chriswoodartist

“The Big Revamp” on Studio 3 has been put on hold but not forgotten.

Next week, I will be photographed in my studio and the photographer likes all the trappings of a “working studio” so rather than continuing to sanitise my space any further, I have imported even more clutter, in the form of lots of tins of oil paints. I have also begun a new series of small seascapes plus a 20×24” painting of the coastal hamlet of Pin Mill, on the banks of the river Orwell in Suffolk. The scene has been captured by many of my heroes but until now I have not done it justice in oil paints, although I have done a few watercolours and the odd pen and ink drawing of the ubiquitous Thames barges, which moor there.

As someone who sits at the intersection between traditional realism and more contemporary approaches, I sometimes find it hard deciding exactly how to tackle the process. I try not to spend too long thinking – I start painting ! Once the physical process is underway you can tweak the outcome and if you don’t like the result you can always add another layer over the top ! Returning to the context, I was born and raised in Suffolk, only leaving when I was 21. Over the years I have made a good number of return visits to my former stamping ground which has an almost magnetic attraction. My parents used to winter their boat on the mudflats at Pin Mill and later, when I discovered the delights of Tolly Cobbold beer, my pals and I would spend many happy evenings in the Butt and Oyster pub. As an art student I spent my summer holidays working as a labourer on various building sites and worked on a development at Pin Mill. So it’s engrained in my psyche !

I digress back to the studio where I am currently looking at an empty coffee cup which is beckoning – so a quick cup of coffee then back to work. More news and views later !
Chris N Wood studio 3