'City of Glass 16- (Private Eye)' 200 x 100 cms

It's exciting when everything comes together and a solution is found from both within the painting and from outside.  I have in front of me something that surprises me, something I cannot yet fully explain or understand but feels right and complete. I sat in my chair, looking at the painting, thinking of tinkering with the concentric circles at the top, and worried that by strengthening them, making them more like an image of an eye, I would draw attention away from the intersection of the canvases. All sorts of thought appeared simultaneously: I thought of crosshairs and targets and how in the novel, there is a strong possibility that Quinn is a target, a set-up, a victim in a fiendish experiment, that ends in the apartment on E69St. I thought of Georgia O' Keeffe's fantastic 'New York Street with Moon' that I found doing research for the recent 'circle' workshop in Canterbury.  So that is all I did- I drew the large concentric circles centred on the main axis, with  brush, nail, and string, representing both the eye and a target and within the painting, creating focus and strangeness and although faint, the perfection of the circle, pushes the map-shape of Manhattan, already fragmented, further into the background. And of course there is the visual link with Columbus Circle and the circles at the top.

I am going to continue with the idea of 'building' tower-shaped canvases, 'a tower that is there but not there'.  In this piece, the tower can be considered 'unsolid', transparent, made of glass.......

'New York Street with Moon'  Georgia O'Keeffe

 

'City of Glass 16 - (Private Eye)' update, Thurs 23 Jan

Nearly there - one more session I think. Bad day yesterday, trying too hard after getting the rejection e-mail from John Moores 2014.  

The colours are starting to work on the right, with some new purple-greys and more intense greens and the switch from red to pink.  Love the reverse 'Z' towards the top. The top panel felt separate- it's now connected by the extension of the central vertical of Park Ave ending with concentric circles, which suggest the eye and repeat the motif of Columbus Circle. Maybe the 'eye' is too subtle, could be the glare from the lights. It was more graphic earlier, more of an image, maybe too powerful, the all-seeing eye.  I'll re-draw tomorrow, and make a decision on it's strength within the painting.

The novel is Quinn's story, the writer of detective fiction who becomes a detective. At the beginning of the story, Quinn muses on the triple meanings of the term Private Eye: 'i' for investigator, 'I' for the self, and 'eye' for the 'physical eye of the writer, who looks out from himself into the world and demands that the world reveal itself to him'.  The intersection of the main axis is the location of the Stillman apartment, where Quinn's life/role as a private eye begins and ends..... 

In a homage to Quinn (and author Paul Auster), the painting is now called 'City of Glass 16 - (Private Eye)'

Work in progress: 'City of Glass 16' -update

I may change the name to Red Rivers or Euphrates or Babylon.....

In progress- 'City of Glass 16 - (1 block = 1 brick)'

 

'City of Glass 16'   210 x 120cms

Early days for new City of Glass* painting - but now going through the gears with longer sessions in the studio. Still trying to establish the scale of Manhattan and position of Central Park.  The only certainty is the central axis of 69th St and Park Ave, the location of the Stillman apartment, with the divide leading the eye down to Grand Central Station.  It's too fragmented, everything needs to be simplified, including the colour-scheme. The grid pattern of the streets will be extended over the entire canvas forming the bricks of the tower shape. There may be a tiny figure of Stillman exiting the painting in the bottom left corner.

Music has been driving the painting: Neil Young's After the Goldrush and Sleeps with Angels with the epic Change your Mind and Closer by Joy Division: ' you can't replace the fear and thrill of the chase...' Sums up painting really.

* from 'The New York Trilogy' by Paul Auster

Detail

Detail

'City of Glass 15- (Stillman walks.....)' 50x40cms

 

 

This is the smallest painting yet in the New York Trilogy series. It's always a problem going from big to small - there is no room, no space! - but I think that problem has been resolved. 

In this painting I returned to the idea of how to place both the figure of Stillman and the map-shape of Manhattan in the same painting, without Stillman appearing giant.  The painting started with Stillman in a gallery, walking past a painting containing the Manhattan shape ('City of Glass 1') but the verticality, which has been a constant throughout the series, was missing. I think the solution above is far more intriguing and ambiguous.  The vertical grid on the right is a specific section of the Upper West Side. As 'detective' Quinn discovers, Stillman's daily walks, (where he invisibly writes the letters that spell T.H.E.T.O.W.E.R.O.F.B.A.B.E.L.) are all within 'a narrowly circumscribed area, bounded on the north by 110thSt, on the south by 72nd Ave, on the west by Riverside Park, and on the east by Amsterdam Avenue. No matter how haphazard his journeys- and each day his itinerary was different- Stillman never crossed these borders' *

 

Next painting: 'City of Glass 16 - (1 block = 1 brick)', investigating again the enormous scale of the new Tower of Babel in New York, which would be 'large enough to hold every inhabitant of the New World'.*

 

*Paul Auster  'The New York Trilogy'

 

 

 

 

 

Just Released - Our Painting Holidays in Cornwall, 2014

 

12 - 17 May & 22 - 27 September

We are delighted to announce the release of our painting holidays in Cornwall for May and September in 2014.

The concept remains the same, a unique opportunity to work with Ashley spending 2 days on location in Cornwall's stunning coastal landscape on both the north and south coast (on each holiday), followed by 2 full days developing the paintings and ideas further in a studio set in a sleepy village high on Bodmin Moor. We have a new location for you this year on our May holiday with the introduction of Polperro on the south coast.

 Prices start from £395 and include:


 

• 5 nights accommodation
• 4 full days tuition
• 1 to 1 tuition
• Group critiques
• All lunches
• Ferry trip to Polruan (Sep Hol)
• Celebratory evening meal

 

The holidays/courses are extremely flexible with lots of accommodation options depending on your budget. You can hire your own cottage, get together with a group of friends or make new friends sharing a cottage. There is also an option to go on the course and source your own accommodation, if you prefer. Non participants are also welcome.

Heather Rachel's Painting & Photo Sep 2013
 

There is also a place on our September Cornwall painting holiday to be won!! We have teamed up with the new art magazine Discover Art and the art materials specialist Great Art and all you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is to paint a postcard in any media of your choice. Pick up your copy of the Discover Art magazine from WH Smiths high street stores or see here  for more details.

To Book or for More Information:

Contact denise@ashleyhanson.co.uk or call 01208 77656

See also here for more detailed information

 

Limited to 16 places, book early to guarantee your place.

 

www.ashleyhanson.co.uk
 

 

Comments from our Previous Holidays

It was beyond my expectations and extremely helpful. You both worked so hard and the workshop was brilliant. Thank-you so much for giving us such a creative and inspirational time!
Petra Rohr-Rouendaal September 2013

The workshop was a highly purposeful environment and precious time was used appropriately. The demonstrations were thought provoking and stimulating. St Breward is pleasant, rural and the studio has the air of a retreat - perfect for painting and the artistic soul. Overall the course delivered something special and I think different and more 'out there' than the norm. Ashley is an inspirational tutor. Thank-you!
Alison Garner April 2013
 
Thank-you so much, both of you. Ashley is a very good tutor and such an enthusiast that it is completely contagious. I am buzzing with pictures to paint in my head, like I never had before...it is almost a waste of time to sleep! You were both so generous with your time and care...very memorable and can’t wait to come down to Cornwall again!
Jane Crane September 2012

 

 I didn’t know what to expect—but I have been delighted that it lived up to its title ‘Freedom in Painting’ - suggesting that the painting comes first, it dictates the subject matter. Its been very useful for ideas for future work. Ashley’s a very passionate, selfless teacher. He tries to get into the mindset of each student and find out what they want to achieve. He really gives of himself. Excellent.

Kate Newington April 2011

Thanks to everyone for allowing me to use their comments and special thanks to Heather Rachel for the use of selected photographs.

Canterbury Workshop - Exploring the Circle

Teddy Kempster

The group found our recent 'Freedom in Painting' workshop in the sculpture studio at Canterbury Christchurch University both intriguing and challenging.

In a series of exercise students explored the circle as a window, object,  sign, target, symbol and also as a circular space within painting before making their own interpretation of the circle. Ashley was very impressed by the strength and variety of the work produced over the 2 days, we hope you agree!
 
It was difficult to choose from all the wonderful work made but here is a selection of some of the paintings. Special thanks go out to Denise and Ruth for sending in the photos.

Denise Collar

I really did enjoy the recent painting course held in Canterbury last week and the experience has truly begun to liberate me into 'painting with freedom', Thank-you Ashley. The process which you planned informed us well before we began to paint and the structure of each session soon liberated each one of us into using paint to interpret the theme of the circle in so many ways. I could feel myself growing in confidence as the hours went by. What an intensive two days at an affordable cost and a really valuable investment of time for any budding artist who needs to discover their own direction,
Denise Collar

Linda Tucker

A mixture of inspiration, art, contextualisation, modelling and giving your all! I would give you a 1, that is 'outstanding' in Ofsted terms!
Linda Tucker











I've learnt  a lot more about mixing colour and documenting the mixes. Also I am much more confident about using acrylics. I really loved mixing and applying colour with the palette knife. Also I appreciate abstract art  a little more now. Lots of room in which to work - lovely!
Maria Welch



Rachel Wickremer

 

Maria Welch

  





Ruth McDonald

Sue Lock






Thank-you to everyone who came along to the workshop we hope to see you again soon.