Mermaid Milestone

Yesterday was a huge day in my creative life. I put my paintings in the public eye. I have two paintings on canvas in my Byron Bay gallery. I did not ever think I would be able to feel comfortable enough with my paintings to have them on display, but…I like it! They are very, very personal. I rarely know where I am going to finish when I paint. And I am new at it, still in the formative stages and stumbling along making discoveries, developing a relationship with my paint and brushes.

But just as happened with my ladybird photography, there came a time when I was doing so much of it, that I had to ‘do something with it’. Because it has stepped well beyond the hobby stage… leaped past actually! I paint and draw every day now. I can’t stop. I don’t want to stop! Photography is still there for me in a big way, but my horizon has expanded. My palette got bigger.  Much bigger….and it’s time to start sharing what I have been up to.

The ‘Dripping Mermaid’  was was a joy to create, she literally swum out of my paintbrush. She is HUGE…well…lifesize.  She is 120cm x 90cm. I mainly painted her with my new Liquitex and FW inks – which I cannot recommend enough. I am in LOVE with them. They stain the canvas, which has been lovingly and laboriously prepared with upteen coats of sanded  gesso and absorbent grounds.  I also used Stabilo Tones and  Aibrush paint by Golden. There is graphite and mica powders in there too.

When Angus saw her he said, “that is going in the gallery.” And I sqirmed and wriggled and thought ” no, no, no, I’m not ready, It’s not cooked!”. But… I lived with my Dripping Mermaid for another week, and suddenly realised she was ready to leave my studio (or I was ready to let her leave the studio!).

Detail of 'Dripping Mermaid' Jane Davenport

'Dripping mermaid'-mixed media on canvas - Jane Davenport

She makes me feel carefree and relaxed. I love the drips. I love drips. I am a drip. Drip, drip, drip.

When I finished her I had some gorgeous paint on my pallett, and another prepared canvas nearby, so I quickly started another painting. No plan, just flyby-the seat-of-my-pants stuff (which is a really weird saying , right?). I was so in flow of painting, that I didn’t notice that my studio had gotten so dark as evening fell. I only stopped when I could barely see, so rather than turn on the lights, and have a look at what my paintbrush had been up to, I used my iphone to light my way out, and leave what I painted as a surprise for the following morning.

And this is who greeted me…

Green Mermaid - Jane Davenport

I tinkered around with her for a while just now…and I really like her. Layer over layer over layer. Thin washes of ink, and glaze and watered down paint….drips…

Turquoise rules my painted life. It can’t stay out of my pallet. That ropical ocean blue, seagreen is just my idea of heaven…and painting with it feels so …hmmmm…right. It just feels good.

And creamy Naples Yellow  with turquoise…i may die of love. It makes such a range of luminous greens.

She’s not finished yet. But i like her! And I wanted you two to meet,

Choose happiness,

Jane