Since I've not blogged for a while, (no excuses, I've just not started my next piece of sculpture yet) so thought I'd share this - one of my favourite prints. It's by William Russell Flint and it's not one that crops up very often on the web. The reasons I like this particular work are manifold; firstly it is about a model, she's not a goddess or the personification of some abstract ideal - just an attractive young woman taking a 'break' from posing for the picture in the background.
Secondly, Flint's watercolour handling of her form is so subtle and nuanced as to be breath-taking - I look at this picture on my wall at home everyday and still admire his skillful technique as much now as when I first saw it 15 years ago.
Even though the figure is reclining, the angle of her body diagonally through the composition suggests a dynamic quality even at rest, which contrasts her pale form against the garish background colours. And the fact that the model is looking away from the viewer suggests this isn't attempting to be a portrait - it is a candid observation of a beautiful rear-view with little pretence or artifice - despite its subject matter.
Apologies for getting carried away - I'm not a great collector of paintings especially watercolours but this is definitely a favourite of mine.
This is a piece I started carving many moons ago and then left (read forgot) for ages, it's a very old block of oak about six inches square and about two feet high. I restarted doing some work on it last weekend and think it might be worth pushing a bit further to see how it develops. My original vision for this piece was a strong, athletic figure standing proud and square, with only the head turned slightly to one side. I liked the idea of working the surface all the way with chisels (rather than smoothing the form with files/sand-paper) to leave the multi-faceted surface of repeated chisel marks - rather like beaten metal :-)
