Newsletter: October 22

I’m sitting writing this on a day when even I haven’t ventured out…yet!! We are sitting in the clouds, you really can’t tell where the sky finishes and the land starts-it’s a bit like skiing in a white-out. However, I absolutely cannot complain, we’ve had amazing weather…loads of it; gorgeous big skies and dramatic cloudscapes. At the beginning of the month I was walking in my old ski jacket and hat as it was properly cold, and now it’s strangely warm, but damp!

Great North Art Show finished in the middle of the month, was much acclaimed and looked really beautiful, so I was super proud to be part of it! If I’m honest though, sales for this very well established show, were down a bit, which is worrying for all of us artists. I suspect that there was just so much general uncertainty which definitely didn’t help.

I managed a very brief trip down to London, and spent some time in the Wallace Collection, which I think should be better known. It’s a lovely museum, on a really manageable scale, and never too crowded, which is a huge bonus.

I love the stillness of dutch seascapes like this one: ‘Calm: A Fishing Boat at Anchor’ Willem Van de Verde (1660’s)

There is so much to see; I also love the Rembrandts, and poking around amongst the ceramics see ⬇️ and not forgetting that the cafe is a great spot for people watching!

This portrait of Rembrandt is probably 18th Century, so not contemporary, but in his style and hauntingly beautiful.

You can visit the Wallace Collection in London or online: https://wallacelive.wallacecollection.org/eMP/eMuseumPlus?service=ExternalInterface&module=artist&objectId=4348&viewType=detailView

By way of a little studio tip, I like to swatch all my colours when I buy them-There is no consistency between colours of the same name but made by different manufacturers, and some vary a lot, so keeping a swatch record with details is such a useful thing to do!

Watch the short video below to find out more.

Work wise, I’ve been enjoying the changing colours and hoping to develop some more landscapes derived from very local walks. Earlier this year I was settling in to my new studio and working on some landscapes with soft colour transitions, and delicate light…they came out of a period with almost silvery skies. I made a small group of paintings then, but always intended to return to the idea, so the new pieces are a natural development from that earlier work, but with a shifted more autumnal palette.

The sketchbook work here is about trying out colour combinations, experimenting with overlays, mark making and movement. It is all pretty loose, just notes that help me move onto a canvas or panel and paint confidently.

I almost always add colour swatches, partly as I’m terrified I will forget how I made a crucial colour mix-usually I put them down early in the process and sometimes add more later on, as my ideas develop.

The painting below is the first one to be nearly there, but it will sit on the studio wall for a bit so I can decide whether to work into it anymore…this is tricky; I don’t want to lose the freshness and immediacy, but always want the picture surface to be rich and rewarding. It’s a conundrum!

This one is in multiple layers of glazed and opaque acrylics on a 76cm square canvas.

I’m calling it ‘Aftermath’ as it represents to me the feeling of walking after an absolute cloudburst-hope it works for you!

I did also have a little drop of excitement when a production company approached me to supply a painting for an upcoming BBC Drama. I can’t reveal very much at the moment, except that my painting is being filmed this week and should appear in a drama series early next year, along with some support materials; sketches, swatches etc…process stuff to give the feel of an artist’s space. Fingers firmly crossed it doesn’t end up on the cutting room floor🙄 I will post more when I know the scheduled date to air.

Okay well that’s probably enough from me for now, as this feels like quite a long one!

Thanks as always for all the lovely feedback from last time, and please remember you can send me a message with anything you would like me to cover in future newsletters.

Until the end of next month, take care and keep in touch,

Jo xx

All text and images copyright ©️Jo York 2022

< Morning light on my painting, ‘The Edge’