Lonely Room

What's this? A post so soon after the last? After making my last post the other day I discovered - and was most surprised - how few updates I actually made last year. Well that will certainly change this year, and I am already near half-way to posting more than 2014 already!

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WARNING, my confusing thoughts follow! Honestly had not planned this large bit of text to accompany the painting... Please feel free to scroll to the bottom for the image.


When in the loft at some point last year I took another look at my very first oil painting and snapped a photo of it. From my A-Level years of school, this was a final piece which was responsible for one of my better marks in Art.

Cue my reflections. Myself and Art at school (primarily talking about Senior/secondary here, I should note) did not tend to get along. I found it so very uninspiring to my interests in art and in affect it did not stretch me, or really show what I could do. Animals were always my strength but art lessons did not give such subjects as an option. It was always silly themes to choose from which I had trouble with interpreting to get the best from me. Reading as quite 'open' to interpretation they were nevertheless really not that open. The odd time I'd hit on to something, maybe the teachers seeing something, such as the teapots I drew (theme being 'vessels') being decent enough to work with further. I required help with my ideas to get my final pieces anywhere, generally, otherwise I would have sunk further into uninspired, uninterested art lessons bog. I'm surprised I wasn't totally put off from doing an art foundation after years of rubbish. I do feel quite embarrassed to tell people the sorts of grades I was getting at GCSE and A Levels. Going on an arty route people expect As. Ah, well, but art lessons did not give me much...

Since then I have read and heard how some well-known artists have said about lack of inspiration by art at schools, art schools, university and colleges which makes me feel better and think clearly art at school is missing a few tricks with certain people. Some can conform but some of us do not (maybe I was the only one in my class with such a frustration knowing I had something in me yet art lessons were not letting out my personal art - my art development over the years I thank home drawing for that). Probably every subject at school is missing a few tricks, but that's not a discussion to go into here!

But yes, this piece... nothing amazing to look upon it now, yet worth a show for interest. My 17? year old self was pleased to try out a big (not sure what size, rather big) painting from oil paints for a change (not to mention in general before this I didn't even get on hugely with paint, feeling I was clumsy with it, put off started in Infant school), and I felt it went rather well. Along with my back up work for it I finally mustered a B (and my other project writing on 'Animal Sculpture' also got a decent grade - probably best I'd got in art overall); however this little bit of inspiration was too late to decide my final A Level grade as (much uninspired) AS Level stuff was also put into consideration. Despite my approval of the oil paint effect on painting I still haven't done another serious piece with the medium since! Methinks this should change. The thing is the drying issue. Not to mention room to put canvases!

'Lonely Room' (the school's main hall in this instance), 2006, oil paints on canvas, size unsure of, square, larger than A3. The picture was taken with a camera so the angle is not even and so the painting is not 'even', also some glare from light.

Edit: Forgot to mention for the 'Lonely Rooms' project and in the case of this painting, I was inspired mainly by American artist Edward Hopper.


More to post soon... with less text! :)