These artist’s notes are copyright to Graham Baker and may not be shared or copied without permission. Any enquiries, please email to grahambaker@gmail.com.
Tauranga Hospital. North Island, New Zealand.
Oil painting on canvas. Size approx 6ft. x 2ft. 180cm x 60cm.
The calm before the crowd at Pilot Bay. Tauranga. NZ.
This painting was designed for those that just need some stillness for the sake of balance and their wellbeing. Maybe the distraction would help the viewer reconnect with the world outside the hospital ward, reduce feelings of isolation and help them feel better about themselves. I hoped to capture a moment that says there is beauty out there still.
Generally if everything in a painting is perfectly defined there is rarely a feeling of mood. This painting had a real purpose and because of its size and location I decided to bring all the elements into focus, to draw the viewer in and hold them. The more we see in a scene the more interesting and unexpected close up views become. So the eye moves easily throughout the image, just as it does when looking at the visible world.
Above Left
There is not a lot I can tell you about this little oil painting except I was challenged to do a painting in just one hour.
I failed. It took two hours. Starting at the top I put the top layer on then worked wet on wet with each colour down to the masking tape then blended in the sea and lighter colours of the water and finally the sandbank at the bottom. That was quick. I spent a bit of time on the boat when the background was dry. Size 500mm x 400mm.
Above Right
The Rooster was done for the grandchildren who ignored it or lay on the bed and threw balls at it. Never mind, I learned a lesson. If I had painted a crazy chook doing something wierd they would have loved it.
Children
Adults get just as much fun from fairy stories as kids, broken dreams, precarious survival, the spectacular, grand and the beautiful. Children love to be frightened. Paint happy, loving, scary, suggestive. There is also a huge market in painting children’s art. We could run an entire art show with children’s paintings as a theme. Approach the subject from a caring, empathetic viewpoint rather than just making money.
Painting for children is a great format for expressing social inequality, compassion and love. Put yourself in the child’s position, about an inch from the ground and see everything from a different perspective. Give children a voice, what inspires them. Hey ! we are down here. Paint subjects that appeal both to adults and children.
These artist’s notes are copyright to Graham Baker and may not be shared or copied without permission. Any enquiries, please email to grahambaker@gmail.com.
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