NUMBER 25-Evening Light, Leadenhall Market II, 24" x 30", Oil on Canvas, 2011
Both paintings featured in this post are two of my best spots in London. Leadenhall Market is an amazing structure and has its beauty at anytime of the day. I love it best at evening light and having painted it once before I decided to embark on a larger piece for a group exhibition I had last year at Enid Lawson Gallery.
The piece was done entirely in the studio and I worked from a photographic reference. To see some steps on how I developed this piece from start to finish, click HERE from a post I did on it last year.
The beauty of painting this piece was that I enjoyed the mystery of the figures evolving from the underpainting as can be seen from a picture of how it looked during the process below
It sold during the exhibition and is one of my best studio pieces till date.
NUMBER 26-Winter Grey Afternoon, Sloane Square, 24" x 18", oil on canvas, 2011
This painting was done entirely outdoor over 2 sittings. I remember it being so cold in January last year when I did this piece that I developed a stab of cold in the back even with all my layers of warm clothes. Click HERE to see some progress shots of this painting in progress and my ice breaker footwear from Cabelas
This piece sold at the Chelsea Art fair last year- it was one of the first paintings that sold that year and the beginning of a very successful year for me!
SPECIAL QUOTE
"Whether you are working indoor or outdoor, from photos or from life-You need to know what you want to do with what is in front of you. Don't just copy what's there, be in control, determine what you would like the composition to be like, what to take out, what to add, what to exaggerate, what to downplay, what to add more contrast to and what to soften.....the list of things you could do could go on. Just remember nobody is going to go back to the picture of place you painted to cross check, be an artist and not just a painter"-Adebanji Alade
6 comments:
Both paintings are exceptionally beautiful!!
What you're talking about is taking control of every aspect and making it your own....your advice is empowering!
Thanks Azra! I am glad you got something out of it! Keep on keeping on- everyone has a silent unique voice waiting to be heard, don't suppress it, reveal it!
In the last two years since I started painting most of my energy has been spent on learning the basics ,and still I feel I have so much to learn.That "silent unique voice" is there but I have not given it the space to grow.Its maybe the next step of my journey.Are there any exercises I can do to find that expression??
Thanks Azra-One method I know That works for me-Is to set some time aside from works you do to sell and just do some works that are what you really want to paint, things you are really passionate about, things that don't really need the approval of others. While doing these pieces, you'll spend quality time on them. You don't even need to show others these works-they are meant for you and for your total satisfaction.
It's while doing these works that you'll be able to nurture your own unique voice and it will aid the normal day to day work that you do.
Thanks Adebanji,you have given me so much to go on! I'll let you know how I get on. : )
Brilliant!!!
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