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Posts from the ‘My Art’ Category

Aug 29

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Composition No. 9: Ojén Rooftops

I’ve always loved terracotta tiled roofs, for the same reason I suppose that I love palm trees and the chirping sound of cicadas in the heat – because they remind me of the Mediterranean, of the sunshine, of the summer. And is there a sight more conceivably Mediterranean than a little hill top village, a cluster of white washed walls when seen from the side, and a angular hodgepodge of terracotta roofs when viewed from above?

It was exactly this kind of collective village feel that I tried to emulate when I moved onto my 9th gouache composition in the dying days of my Spanish holiday, and having visited the hilltop village of Ojén up in the mountains behind Marbella. The lower section of the village, when seen from the upper road which cuts through its centre makes for a rather breathtaking spectacle; its terracotta roofs uniform apart from the odd turquoise ceramic exception; this consistent sea of peachy-red marking a wonderful contrast against the undulating hillsides which form a backdrop against the village, rolling steadily down the mountain as they fade outwards towards the sea. I was particularly enamoured by the hills around Ojén, not least because, whether it be by reason of agriculture or just because of the natural lie of the land, the hillsides appeared to be almost spotty on the one hand with olive trees, like the polka dot traje de flamencas of the flamenco dancers, and crossed with horizontal stripes on the other.

Composition No. 9: Ojén Rooftops (2013 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, gouache on paper)

Composition No. 9: Ojén Rooftops (2013 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, gouache on paper)

Naturally I couldn’t resist but reflect these patternings in my latest gouache composition, the likes of which I present, fresh from my artist’s sketchbook, terracotta roofs (and those odd turquoise exceptions) included. I hope you like it.

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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Aug 24

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Composition No. 8: La Flamenca

Enrapturing, passionate, chromatic; clapping hands, a deep pulsating rhythm manifested in stamping feet, forceful bursts at the hip, all the way up to the twisting, extending, angular movements in the fingers; her face revels in an outward disclosure of passion felt deep within; her wailing, harsh swansong sings of deep sorrow; of inherent, historical pain; her dress, an abundant effluvia cascade of polka dots and frills moves to the same captivating rhythm as the dancer, its multiple layers swaying and bouncing, augmenting the dazzling mirage of a tangible passion climaxing towards its duende.

The dance of flamenco has long fascinated me, captivated my very heart and soul as it leaves me spell bound, pinned to the spot, enraptured by the raw materialisation of an emotional depth and cultural heritage which is so different from any dance ever made in the polite ballrooms of the west. When I went to see a concert of Estrella Morenete this Spring in London, I sat throughout much of the performance in tears. There is something about flamenco – its melodies and rhythms just as much as its dance which has the power to transport directly into the heart of Spain, and I think for this reason alone, I am in love with it.

Composition No. 8 - La Flamenca (2013 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, gouache on paper)

Composition No. 8 (La Flamenca) (2013 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, gouache on paper)

This summer’s return to Spain of course never failed to inspire me artistically as the last few posts on The Daily Norm will demonstrate – and where that inspiration led to paintings, I continued to explore the medium of gouache which I first started using a few months back. When I headed along to the Flamenco Ana Maria in Marbella’s old town on the night before my birthday, and was again entranced by the exquisitely spontaneous emotional outpouring of the music and the dance, I knew that Flamenco would inspire my next gouache. So following on from my series of “compositions” in which I take more of an abstract attitude to otherwise figurative works, I constructed my dancer (on a page twice the size of my other compositions numbers 3-7) utilising the idea of an overlapping construct which I have been exploring in my other works, something which worked well when I was unable to settle on one pose, and so instead depicted several poses, all overlapping into a collective exploration of the electric impassioned movements of a flamenco dancer.

Her dress, my favourite feature, is a cornucopia of different reds, polka dots and of course those lacey frills, while the background attempts to reflect not only the angular, chromatic, discordant sounds of the flamenco rhythms and moves of the dance, but also echoes the kind of rich elaborate Moorish wooden ceilings which were introduced in Spain during the Islamic occupation of Al Andalus, and are now an iconic feature of the Islamic architecture which has helped to shape the cultural character of the South, and is indeed accredited to having given birth to the songs and movements of the Flamenco we know and love.

So without further ado, I leave you to look at my new composition, and also, below, a series of photographs from our recent visit to the Flamenco in Marbella. Hasta luego.

IMG_3861 IMG_3859 IMG_3852 IMG_3864 IMG_3849

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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Aug 16

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Composition No. 7: Andalucía

As regular readers of The Daily Norm will know, over the past few months, my own art work has become dominated by a simplified use of flat tones, overlapping forms, and abstract compositions using as my newly preferred medium gouache paint on paper. What has resulted is a series of what I have loosely called “compositions” but which are progressively becoming more figurative rather than compositional, as these quasi abstract images are used more and more to provide a narrative of a scene, essence or depiction.

Following on from a series of compositions inspired by my holiday in Provence, and a single piece (Composition No.6) depicting a day at the seaside in Sussex, I had a feeling that once out in Marbella in Spain, I would again become inspired to pick up my fine-tipped paint brush and start producing another gouache piece. In fact so sure was I that inspiration would hit me that a box of gouache paints was one of the first things to make it into my suitcase.

And of course as soon as I reacquainted myself with the charming historic centre of Marbella, with its white washed houses basking in the sunshine, with the terracotta floor tiles and with the polka dots of flamenco whose rich chromatic melodies can be heard wafting in and out of households around the old town, I felt the urge to take out those very same paints and get to work.

Composition No. 7: Andalucía (2013 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, gouache on paper)

Composition No. 7: Andalucía (2013 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, gouache on paper)

The result is this piece: Composition No. 7: Andalucía – a simple title for what is a simple attempt to capture the essence of Andalucía, and the iconic symbols which have come to represent the region around the world – the Spanish fan, a necessary antidote to the searing summer heat; the polka dots and guitar of the flamenco passion which stirs the region’s hearts; the windows, always open to capture whatever breeze they can, the richly decorated iron bars providing both security and decoration while facilitating this necessary ventilation;  and pots of geraniums scattered across walls forming in themselves a kind of polka dot pattern of floral colour across a blank white canvas.

I really hope you like this latest addition to my Compositions series.

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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Jul 29

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Summertime Sussex (Part 1): Composition No. 6

One of the great things about gouache paint (the likes of which I rediscovered a few months back and am now totally in love with) is how quickly one can turn around a fairly detailed painting in a short space of time. Of course it helps that the paint dries within minutes of its application to the paper, allowing a detailed image to be swiftly executed. The result of this is that I am finding myself increasingly able to catalogue my life’s adventures in gouache paint, as well as through photography and the written word.

Consequently, no sooner had I finished off the last of my Provence-inspired gauche paintings, which in turned formed part of my “compositions series” (the idea behind the series being that the paintings follow a more abstract compositional styling rather than being constrained too heavily by accurate figurative representation), than I got to work on another, this time inspired by a short 24 hour trip I made to my home town of Worthing in Sussex for something of a pre-birthday celebration.

Composition No. 6 (Summertime Sussex: Taking a bathe) (2013 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, gauche on paper)

Composition No. 6 (Summertime Sussex: Taking a bathe) (2013 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, gouache on paper)

Having been languishing in the sultry summer sunshine of late, the UK has firmly entered the holiday season, and its many beaches have each become heavily populated by visitors taking dips in the English sea to cool off from the unseasonably high temperatures. The beach at Goring-by-Sea, the small suburb East of Worthing and where my family home is situated, is no exception. My mother and I headed down to the beach on a warm Saturday afternoon and, having made our way through the various groups of barbequing families, young children playing in the sand, and sun-lovers spreading themselves out in worship of the sun rays, we reached the shore whose waters were surprisingly warm and clear. Neither of us could resist a dip, and this 6th painting in my compositions series marks the moment when my mother was taking a bathe in the sea while I, looking after our things and taking in the surprisingly summery scene before me, sat on the water’s edge, this image building in my head.

The very next morning I began to sketch out the composition, complete with its curving wave-like forms and overlapping seaweed-covered groynes and within a few days it was done. The perfect testament to a perfect British summer’s day. I leave you with some photos of that little beach trip which, like my gouache, capture some essence of the British seaside in the summer.

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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Jul 24

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Provence Odyssey | My Journey in Paintings: Provence Patchwork

I have gone on endlessly about the Provençal landscape ever since this vast odyssey, not just across Southern France but also as depicted on this blog, first began some weeks ago, and now I will once again let my art do the talking. For somewhat suitably, as the end of the trip drew near, and four cities had been visited, I decided to start the fourth and final of the artworks completed while on our tour, this time inspired by the journey to Aix.

Taking the fast train from Avignon TGV down to Aix TGV in a mere 20 minutes meant for a lightening speed flight through the undulating topography of the Southern most reaches of the region, but it was nevertheless enough to make my eyes almost dewy with pleasure as they looked out onto the stunning scenery passing us by. The Provençal landscape is not complex, nor terribly unique – but it is beautiful nonetheless, because through the sheer beauty of a bucolic landscape marked by agricultural spaces pinned side by side and bordered by cypress trees and olives, the rolling countryside of the region looks like a patchwork quilt of earthy tones interspersed with the occasional splash of purple lavender or yellow corn.

Composition No. 5 (Provence Patchwork) (2013 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, gouache on paper)

Composition No. 5 (Provence Patchwork) (2013 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, gouache on paper)

It is this patchwork effect which inspired my final gouache work on the trip. Entitled Composition No.5 (Provence Patchwork), the work once again forms part of my Compositions series. I have used flat, blocks of colour to represent the varied agriculture of the region, and in composition have tried to represent what is almost a cubist landscape resulting from the complicated crisscross of fields and bordering trees that characterise the region. I hope you like it.

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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Jul 18

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Provence Odyssey | My Journey in Paintings: Beau Les Baux

When I was planning my trip to Provence, I always had in mind the kind of imagined utopia, where Dominik and I would walk, carefree, into lavender fields and poppy fields, he taking a rest amongst the sweet smelling flowers, and me setting out my sketch book and paint box, beckoning the Provençal muse to meet my embrace, inspiring me to transfer the glory of Provence to the blank pages of the sketch book before me. In this sense I suppose I am similar to so many artists who have gone before me; such as Van Gogh, who was so driven by the concept of establishing an artistic community in the region that he painted some of his best works just as decoration for the house which would be at the centre of that movement.

While Van Gogh’s dream was sadly never realised, my own artistic imaginings have, happily, come closer to fruition. After 6 days on the trip, I had already completed two works. As for my vision of utopia, well, Dominik had already found rest in amongst a Poppy field (as the photo below aptly demonstrates!), while in Saint-Rémy, we finally found the opportunity to stroll through lavender fields and olive groves, having got no closer to lavender in both Avignon and Arles than the bags of dried stuff littering up the souvenir shops.

Dominik takes a rest amongst the poppies, Oz style.

Dominik takes a rest amongst the poppies, Oz style.

But once Les Baux entered the equation, my artistic stirrings really began to take another stir, as with one glance at some of the most stunning mountain scenery in all of France, I became involuntarily, but very willingly sucked into another hypnosis of creative motivation, as the sweet-smelling lavender-haired Provence Muse took my hand in hers, and led me to a third page of my sketchbook to complete yet another ode to this paradise.

As I described yesterday, Les Baux-de-Provence could not help but inspire artists such as Yves Brayer to manifest the exquisite village and surroundings in paint, but then again Saint-Rémy’s impressive surroundings are surely worth their weight in inspirational gold also. So for my third painting, another of my freely-conceived “compositions” series, I couldn’t help but paint the limestone chateau-topped spur of Les Baux, its stunning surroundings of patchwork-quilt fields, and, in the distance, the ruins of St Remy’s great archaeological site, the Roman town of Glanum.

Composition No. 4 (Beau Les Baux) (© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, 2013, guache on paper)

Composition No. 4 (Beau Les Baux) (© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, 2013, guache on paper)

So there you have it: Composition No. 4 (Beau Les Baux). An undulating patchwork landscape, rocky citadel, blue skies and all topped off with a picnic of baguette, cheese, saucisson and of course a little wine. Ah…La Bonne Vie. I hope you enjoy it.

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. 

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Jul 10

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Provence Odyssey | My Journey in Paintings: From Avignon to Arles (avec le petit dejeuner)

After three days in the Provence heartland, surrounded by verdant rolling landscapes of cypresses and pine trees, olives and lavender, and with one hotel view watercolour already under my belt, I moved onto Arles considerably inspired, artistic images floating through my head with each new adventure taken across this artist’s paradise. After two days in the midst of the medieval magic of Avignon, our journey south to Arles provided a refreshing glimpse of the rich pastoral landscape which surrounds Provence’s cities, but also of the little farmhouses which are dotted across the scenery, with their iconic terracotta tiled roofs and pastel-painted walls, their pale blue shutters and window-sill plant pots.

And so, shortly after arriving in Arles and in a moment of rest, so many of these images collected together with such strength that in mere minutes, I had opened up my travel sketch book and mapped out this image, depicting our journey from Avignon to Arles, and accompanied by the hearty breakfast which had so satisfyingly kicked off our day. Over the next few days, I filled in my sketch with vivid colour reflective of the seductive rainbow palette which the Mediterranean light so augments in Provence, using my new favourite medium, gauche, to do so.

Voyage to Arles from Avignon (avec le petit dejeuner) 2013 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown - gauche on paper

Voyage to Arles from Avignon (avec le petit dejeuner) 2013 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown – gauche on paper

The result is Voyage to Arles from Avignon (avec le petit dejeuner) – an artistic testament to this next leg in our journey. I hope you enjoy it.

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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Jun 12

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Composition No. 2 (Los Naranjos)

Last week I introduced a new painting and a very new style: Composition No.1 (squid with patatas a lo pobre), and hot on its heels I am very pleased to present my second Composition, likewise painted with gauche whose introduction into my artistic repertoire was inspired by the colourful enriching abstract works of Saloua Raouda Choucair currently on show at Tate Modern.

My second composition is inspired by those exquisite moments of summer time pleasure, when sat in the dappled Mediterranean light and shade of a ripe green orange-tree (Los Naranjos), you look up through the branches in whose semi transparent leaves the sun has scattered a panoply of greens, to see through those verdant lustres the unbroken clear blue sky beyond.

Composition No. 2 (Los Naranjos) © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, gauche on paper

Composition No. 2 (Los Naranjos) © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, gauche on paper

I adore mediterranean trees, basking under their natural canopy both protected from, and yet semi-dappled with the glorious midday sun. I love the unmistakable perfume of orange blossom, and the dry earthy aroma of sun warming the wrinkled bark of these well-weathered trees. And for me, the effect of light bleeding through a shelter of semi-translucent leaves lent itself so well to this abstract style, which has at its heart the idea of multi-layered shapes. The result is a painting which I hope you agree has the essence of a summer’s day, but in a decidedly abstracted mood.

Composition No.3 will surely follow suit. Until then amigos.

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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Jun 5

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Composition No. 1 (squid with patatas a lo pobre)

With Composition No.1 (squid with patatas a lo pobre), my painting has taken something of a new direction. Inspired by the simple abstract forms and “fractional modules” of Saloua Raouda Choucair, and intrigued by the medium of her choice, gauche, I have diverted from the more detailed figurative approach of my normal artwork to cleaner, simpler representational forms.

In this work, I am attempting to convey an atmosphere and an occasion: lunch by a Mediterranean beach – a dish of squid and patatas a lo pobre, the typical unctuous Spanish dish in which simple oil nourished potatoes are served with peppers and onion. I have attempted to convey the swirls of the sea, the curving delicate forms of a squid’s tentacles and the odd burst of red from the colour-rich peppers.

Composition No. 1 (Squid and patatas a lo pobre) 2013 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown (Gauche on paper)

Composition No. 1 (Squid and patatas a lo pobre) 2013 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown (Gauche on paper)

As for gouache paint – it’s been something of a revelation. Something of a cross between watercolour and acrylic but drying matt, flowing seamlessly across the paper and easily controllable both with and without water mixed in, I’ve found it an inherently pleasurable medium with which to work. I love the flat finish, the overlapping colours, and the explosion of blues bursting across the picture. I cannot wait to work in gauche again. In fact, composition No.2 is already taking shape.

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

May 22

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Life Drawing: my first (presentable) nude

As well as discovering the joy of printmaking, I’ve spent the last few weeks attending once-weekly life drawing evening classes at Chelsea College of Art in London. Because I’m a self-trained artist, I really notice the gaps that exist at the foundations of my artistic ability. This is more noticeable when I attempt to draw or paint scenes of people. Give me a sitter and I can paint their portrait no problem. But ask me to draw a figure out of thin air, and a rounded blobby Norm is the best you’ll get.

So this year I enrolled in a life drawing class to try and fill in the gaps of my basic training. And after 5 weeks in the attempt, I have finally drawn a nude which I don’t want to chuck straight in the bin.

nude

It’s far from accomplished, and very clearly unfinished (our time was limited – this is the stage I got to after about 45 minutes in the attempt). But I am delighted that finally I have been able to draw something which at least resembles the human form.

Which just goes to show, practice makes (closer to) perfect.

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