study of dreams VI 12" x 15"

2010-10-12T15:52:00.001+01:00

oils canvas paper SOLD

it is a delightful thing to see a young man's resulting attempt at wearing a suit and tie.... after a few hours the tie must feel like a noose:))

study of dreams V 12" x 15"

2010-10-01T11:08:00.003+01:00

oils on canvas paper
FOR SALE
If you would like to purchase this painting, please send your bid rahinaqh@gmail.com

it's all there, available if we have the insight to see it... ok what am i ranting about? take the colour of the whites of the eyes... there is burnt umber, ultramarine, naples yellow and a smidge of white... why did someone decide to call them the 'whites' of eyes and confuse us... ok, confuse me;)

study of dreams IV 6" x 6"

2010-09-27T15:21:00.001+01:00

oils on claessens oil primed belgian linen SOLD

went for a walk yesterday and came back with wild autumn flowers, pine cones, berries, rose hips and moss.

study of dreams II 12" x 15.5"

2010-09-06T17:50:00.000+01:00

oils on canvas paper SOLD

i loved the freshness of this moment.... that's all:)

study of dreams 12" x 15.5"

2010-09-04T23:30:00.001+01:00

oils on canvas paper

FOR SALE
If you would like to purchase this painting, please send your bid rahinaqh@gmail.com

almost three months since i touched a paintbrush... and with a push and a shove and most important for me, huge chunk of concentrated uninterrupted time (a luxury these days) .... a weak start .... but a start nevertheless:)

inspirational people

2010-08-12T12:28:00.000+01:00

Back in Glasgow, and it is good to be home again. I look around this familiar landscape with renewed vision and fall in love again and believe again to chase my dreams is never too late...
Below are some quotes from comments I received on the previous post (click on the comments link under the post to see them in full) from some fine artists with a reflective eye. I wanted to share these with others because i found them more than just touching.
thank you all:)

... I can so relate to feeling this way with my painting at times. But I've also found that a break is a good thing. (Janelle Goodwin)

...I feel that way while I'm at home sometimes. Maybe a lot of times. Perhaps the rugged Nova Scotia coast will entice to sketch in preparation for oils on linen that will speak of your travels... (Artscapes)

... Sometimes we need to just observe. (Karen Bruson)

...I had taken myself out of the "rhythm" of the painting work and although I've been home 4 days now I am not yet back in it. But these breaks can be useful in ways we don't fully appreciate at the time. Please don't beat yourself about the head over it. Just relax - sketch if you feel like it and don't bother if you don't. It doesn't mean you are any less of an artist! Enjoy your travels! Halifax sounds like a good place to see and appreciate. (Sheila Vaughan)

...It is interesting how some people react to travel to other places. Whether out of the country or not, a new place often feels foreign, stimulating the powers of observation. I really enjoyed your comments on the appearance of many American city-dwellers in the previous post. So many have lost, or insist on hiding, any sense of humanity under some mask or false identity. Portraying the mask and the humanity beneath it is an artistic calling for some.I predict that these experiences will feed your muse, and stimulate even more profound work when you return to your studio. Keep your eyes and mind open! (diddamsdigitalart)

...We need to breathe both in and out. This is a time for in, when you get back to your paints, it will be time to release. (Joanne Licsko)

... at least this experience is showing you how precious your painting practice is to you, how personal and intimate your tools have become, what dear friends they are - self-knowledge worth having ... so i think go with your feelings and responses, tuck the pending joyous reunion away in a corner of your heart, and be free to savour all the ups and downs of being a traveller. (Harry Kent)

... As a wise artist once told me, 'Even though the brush is not moving, the eye still paints'. I've found it to be true, and hope you will, too. (r garriott)

...even if the work doesn't work out,it will still be good learning for when you get back in your comfort zone,don't worry about the result,it is all experience,what have you got to loose?
you are in your head,try it and it will bring you in the moment (rob ijbema)

painting

2010-07-11T13:45:00.000+01:00

i admire my fellow bloggers' tenacity and determination to paint or draw no matter where they go. puts me to shame as the charcoal and drawing paper and putty rubber still lie unused on the edge of my desk surrounded by work papers and books. my usual self and energy is sapped, i stare at these tools of art as though they are strangers to my fingers and even worse as though they belong to someone else and i fear to touch them.
so from Scotland to Boston to my next stop.... it was supposed to be the Berkshires MA and then Brooklyn, New York but........ it is to be Halifax Nova Scotia. three weeks there and then back to Scotland. it seems as rugged and honest in scenery as my Scotland. Perhaps i will draw there though i feel like a musician whose muscles have lost something due to lack of practice.... will my eyes see those invisible measurements i was trying to perfect rather like moving my hand along the neck of the violin to hit my finger on the head of a note through sheer practice and instinct? i know only i miss my paints and the smells of distilled turps and the oil in the linen canvas and the give in a brush as i layer paint on its surface and the analysis of translation from eye to canvas... just a few more weeks...

other places

2010-07-04T18:28:00.000+01:00

i have bought some drawing paper and charcoal.... soon, i will post if i manage to make something reasonable enough to look at. meanwhile I'd like to share some thoughts on a new environment. i am in Boston but this is just a reflection on cities and western life:
......places are funny places til you find that special place...
and us people well we are such a variety or are we: there are those who are super healthy but freakish about it; those who walk around in baseball outfits and trainers and are obese; everyone wants to be an individual so they all look the same; and the only ones who have a look of humanity in their faces are those who have given up on it all...
.... I'm not impressed if that is what i was supposed to be. i am saddened to see subtlety and sensitivity replaced by brash, rash boldness, uncouth, apparent, a public post mortem....
i so want to get away from the constant buzzing of air condition units that haunt this city day and night; need to get away and touch the soil and find some moss to lay my head.
cities are cities wherever you go, someone peddling something at every corner. i now understand Edward Hopper and his paintings. he sums up the human state surgically in his isolated sad peoplescapes and landscapes.... i learn something from this...

art gazer 13" x 13"

2010-06-17T14:06:00.001+01:00

oils on claessens oil primed belgian linen

FOR SALE
If you would like to purchase this painting, please send your bid rahinaqh@gmail.com

this has been a long time thinking and this is as far as i am taking this one. any further and i am going to destroy any good there is in it:)
so when is a painting complete?
we're all God's little children trying to learn as Gary Keimig said and this made me feel like an ant scurrying around and it was all okay. Thanks Gary.

study of man 10" x 12"

2010-06-05T17:09:00.002+01:00

oils on hardboard

FOR SALE
If you would like to purchase this painting, please send your bid rahinaqh@gmail.com

back to portraits: in this case i have left most of the ground showing and wanted to experiment with drips on the surface...

study 16" x 12"

2010-06-04T16:14:00.002+01:00

oils on winsor and canvas board

FOR SALE
If you would like to purchase this painting, please send your bid rahinaqh@gmail.com

sometimes it takes diversions to get to the target. i was supposed to make an apple, ended with a bucket... hey, this study must have helped somewhere:)
thank you to Vincente for the reference photo.

a thought a day later: this is not finished... i will repost soon

study 8" x 11"

2010-05-24T18:21:00.000+01:00

oils on hardboard
for sale
her shoes were polished and probably squeaked when she walked... useful to know.

another life 16" x 12" study

2010-05-18T12:56:00.000+01:00

oils on hardboard
for sale
that's her job: to watch we don't do anything to the paintings in the Louvre.... i've been experiementing over the past few weeks and destroying a lot of paintings due to a lack of belief that after 'the ugly stage' there is hope.

on another point, i have taken to sitting and painting after spending three years on my feet. It actually makes me more patient and less grumpy:)

study 7" x 8"

2010-04-28T19:19:00.000+01:00

oils on claessens oil primed belgian linen
for sale
working on a new linen and learning how to adapt to this new surface. I think i have destroyed a large piece of canvas and so i thought i would go small for this piece. after the initial frustration of working in such a small size (compared to my usual size for portraits) i soon realised it had its advantages. i also learnt that for me, that firstly isolating the key colours on a scrap piece of paper, and then comparing the new colours i make up to these key colours helped me get values closer to what i wished to achieve.

and thanks to Paul Brown for advising me to use this linen. Check out his work... it is sublime!

sketch 16" x 12"

2010-04-17T10:54:00.000+01:00

charcoal and pastel on fine grain heavy weight paper
for sale
this is not how i expected it to come out... art is a journey and sometimes i think some other part of thinking takes over.

study of head

2010-04-15T15:08:00.000+01:00

oils on canvas paper
FOR SALE
for sale
i have found some oil primed belgian linen canvas which i hope to be using soon. i will have to prepare the boards for this myself. this should be interesting though i'd rather jsut get on with the paint. it is amazing how different surfaces affect the application of paint. that is probably why i have been working on canvas paper til i was able to source this belgian linen. it is expensive but i hope it will be a worthwhile investment.

meantime this study has kept me busy. now back to the easel and more experiments;)

the woman 16" x 12"

2010-04-13T09:29:00.000+01:00

oils on canvas paper
for sale
this is one of those studies that took me into what i thought were the thoughts of a woman, poverty stricken, face sunken with work and heat.

i love the idea of standing on the shoulders of giants: stepping gently with respect and care onto the great masters shoulders to develop further. yet there are those who obtain pleasure in crushing others in order to protray themselves as giants: as a result, they cannot be giants nor learn from them.

distance 11" x 16"

2010-04-07T16:29:00.000+01:00

charcoal and pastels on on acid free paper
FOR SALE
for sale
i do love moulding charcoal and pastel. it gives me another perspective yet i think continually about how i to achieve the same effect in oils. i needed this break from oil painting just to reflect.

just looking 20" x 16"

2010-03-29T15:00:00.000+01:00

oils on winsor on canvas paper
SOLD
for sale
i didn't know who was looking at who here! she went to a lot of effort to prepare for this in her japanese kimono.

space for vision 16" x 12"

2010-03-25T08:31:00.000Z

oils on canvas paper
sold
finally! i am reasonably satisfied with this. a humbling experience to get to this as i made errors i thought i had eradicated! on the positive, i learnt a lot: well i hope i've absorbed something from this mental and visual debate:) and a huge thanks to the patience and tolerance of my model.

space for a vision 18" x 14"

2010-03-18T18:01:00.000Z

REMOVED FOR READJUSTMENT again...will get it back up if it works:)

oils on winsor and newton canvas board

the more i paint portraits the more complex everything gets... it is like each time i have raised the bar to another level and the result is what it is. perhaps that is part of the whole process. after posting this, i took it off and spent time redoing things. clearly the bar is rising by the hour:)matbe i just can't jump it:)

update: i have to restart this painting. i spent yesterday trying to rescue it: i was unhappy with many things that i had done. now, well, there comes a point where you have to say, stop, start afresh.

morning portrait 16" x 16"

2010-03-06T15:48:00.000Z

oils on winsor and newton canvas board
for sale
i begged her to come early in the morning because i wanted to paint her: her hair bedraggled and eyes still rather sleepy.... i liked that look.

Portrait 16" x 16"

2010-03-04T13:37:00.000Z

oils on winsor and newton canvas board
for sale
it feels like a long time since i have been able to get into my painting. there are a few reasons and my time has eaten up by other commitments. however, painting remains clearly at the forefront and my determination renewed with this beautiful spring sunshine we have today. r.

another study 16" x 14"

2010-02-18T12:59:00.001Z

oils on canvas paper
for sale
i am still trying to capture something (not haggises as some bloggers have suggested) and since my last post it has been a struggle to try and keep it clear in my mind: the turnings and play of light on the face; getting contrasts of light and dark right at the lit and dark parts of the face.
now need to get started on the next painting before this light disappears and the rest of life starts impinging on my painting time:)

on the other side 12" x 16"

2010-02-06T14:37:00.000Z

oils on winsor and newton canvas board
for sale
there are rare moments when i am not holding the camera to take photos and when i am caught on the other side i feel very uncomfortable! i am guessing this artist might feel similarly when being the subject of a painting: having someone peering and analysing your features is not something i would relish, yet perhaps it is an experience we artists should have: to sit for others to learn what it involves and what we could do to get the best out of our models if we are working from life. having said that.... maybe i'll try it next year or the year after:)

study of a face 16" x 14"

2010-01-31T09:52:00.000Z

oils on winsor and newton canvas paper
for sale
when painting a face, for me, is like a journey into that person's life; a reflection on my own life; and an analysis of tones and colours.
with a simple pallette i feel so much more in control. i titled this 'a study' only because i feel i need to come back to this subject and develop it further. definately no room for complacency:)

generation apart 8" x 8"

2010-01-23T14:05:00.000Z

oils on panel board

practising with loose brushwork and limited pallette. i intend to do more studies in a similar vein. i wanted to keep the grandmother rather faded despite her being more in front. and on a personal note, these two treat each other like princesses:)r.

the second painting was done later and finished today but i have put both under the same post simply because i was continuing in a similar thought. the title, perhaps inappropriate, seemed so right to me.

a handful 12" x 8" (revamped)

2010-01-11T21:07:00.000Z

oils on winsor and newton canvas board
not a strong study i guess but it's all i could manage. i probably won't be able to post for a while due to some other issues. it is going to be difficult to stay away from my easel but perhaps being forced to might also push me to reflect on my painting. so packing some art books which i hope i will read rather than just look at the pictures:)r.

i have reworked this painting since initially posting it (jan 24)

morning light 18" x 14"

2010-01-04T10:30:00.000Z

oils on winsor and newton canvas board
have you ever watched people's dazed expression and body language when they get up looking for breakfast? well maybe having someone waiting in the kitchen with a camera in hand produces such a reaction.

inside out 10" x 8"

2009-12-26T11:15:00.000Z

oils on winsor and newton canvas board
a wonderful fruit to eat inside when it is snowing outside. snowflakes falling an inch and half in diameter... i'll go for a walk with ipod.

christmas morning walk

2009-12-25T12:04:00.000Z

went for a walk this morning. the forest silent except for the the birds. and then the sun came out. i could hear the dripping of melting snow from branches and i remember snow melting on a face. as i made my way home again, and looked at homes, curtains still drawn, people still slumbering in beds... and yet something magical was happening outside....

silence 10" x 8"

2009-12-23T09:50:00.001Z

oils on winsor and newton canvas board
an old door handle, perhaps even a door knocker, rusted and bent from over a hundred years of use, stands still, unacknowledged, always serving its purpose. i guess if it stopped being there it would be missed.

thank you all of you near and far for your support throughout 2009: it has meant so much to me. although i have not met many of you i value you and your individual contributions, suggestions, humour and support .....and yes you would be sorely missed if you stopped being there:) wishing you all the best in health and spirits in the coming year. my new year resolution: to paint better:) take care, r.

self determination

2009-12-10T14:08:00.000Z

charcoal and pastel on paper

the title states something about this woman: her determination to be herself and to be accepted for herself. i believe she has achieved that to a large extent and has let go of a lot of her old ghosts. this is of course only my humble interpretation. if this had been a painting i would definately have put her in a sparkly purple outfit....i think she is going to hate me for writing this:))

beyond knowing

2009-11-25T18:33:00.000Z

oils on winsor and newton canvas board
This is a commission for this young man's family. i never knew him but it is strange how through painting someone, you kind of get to know something.i had only a black and white photo and somehow the orangy red in the background was my instinctive choice of colour. i later learnt that this was important to him.

not forgotten...

2009-11-21T11:09:00.000Z

sold

oils on winsor and newton canvas board

These were painted some time ago and never put on the blog. i have a soft spot for them as they individually remind me of different times in the recent past and stuff that i was going through. the first of the child is from an idea i saw in Bongart's book that resonated with me; the pears was a single pear painted over and over again because i thought this would help; the pencil and rubber was another study in which i wanted to control my paint; and the broken glass was the bottle that i used in previous posts when it broke accidentally on purpose for the sake of art.

man in brown 16" x 12"

2009-11-14T13:39:00.000Z

oils on winsor and newton canvas board
this has taken me a lot longer to complete as i restudied and reworked edges and colour. i continue the studies and have put this on the blog though there is so much more analysis to be done.

after note: i read this on Sadie Valeri's blog
Sometimes a piece of artwork is falling out of control but we can't admit it. We are too attached to the work we have already put in, and we want the artwork to be better than it is. This is where integrity comes in: the artist must hold themselves to the highest standard, otherwise no learning or exploration is happening. If we tell ourselves our art is "good enough" it isn't. That is self-deception.

To be art, it must be better than "good enough".

Do what it takes to learn and get better with every mark of every piece. Otherwise, we may as well go find a less demanding endeavor. Why be an artist, if not to get better?

woman in blue II 10" x 8"

2009-11-07T15:29:00.000Z

oils on winsor and newton canvas board

ok so i didn't take up bungee jumping as my vocation in life.... instead i turned her around a bit or maybe i turned my easel around and here she is from another perspective.

woman in blue I 8" x 10"

2009-11-06T13:07:00.000Z

oils on winsor and newton canvas board

i have been driven to despair by this woman. over a week of studies... just when i thought i had sorted something out about art, it comes up and says 'you got a heck of a lot to learn'...
so here are some of the phrases in my head that stopped me throwing all my charcoals and paints and brushes out the window: slow down... what is that colour, really think about which way it is going.... a lot of artists take months or years to sort out a painting.... maybe a cup of coffee and cheesecake will make you feel better about your painting... i wonder what charcoal tastes like.... i won't try that again... i've never done hand-gliding or bungee-jumping...slow down with that paint brush for goodness sake...

study III 16" x 12"

2009-10-28T11:51:00.000Z

charcoal and chalk on canvas paper
this portrait has kept me at the easel for over 5 days. i initially started painting with the model present; then i came home and continued the painting but wasn't happy with how it was going; then i decided to draw using reference photos... no, still not right; then i started the painting again... worse; then with a determination and an early start yesterday, and several hours later, this is the result.
i also drew on canvas paper and loved the freedom that it gave with charcoal (though not so for oils which seem to dry too quickly for my liking).

study II 11" x 16"

2009-10-19T14:07:00.000+01:00

charcoal and pastel on paper
SOLD
i have spent days doing portraits in charcoal and although dissatisfied with the result, i learnt something... i hope. meanwhile, i came across a photo i took recently at the start of autumn at the reservoir near my home and spurred on by my music i decided to do it in charcoal. i had specifically set out to photograph skies and water: water because i love how it sparkles and dances in the sun; and clouds because i have always loved them. my earliest memory, as a child of 5 or 6, lying in the garden looking up at the clouds passing by and imagining how wonderful it would be to travel on one to another land. i even choose my cloud depending on how friendly it looked as some looked liked gargoyles. from that first memory to this, my first real attempt at drawing these.

study I 11" x 16"

2009-10-16T11:56:00.000+01:00

charcoal and pastel
SOLD
yesterday i went to an art class: the model, a young woman, was brilliant... after 2 hours of charcoal drawing, i left the class with a blank sheet of paper. devastated by my incompetence and lack of ability, i dragged my feet out with head hanging. hands covered in charcoal dust, i wiped a tear before it became noticible to anyone... i leave the rest to your imagination. the others had not responded in the same way as i did, and jollyed away home.
so i decided today, as i couldn't bring the model with me, i would do the next best thing and work from a recent photograph. and i am banned from oils until i have done several studies. my self imposed ban probably won't last but at least i got one charcoal drawing to an okayish stage.

solitude 12" x 16"

2009-10-10T13:34:00.000+01:00

oils on winsor and newton canvas board
i spent quite some time working on a charcoal study of the values before i attempted the painting. he was an excellent model, constantly maintaining the same pose for the two hours with only a few yawns and one break in between! unfortunately the model couldn't be there during the oil painting stage (i think that would have tested his patience too far) so i took some reference photos after the sitting to complete this painting. backgrounds fascinate me and looking at other artists' work and the backgrounds they use, i still seem to come up with my own version... :))

funk, chic and attitude

2009-10-02T12:11:00.000+01:00

oils on winsor and newton canvas board
how do you title a painting? the titles i use often seem like a factual statement of items painted. however, sometimes on a more emotional level, the painting responds... perhaps obvious only to the painter. thus, my excuse for the title. this young woman is the gentlest of indviduals i know and it was good to glimpse this side of her. (i have made some changes to this since the first time i posted it... more greens etc)

woman in profile 16" x 14"

2009-09-25T14:22:00.000+01:00

oils on winsor and newton canvas board
i started this one some weeks ago and then left it as i couldn't work out how to move forward on it. today something said finish it.... so after several hours of focus on those skin tones and shadows this is the result. but i have a sneaky suspicion i will do something to it tomorrow. meanwhile on to the next...

attached 14" x 10"

2009-09-20T15:02:00.000+01:00

oils on winsor and newton canvas board
it was a chilly spring day, a walk in the forest, a moment... a glimpse of a heart... if we have the vision to see.

artist as still life 14" x 10"

2009-09-15T14:57:00.000+01:00

oils on winsor and newton canvas board
ok a strange subject, composition, expression... but this is how i feel sometimes after hours of painting that turn to mud and i think i should apply for a real job. however, don't you think there should be a thought bubble above his head? i wonder if my fellow bloggers can suggest something funny or serious that he might be thinking....

the rose garden 10" x 8"

2009-09-11T13:46:00.000+01:00

SOLD
oils on winsor and newton canvasboard
a beautiful sunny day and a walk in the rose garden... i hope i have done justice to the moment.

differences 10" x 8"

2009-09-09T10:47:00.000+01:00

oils on gessoed hardboard SOLDthis painting was started some weeks ago and worked on repeatedly over a period of time. how can a clump of garlic and a shallot give one so much anxiety? the title was just an instinctive response.... recently i have been working on a commission for a portrait, which i will post with the owner's approval.
after thought: a comment from Chuck Dilmore about the anxiety i felt made me realise that it was a result of having a certain image of what i wanted to achieve in mind before i started the painting and as it developed i became more and more worried as it was not going as i initially intended. it was put away and when i did rework it i had come to an acceptance of the painting as my 'style' and thus the title. suddenly everything falls into place

three pears 10" x 12"

2009-09-04T08:56:00.000+01:00

oils on canvasboard
i think it was Bongart who said 'make lots of starts and the finishes will take care of themselves'. it has been some time since i posted as i made 'lots of starts' but bad finishes. it was frustrating as each painting became more and more distorted with every additional brushstroke and for each i had such high hopes. however, it was not a waste (well of paint, yes) but a valuable experience in understanding oils better, learning more about my own preferred style. perhaps i am taking the roughest road to understanding but somehow a few falls and grazed knees are quite memorable experiences:))

bottle of water 16" x 12"

2009-08-19T16:50:00.000+01:00

oils on newton and winsor canvas board

one problem i have found with still lifes is the changing light. I could use a proper set up with lamps but prefer natural light. being in Scotland, sun and cloud are in constant competition. So i need to take reference photographs and for this i have found a use for my younger son: officially appointed, unpaid. He can get to all angles, pliable as a chimney sweep. And I move the set up around and let him know when the sun is about to appear from behind a cloud. he has microseconds to take the photographs before another cloud appears.

empty bottles 12" x 12"

2009-08-15T15:15:00.000+01:00

oils on winsor and newton canvas board

i had this small collection of bottles lying in the back of a kitchen cupboard, bought many years ago. i like what happens to sunlight through coloured glass. it is rather like looking up at the sun through the swaying of tree branches, everything sparkles and dances. as a result i was mesmerised while painting this one:)

little dreams

2009-08-14T11:43:00.000+01:00

a fellow blogger sent me this link. as i struggle with my next painting, it lightened me up to keep going with a laugh.
Thanks W. R. Jones

glass of cherries 12" x 12"

2009-08-09T14:54:00.000+01:00

oils on newton and winsor canvasboard
this setup had the elements that make me skip a heartbeat: glass, cherries and the play of light on these. although i started off with very controlled brush work, as it progressed my instinct got the better of me...

three persimmons 8" x 8"

2009-08-06T10:25:00.000+01:00

oils on winsor and newton canvas board SOLDi have destroyed several paintings since my last post. still trying to reign in that mad painting hand. this is the second painting of the persimmons, the first one was another victim of my impatience.

on another note, a warm thank you to Jala Pfaff, an immensely creative artist for awarding me the Bella Sinclair Award (her July 26th post). Check out her blog if you haven't already.
as i have already received this sisterhood award, i just wanted to say thank you to Jala for thinking of me:)

man in hat 16" x 12"

2009-07-25T13:11:00.000+01:00

oils on winsor and newton canvas board
what kind of man/brother/father/uncle/husband/uncle/friend is he? i know nothing about him except his face is polished by the weather. my interpretation is a visual scan of a beautiful face. i often wonder if people realise what beauty they have in their faces... i would paint every face i see: each is so special.

plums and bottle 12" x 12"

2009-07-21T09:19:00.000+01:00

oils on winsor and newton canvas board SOLD
this painting was started and restarted so many times as i tried to get the composition right and several times i almost gave up. somewhere in the back of my mind the words 'an oil painting can never go wrong' kept me persevering. i think this works for me sometimes and other times i think well i'm so glad there is turps and i can wipe it all down and use the canvas again. i enjoy painting glass, and the plums had such deep rich attractive colours with a translucent splash here and there.

shallot half 8" x 8"

2009-07-15T13:20:00.000+01:00

oils on winsor and newton canvas board SOLDAnother slice of anything sliceable. the unfortunate thing with fresh produce is that they wither and dry quite quickly. this shallot 'gargoylised' overnight and reared it's internals to positions that made it difficult to visualise the fresh cut form of the day before. the second picture shows the set up with my 'patented' wire:)

slice of orange 8" x 8"

2009-07-14T14:09:00.000+01:00

oils on winsor and newton canvas board
SOLD
i have spent the last few days building up a painting of sunflowers... but i had to put it aside as it needs a fresh approach. so it sits facing the wall until we can face each other again. the orange slice was my way of reigning myself in, controlling the rush of visual information. the most problematic part was the set up: behind this sliver of orange lies a skewer and metal wire to help prop it up. i enjoyed making this one and with my inventive scaffolding i might try a few others in a similar vein.

sunflowers between the lines 12" x 12 "

2009-07-08T10:15:00.000+01:00

oils on winsor and newton canvas board
i bought these flowers several days ago and told myself i would not paint them but just enjoy them as they are. but sunflowers have such strange expressions and limbs and tangly bits... okay, so i needed to paint them. the newspaper just happened to be lying around my room, an old copy which, would you believe, had an article about van gogh and his ear? nothing strange about that really because i had kept it for that specific reason. the text on the paper was as it was when i wrapped the flowers.

not forgotten... 10" x 8"

2009-07-08T06:15:00.000+01:00

oils on winsor and newton canvas board
during one of my walks about the house during this illness i found that someone had knocked off the head of one of my geraniums and left it to wither.... as a child i used to try and grow geraniums but never had enough to buy good soil so i grew them in peat. they always died and i was always saddened that they withered, never mind flowered. now i grow quite a few of them, and each one is precious...

kettle 20 x 20 cm

2009-07-04T14:02:00.000+01:00

oils on winsor and newton canvas board
I enjoy painting vessels and if they have reflections and light splashes it is a bonus. There was a lovely early morning light tinged with blues and purples coming through the doorway on to the dark stove.

blurred reflections 40 x 30 cm

2009-06-26T17:16:00.000+01:00

oils on winsor and newton canvas board
sometimes subjects can get blurry in the mind's eye. this is probably one of those as two images merged to produce a totally new one! skin tones still danced as my working memory tried to take in too much information and packaged it in the wrong way so that by the time the brush was about to touch the canvas, i had to retract and review. this one was a struggle though i must admit the brush did most of the work: mixed paints with a mind of its own and applied it with a passion and madness not contributed to me:)

face in winter sun 45 x 34 cm

2009-06-24T09:18:00.000+01:00

oils on winsor and newton canvas board

she is probably one of the most upbeat people i know despite everything life has thrown at her. how to describe her: tough little thing, determined, gentle, articulate, selfless, pushes saddness inside herself and faces the winter sun.

Need your objectivity

2009-06-07T18:09:00.000+01:00

I am trying to get together some paintings for an exhibition. Cost of framing is extortionate and I need to be selective. Could anyone visiting my blog suggest which ten to fifteen paintings they think I should put forward by scrolling down and looking at the paintings I have so far produced? Or even a handful that you feel definately should be framed. You could leave a comment or contact me at my email address rahinaqh@gmail.com
I will be adding paintings over the next few months which could also be part of your selection. I will keep you posted on how things go.
Thank you so much for your help. r.

apples in sunlight 40 x 30 cm

2009-06-02T16:42:00.000+01:00

oils on canvasboard

It's hot for Scotland and the afternoon sun just pours through my window so I thought I'd take advantage of the play of sunlight. As time progressed the shadows changed, and a cloud or two passed by. Interestingly, it all added to the development of the painting as I saw things in different lights. Luckily apples are pretty resilient fruit and survived the 25 degree centigrade heat without flustering. I hope these look like apples rather than giant cherries!