Work in Progress 6

In a previous post 'Work in Progress 3' I indicated that it was my intention to produce a couple of paintings that were more in the vein of "Armchair in Excavated Landscape" and "Mine". The following images reveal my progress so far. The intent in these paintings is to develop a more formal, visual relationship between open-cut coal mining practices, coal-fired power stations and those of us who use electrical energy supplied from the grid.

This is the underpainting of one of the linens I'm working on at the moment. The use of a tonal ground like this is in keeping with the method advocated by the French academy during the first ateliers. I have used a lean medium to apply a number of very thin first layers.

To assist with the design of this image I have collaged photographs with the use of Adobe Photoshop. These initial layers will be over-painted with opaque colour in further layers of increasingly thick and or fat paint. To complete the reference to a mining landscape, there will be the silhouettes of two draglines at the top, left of the image. If you look carefully you may see one penciled in already. The stretcher is 121 x 138cm.

The image below is also an incomplete underpainting on linen (138 x 138cm). When these paintings are seen together, I hope that the selection and style of objects, and indeed the way they are painted will make for a group of carefully crafted signifiers, allowing for clear and articualte visual communication and which will need no suporting langauge from me.

Thank you Derek for letting me borrow your vacuum cleaner.

Although these images are a little fussy and time-consuming given my deadline, I am enjoying working on them. I am hopeful that they will work out well and complement the paintings already completed for the show.