Balmain Lady - Chiaroscuro Technique - by Rodney Swansborough

During our exhibition at the Breathing Colours Gallery in Balmain, Sydney, I began this artwork. I set up my easel outside the gallery on the street. This work is part of my nude series, all done on three-ply veneer, using oil pastels (this work is in soluble oil pastels). I have deliberately used a limited palette - black, grey and white.

 The work is laid flat (horizontal) and water is applied directly onto the wood veneer and allowed to "float" on the surface. This enable me to merge the pastels together in the water and to manipulate the tonal range as well as bleach out the oil pastels to expose more of the grain and texture of the wood veneer surface.

This bleaching technique colourises (stains) the timber and adds an exciting and novel element to the artwork. The veneer has a skin-like quality in textures as well as colour. I am expanding more on these attributes the further I explore this technique.

The images immediately below have the background colours now in which provided stronger contrast between the figure and the surrounds. The blue and green colouring is in keeping with the previous female nude in this series.

Lose up of the face of Balmain Lady by Rodney Swansborough
This gives some idea of the style and techniques used in the artwork

Blamain Lady by Rodney Swansborough

Balmain Lady by Rodney Swansborough

Further work has been done on the face..toning more subtly the features

Balmain Lady with her Pompadour hairstyle by
Rodney Swansborough 

Balmain Lady by Rodney Swansborough

A closer view of the unfinished face

Balmain Lady by Rodney Swansborough
White highlights are being added and at this stage are somewhat
over-dramatised and will be washed and bleached into the veneer for
a softer and more subtle affect.

The images below show the artwork after some four hours of working on the street, where many people stopped to view the artist at work.

Balmain Lady by Rodney Swansborough
I am thinking of doing the hair style in the shape of the wood grain
which rises towards the top of the veneer. I chose the placement
of the figure to exploit this synergy.

Balmain Lady by Rodney Swansborough

I am wanting the timber veneer with its colour, texture and grain to be an integral part of the feel and flavour of this work and the other works being done in this series

Balmain Lady by Rodney Swansborough

Lady in Red by Rodney Swansborough

Rodney Swansborough is working on his final work "Lady in Red" in his nude series for the art exhibition at Breathing Colours, Darling Street, Balmain, NSW. This artwork below is on three-ply veneer with a faint acrylic washed "brushed" with oil pastels.

"Lady in Red" by Rodney Swansborough

"Lady in the big hat" by Rodney Swansborough

This artwork, "Lady in the big hat", by Rodney Swansborough is part of the Nude Series which will be exhibited at the Breathing Colours Gallery on Darling Street, Balmain in New South Wales from March 18th till April 8th 2013. Below is the work in progress:

Lady in the Big Hat - by Rodney Swansborough - Oil Pastels on three-ply veneer.
65cms x 70cms (work in progress)

Lady in the Big Hat - by Rodney Swansborough - Oil Pastels on three-ply veneer.
65cms x  70cms (work in progress)

Beach Nude by Rodney Swansborough

The nude series of artwork continues to be developed in preparation for the exhibition "Artistic Synergies" to be held at the Breathing Colours Gallery on Darling Street Balmain (NSW).
The work below is the latest work (in progress) called "Beach Nude".

"Beach Nude" by Rodney Swansborough - oil pastels on three-ply veneer
with beach sand and natural oxides background

"Beach Nude" by Rodney Swansborough - oil pastels on three-ply veneer
with water colour wash background

Artistic Synergies Exhibition - Rodney Swansborough and Pearl Red Moon

Rodney Swansborough and Pearl Red Moon will be holding a joint exhibition called "Artistic Synergies at the Breathing Colours Gallery on Darling Street Balmain (NSW)
Exhibition Dates: 18th March to 8th April 2013
Exhibition Opening: 23rd March at 5.00pm

Below is a work in progress from a series of male and female nudes Rodney will be exhibiting for the first time at the exhibition.
This series will be done in oil pastels on three-ply veneer using the sgraffito technique to add textures and highlights to the works. Works will be for sale.

Male Nude (work in progress) by Rodney Swansborough

Male Nude (work in progress) by Rodney Swansborough

The sgraffito technique is now applied which is used to amplify the
highlights and add interesting texture on the three-ply veneer

Below is a close up view of the sgraffito technique
Click on the image to more closely see this technique.

The sgraffito technique is now applied which is used to amplify the
highlights and add interesting texture on the three-ply veneer

The completed work:
"Masculine Structure" by Rodney Swansborough
(Click on image for full view)

"Masculine Structure" by Rodney Swansborough

Closer view of top part of the artwork
(Click on image for full view)

"Masculine Structure" by Rodney Swansborough

Rodney Swansborough wins art prize using sgraffito technique

Rodney Swansborough has won the Ken Nelson Memorial Champion Painting for his painting "Outback Worker". The award was announced by the adjudicator, Jo Cartwright who said he could not fault the work at any level. There were over 120 entries in the Wallabadah 'Art & All That Jazz' art competition. The champion prize was worth A$1,000.
In his response to the award, Rodney told the audience how he almost gave up several times on the experimental approach he took in creating the portrait. "It was sheer persistence in the end",Rodney said. "It was also a feeling that it would all come together if I hung in there long enough"
The portrait is done on untreated three-ply veneer, with a water-based background using charcoal and coloured cement oxides. The face is done in oil pastels and the surface scratched back to the timber using the sgraffito technique ( a painting technique where the artist scratches into the top layer of the paint to reveal areas of the surface underneath.). Sgraffito was used to emphasise the highlights in the face and to add interesting texture to the artwork)

The winning artist Rodney Swansborough stands near his
champion portrait "Outback Worker"

Below are close-ups of the artwork which demonstrate the sgraffito technique:
(Click on each image to see full effect of the sgraffito technique)

Outback Worker by Rodney Swansborough
illustrating the sgraffito technique
CLICK ON IMAGE FOR FULL SIZE

Outback Worker by Rodney Swansborough
illustrating the sgraffito technique
CLICK ON IMAGE FOR FULL SIZE

Fauvist Portrait Commission by Rodney Swansborough

This current work is a commission which is part of the Red Lips Series. Pearl Red Moon will now add textiles and multimedia dimensions to the work. The portrait is done with oil pastels on fine cotton weave. As a fauvist work the colours are deliberately exaggerated. The uncompromising colours of the oil pastels provide a vibrant richness which further enhances the fauvist interpretation.

Fauvist Portrait done by Rodney Swansborough

The expression on this face is deliberately moody and somewhat sullen, which is part of the innate beauty of the face where the vibrant colours form part of the expressiveness of the eyes. Her eyes are rich in colour and light which draw your attention and engage the viewer, creating the feeling of wanting to know more about this overtly sensuous gaze

Fauvist Portrait done by Rodney Swansborough

 

Australian Outback - Rodney Swansborough

This artwork by Rodney Swansborough is a commissioned work using hereford cattle, magpies and other Australian icons. The work is natural oxides, acrylic, sand on stretched canvas
Dimensions:  90cms x 60cms

Click images to increase display size

Hereford Cattle	Magpies
Work in progress	More cattle added and top right deeper contrasts
Two more cattle added - top left	Windmill added
Cows modified	Magpies slightly darkened
Completed artwork