Woe and ink

Today brought the feared/anticipated rejection by the RSA. I'd like to say with a swagger I don't give a damn but, well, I do give one, I am once more dejected, dispirited, depressed. But, es la vida and all that. Furthermore, la vida being what it is, when I took the dog for an introspective walk after getting my rejection email, I slipped on the slithery mud track, not once but twice, flat out, trainers and trousers sheathed in the thickest mud, dignity even more assaulted.

Above are two quick ink sketches of Florence and Primo that I did this afternoon (pre rejection dejection.)

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RSA time again

Moorland/Forestry, oil on board, 24" x 36" 2009

This painting is related to the sketch below.

I have submitted two paintings to the RSA exhibition. They are both dark, obscure forest pieces and I anticipate rejection, just like last year. Whilst there though, a nice thing happened: I ran into an old pal from college, Henry Martin, who was also offering up his soul to the Gods of the RSA, along with about a billion other hopefuls. The stacks of artwork were formidable.

I had thought of getting up in the hills for some work this afternoon but was feebly deterred by the bone-penetrating wet wind chill. Tomorrow, I will go out whatever the foul weather thinks...

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Cambrian or Silurian?

Today brought sorry news from the RSA: rejection, outright, judges decision final and all that. Not that I queried it and put up a fight mind, that would be rather undignified. I have taken it on the chin, so to speak. Perhaps this is the some kind of metaphysical balancing of humours after United's famous glory on Tuesday night. Good things don't come in a brace, do they?

So, in a spirit of forgetting all about landscape painting, I'm going back in time for today's picture. This is a trilobite that I painted three or four years back. He (she? I'm not qualified to tell, though I know somebody who is) is about 540 million years old. I urge anyone keen to expand their knowledge of trilobites to seek out a copy of Richard Fortey's quite magnificent book 'Trilobite! Eye Witness to Evolution'. Fortey is a giddy guide to these fascinating creatures. Here's a link to it on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Trilobite-Eyewitness-Evolution-Richard-Fortey/dp/0375706216/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209668941&sr=1-1

A New Dawn?

Yarrow (Winter) 46" x 60" oil on canvas, 2008 © Claudia Massie

Welcome, me, unto the Blogosphere. So why the Hell would I want to do this? Well, I saw this guy's blog where he was putting a photo up everyday, and a bit of chat, and I just liked it. I thought to myself 'I could do that, and offer not only photos but also paintings'. So, photos, paintings, a bit of incisive (opinionated) crap...I think the title sums it up neatly - Palette Knife - Art and Edge.

Right now, I'm feeling pretty edgy about United's chances at Stamford Bridge tomorrow. I'm still trying to recover from Ronaldo's stunning miss in Barcelona, and the frayed nerves can't take much more battering. We don't have Sky anymore (bad choice), and are also undertaking a trip to see Frank Auerbach in Kendal tomorrow, so I won't be able to see the match. I may get to hear Alan Green's invective on Five Live though. He'll be in a quandary, I suspect, over how he can convey his hatred of both clubs in an equal and unpartisan manner.

And so, to the picture... Well, today is the hand-in for the RSA (Royal Scottish Academy) annual exhibition, and I have decided, for the first time, to offer myself up for humiliation/honour by making a submission. The painting that has been burdened with my meagre hopes is above. It shows the view up the Yarrow valley from the hillside above Yarrowford. Good luck to it.