Shoot it Sketch it

Cheat

| Anna Cull
On the road again, WIP/underpainting – acrylic on canvas
On the road again, WIP underpainting — acrylic on canvas

“The moment you cheat for the sake of beauty, you know you’re an artist.” David Hockney

I’m not sure I agree with Mr Hockney on this point but I do like the quote… and I did ‘cheat’ a little with this composition by removing the car in the background and changing the colours (see photographs below). I hope to have another WIP ready to show you later in the week.

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Rediscover

| Anna Cull

“I invent nothing, I rediscover.” Auguste Rodin

Dandelion study — ink on paper, digitally edited, 2015
Dandelion study — ink on paper, digitally edited, 2015
Dandelion reference photograph, 2014
Dandelion reference photograph, 2014
Dandelion sketch — ink on paper, 2015
Dandelion sketch — ink on paper, 2015

Eight seconds

| Anna Cull
Eight-Second Exposure – acrylic on canvas, 605 x 910 mm, 2015
Eight-Second Exposure – acrylic on canvas, 605 x 910 mm, 2015

My final painting for this month’s art show was inspired by one of my favourite photographs (below) which I took using an eight-second exposure. It was quite a windy evening and so the kinetic sculpture is moving just as much as the tree, something I really wanted to show in the painting. I’ll post WIP photos later in the week. There are a few more photos of Phil Price’s wonderful sculpture ‘Nucleus’ in action here.

Nucleus, 2010 (photo reference)
Nucleus, 2010 (photo reference)

Anyone who knows Christchurch will appreciate that although the sculpture is still standing, the Majestic Theatre/Majestic House (on the left) and the ANZ Bank Chambers building were damaged beyond repair by earthquakes a few years ago and are no longer with us. I’m so glad I had the opportunity to take lots of photographs in the central city in the months prior to those devastating events.

Eight-Second Exposure, Nucleus detail
Eight-Second Exposure, Nucleus detail
Eight-Second Exposure, ANZ detail
Eight-Second Exposure, ANZ detail
Eight-Second Exposure, tree detail
Eight-Second Exposure, tree detail

Lyttelton Harbour, WIP

| Anna Cull
Lyttelton Harbour, WIP – acrylic on canvas
Lyttelton Harbour, WIP – acrylic on canvas

This is not one of the paintings I originally planned to do for next month’s exhibition but it was whispering in the back of my brain, nagging me to be painted ― so here is my first day’s progress: the underpainting. There are a few areas I want to correct but, overall, I really like the way this one is coming together.

Lyttelton panorama (original photo reference), 2014
Lyttelton panorama (original photo reference), 2014

Things are looking up

| Anna Cull
Things are looking up – acrylic on canvas, 510 x 405 mm, 2015. For sale at The Christchurch Art Show, June 2015.
Things are looking up – acrylic on canvas, 510 x 405 mm, 2015. SOLD

A bit of a favourite, I’ve painted this scene a couple of times before: Stand and Redwoods.

P.S. This is number five of the six paintings I planned to finish in time for next month’s Christchurch Art Show. It feels really good to be on track…