Taking a break

When I began this blog I was hoping to use it as a means to challenge my painting technique.
I wanted to attempt to move away from a very tight photorealistic style and free up the paint marks I was using in order to be more expressive.
To begin with this is exactly what happened but before long the work began to take on a life of its own and the subject matter of the paintings began to dictate their outcome.
The photographic images I found in the free daily paper Metro often showed images of people suffering in one shape or other, after-all it's a newspaper and suffering in all its forms is news.
These images were often the most dramatic scenes in the paper showing the human condition in pain and grief. The recorded images from Wootton Bassett of dead soldiers returning home to their loved ones say it all.

I wanted to finish 100 paintings but I've decided to take a break and review what I'm trying to achieve.
The theme, for want of a better word, of suffering is still an important one for me but I feel I need to continue with a clearer view of the way forward.

I will reach 100 paintings and hopefully beyond.
Today's date is the 6th April 2011 and I've just had a large painting turned down by the National Portrait gallery's BP award. I'm disappointed but maybe this is what I needed to make me reflect on what type of art I want to make. I know I want to make it feel real and relevant and I know I need to make a leap of faith to move it on.