JANET ALDIS
A DEMONSTRATION IN GRIFFIN ALKYD OILS 04.04.2017
From a photograph to an abstract painting
Janet's original photo of Faversham Creek
Our demonstrator for the night was Janet Aldis who started off telling us that she used to be a teacher so she was quite able to work and talk at the same time and that she would be very happy to answer our questions as she worked. She had given out an A5 sheet which she now explained gave information about the materials she used. She liked Windsor and Newton Alkyd Fast Drying Oils and with these would be using Fast Drying Oil ‘Malmittel’ and either Low Odour Turps or Lukas Odourless Turpentine Substitute.
Janet spoke about her design for tonight’s picture. She worked with Photoshop which gave different filters you could adjust on the screen. The picture she had chosen was initially simplified and colour taken out. She then applied different colours to see the result. At first she thought she liked the blue but changed her mind and decided to go with vibrant red and orange shades to which she would add texture.
After applying Photoshop filters
Janet had planned out the basic shapes on the canvas and she explained a little about the artists that had inspired her and how the cubists would chose a shape and then use this shape several times overlaying it and perhaps changing the colour as they worked. Talking about tonight’s demonstration she continued ‘I outlined the shapes to make it more clear for me and I used Inktense pencils to make it vibrant and zing out at you. I will need to stand back occasionally as I need to see what I am doing.’
‘I am going to do a bit at the bottom and then lower the easel as I’m quite short – and this way I can reach it all!’ She started with Paynes Grey which when mixed with the oil made it appear very dark – nearly black. With the addition of turps she showed us how it watered down to a much paler grey. ‘The oil makes the paint flow better without losing the intensity of the colour’ – she explained.
in by use of colour’.
She had started with Paynes Grey moving on to Magenta and then mixing in orange but now changed the colour she was using to Naples yellow. Brown had already been used where the shape was describing buildings – ‘but you won’t see the bricks!’ she said.
She was asked what was her inspiration – was it colour? ‘I really enjoy painting water – I live in the countryside so I do a lot of landscapes. The landscapes change all the time. I will have a go at anything! I actually trained as a sculptor. I think this is why I don’t like painting people.’
She stood back and said ‘It is quite possible I am not keeping to the colours on the picture!’ I painted in the lines with a straight edge before I started – it’s better not to try to do these under pressure!’ She was asked if she followed any of the usual conventions like the thirds rule or having a focal point. ‘Only if I am doing something traditional’ she said. ‘I tend to do things by instinct rather than have a plan’. Janet continued: ‘I’m trying to get different textures to make it move around a bit. As yet I haven’t changed my paintbrush but I will soon!’ ‘I frequently mix colours on the canvas’ she said – ‘here for example I’m mixing Naples yellow with orange and white.’
Janet was not happy about the dark area in the foreground, but was undecided as to how to alter it and add more movement. A question was asked about shape and form and she explained she would not be trying to make it a 3D painting, but wanted to use colour and texture to give it life and movement. She added that you need different tones within a painting, and good use of colour to stop it looking dull and flat, especially on a large area. Layering in large areas helps to reduce this effect, so Janet began to introduce lighter colours to the purple toned foreground.
She gave us a running commentary: ‘The board I am using is thin canvas. Thick canvas is very expensive. I’m just getting the shapes in basically to start with – not being too careful. Alkyds are so flexible. They can be used as thin as watercolour and also as a thick impasto. I’m just going to get some colour blocks in and deciding where I want some texture. This is just like painting by numbers at the moment! Linen is really nice to paint on. The different types of material that you work on makes things appear very different – the linen makes it jump out.’
Outline in place - putting in some blocks of colour
Janet was asked if, at this stage, she had it in mind what was receding and what was coming forward. ‘Yes’ she said ‘but it doesn’t always work out!’ At the moment I am just making it happen!’ David mentioned that her brush would wear out very quickly if she always painted on canvas. She agreed – ‘They do! I like the painting to have movement in it and you can get this by adding tones to the colours. I am trying to get some of the texture
Janet was asked if she ever put figures in her work. ‘I don’t usually put figures in because I don’t like doing them.’ She continued by confiding in us ‘and in the past when I did children for example they would turn out looking like old people! I can do them when I want but I don’t do what I don’t like!’
Someone pointed out that a figure seemed to appear out of one of the shapes and Janet told us a story. ‘People often see something that the artist doesn’t at first see. I put a painting up for sale and it didn’t sell. My husband had seen something in it and used to call it ‘Sex on the rocks! So I changed its name to this and put it up for sale again and it sold the next day!’
More areas are covered with colour
For the top half of the canvas Janet said she would be layering colour and tone in the large areas, but would keep the smaller, thinner shapes as flat colour. She had previously mentioned she wanted colour to direct the eye to the focal point, in the quieter top left area of the canvas. Using purple and burnt sienna in the top half as shading would link it with those colours in the lower part, and Janet began to blend in these colours with her finger to get a smooth transition.
If a shape began to take on the appearance of an object, which wasn’t intentional, she said she would not usually alter it. She said one of the joys of abstract is that the viewer can engage with a painting in their own way, often seeing shapes and meanings the artist didn’t – but that was partly the point!
Although time constraints meant that Janet did not finish the piece on the night she emailed the finished piece for us and here it is above in all is colourful glory!
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