The Changing Year

Phases (work in progress)

Caroline Roberts

The seasons swing around and I realize there are only 3 weeks of school holidays left. How did that come around so fast?

This year my youngest starts school full-time and so, assuming I can get the little night owl out of bed, they will both be on the bus at 7:20, returning at 3:10. The same week that they go back I start two classes at Glassell. This term I am taking Color and I'm excited about it - this class has been passed down from Josef Albers.

I will also be taking a Composition workshop, which seems to be a combination of lectures and museum visits lasting only 6 weeks. Between Dianne Mize's excellent series of posts on her Compose blog and this class I am sure to improve and become more confident in my compositional skills.

Excitement about returning to the studio is building up, slowly and deliberately. I do not want to wander in there on the first day back and pick at things or fidget around and finally give up only to check email. I want to hit the ground running with work that will warm me up and get my painting form back quickly. So far my plans include:

• Working with the Guerra acrylics. I ordered these some time ago but haven't had time to work with them since they arrived. They need more preparation than regular tube acrylics which will, I hope, result in more control over paint consistency.
• Small acrylic panel 'sketches' based on the sketchbook drawings and photos from the summer.
• Tidy the studio.
• Small acrylic thumbnails of Herne's Oak focusing on value. I think this is the key to heightening drama in this piece. Then, once I have the value structure in place, working on texture in the background to imply a huge, ancient forest.
• Finish Phases.