Don’t resist joy, seek it out

| debbieosborn

I’m back from open studios and holidays and have started a new series of paintings.

I’ve had some time sitting in my studio researching relevant artists and thinking about what I want to say with my work. Can my work speak out for me? I think it can. Especially when I’ve got loads to say but I think nobody listens. When I want to worship my God and I don’t have a sufficient outlet. Or to express the opinions I have, my frustrations, anxiety or pure joy.

I had a wonderful experience at my open studio where a visitor was almost moved to tears by one of my paintings. That’s why I want to paint and that’s how I want to paint!

Don’t resist joy, seek it out is the name of my new series of work. Using colours inspired by my feelings and by these words. Below is what I have produced so far with acrylic paint, paint pens, spray paint, pastels and collage.

I have several substrates on my desk and I have a canvas on an easel as well.

This is work in a journal.

These will be turned into mail art postcards,

and this is a papier mache plate I have used as a substrate for a painting, this I think is finished.

A fellow artist complemented me on how well my work was developing and how it has improved over the past year or so. I have been spending more time in my studio because of COVID, so I’d best keep it up hadn’t I! That encouragement and the experience of open studio has given me the boost I needed to keep going with my work. 🙂

Series with Yellow

| debbieosborn

Here is my next series of paintings, Series with yellow. Again working with pinks and yellow, but this time with some collage and pastel added. Again more subdued colour, but still quite colourful. I am happy with the more simple lines too, I consider them to be more honest. I find it’s very difficult to be honest when painting, I think sometimes I can try too hard and push in a direction the painting doesn’t want to go.

Series – Yellow and Turquoise

| debbieosborn

Another thing I like at the moment is working across several pieces at one time. Taking the colour from one to another has a kind of flow to it so doesn’t break my concentration, each surface primed and ready before I start. These are made with Acrylic paint, charcoal and pastel on a variety of substrates.

Series in vermillion and green

| debbieosborn

I’m absolutely loving the way I’m working at the moment. I am really enjoying building up the surface and creating depth with the layering of colour. Vermillion is one of my favourite paint colours and doesn’t it zing against the green!

These pieces are acrylic on canvas, paper and sketchbook pages.

Series in Blue and yellow

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Finished Pieces and Sketch Book Work

I am currently enjoying a new way of working, thanks to inspiration from other artists and an online course I’m doing with MoMA.

For a start I’m trying not to over think things and enjoy painting for the sake of painting, also working on several paintings at a time seems to help my work flow better. I am beginning by priming in black then a light sketchy priming in white. The black seems to reinforce the colours and I like the way the sketchy white is revealed at times through the coloured paint that I apply. I am finding my painting very satisfying at the moment.

Acrylic and pastel on canvas

Acrylic and pastel on board

Acrylic and pastel on sketch book pages

Acrylic and pastel on canvas

Mail Art Postcard Book

| debbieosborn

I’ve got so many mail art postcards now that I have started turning them into books. This one contains 36 postcards that I can pick up and look at whenever I please. Better that being stashed away in a box 🙂

Mobiles

| debbieosborn

I do love mobiles, I have made some before but haven’t really known how to photograph them. I am very pleased with these and have managed to make an image that shows them reasonably well so you can see them and I will be making more 🙂