Andy (the Neanderthal) vs Cubism

This is my newest painting and the largest canvas I have done before. As you can see, it is pretty big, about 120cm x 100cm, and it was so exciting when it came in the post!

This is my first real life proper commission...basically, the company I used to work for (Cox Costello & Horne in Rickmansworth, a firm of accountants, they are very nice) knew that I sold my artwork, and they asked to have a look at my portfolio of work from school. I lugged all my massive folders into work the next day and the partners all had a look. It was really weird showing them all the stuff and explaining it, but I am glad I did, because the next thing I know I was being summoned into the boardroom with all of them, and they asked me to do a painting for the reception area. I was sososo excited!  The best thing was that they said I could do whatever I liked, my style, so it wasn't just a reproduction, it was a chance to design something myself.


This, however, proved to be more difficult, because there's nothing worse than having no starting point! I decided to revisit some of my folders for inspiration. The partners had liked a painting I had done, it was a copy of Picasso's 'Les demoiselles d'Avignon" (so impressed I remembered that) so cubism was a given. I like the deconstructedness of cubism anyway, and I teamed it with bold bright colours because I like painting with them :)

The design for the piece was based on a life-drawing sketch I had done. Life-drawing. Ahh what good times those were...

When we started A-level art, we were told that we had to do life-drawing, as it would give us practice for our drawing skills and would count as reference material for our projects entitled 'the Human image'. I talked about it a bit before, I think, as the second part of the project meant we had to focus on a certain aspect of it and I chose 'Adornment'. Anyway, those life-drawing classes were hilarious. It would be after school, and all the tables would be arranged in a circle around the edge of the room. The blinds were closed and the windows in the doors covered with sugar paper. The first time was painful...Andy (our life drawing model) arrived and was extremely ugly...he disappeared into the art cupboard and emerged wearing a loin cloth and some flipflops, and the proceeded to pose with a stick/staff thing in the middle of the room while we drew him. SO awkward. Everyone didn't dare look at anyone else in case we burst out laughing. I mean, wannabe Tarzan much? The second painful thing was the fact that he looked at us while we drew him, and sometimes even looked at the drawings. If the sketch wasn't flattering then that's pretty embarrassing... To be honest, after the first time it wasn't so bad, you forgot that it was a person and just looked at him in terms of lines and shadows. I might put up some of my sketches soon..they turned out pretty well eventually! Everytime I am in college and I see framed drawings on the wall of the human form I think to myself...well I know how to do that :)

By the way, this painting was oil on canvas, and it sold for £250. I took a life drawing I did and deconstructed it, making the lines angular and rough. I then added the little 'curly' bits to break up the shapes further, because that is a typical 'me' touch..and my friend Harmeet then suggested that it looked like a broken heart. Which I love :) The name for this painting was suggested by Ellie Miller, who shared the life-drawing experiences with me and recognised the 'human form' in the painting as soon as I uploaded a picture to facebook..she also shared her sour skittles with me during those long life-drawing classes <3