Today I Am A Bit Slow

Today I am repainting the Honeymoon Lady's face. She very rightly pointed out it didn't look like her, so I am working away with a teeny teeny brush to get the likeness. People have an atmosphere, and even if I get all the features right, if I don't get the atmosphere then it isn't them.

Then, I will go to the Ross Portrait and continue making the house work. All the lines of the house have to work together. The measurements of the the doors, windows, the bay with French Doors, all have to match otherwise it isn't the Ross house. This takes a long time. You'd think all I had to do was make a house shape and put in some windows etc but it is much more complicated than that. I must make the background of the walls ready to receive the shape of bricks when I start those lines.

All terribly interesting and detailed.

People come last, when the background is done. Oh I love doing the people. I love doing hair, and posture and clothes - it is great fun. This is a family with great hair.

I am slow because I don't feel energetic, I feel plodding. I feel if I was to answer the door to you I would droop a little and sigh a lot and take a few seconds longer to answer your questions. Yesterday I would have anticipated your comments and bounced about grinning and making large gestures with my arms. However, this isn't about happiness, it is about mood and energy. I am happy, and really it is excellent that I can concentrate on a small face with a tiny brush and not feel constricted. As I said yesterday, Onwards and Upwards. God Bless.

Today I am tackling the Ross Family Portrait. This is a huge undertaking for the nicest family imaginable. There are 5 children (between 11 and 23) and parents and a portrait photo included of much loved Granny, who died. It is oil on wood and is 2'x 3', so nice and big.

I am alarmed at the beginning of the day because it is so important I do this and do it well. I secretly feel What if today is the day I can't paint any more. What if I can't see the people and house and garden and reproduce it. Part of me thinks I will do it later and just blog now. Part of me says Do the blog, then do a bit of the house. Make straight line in paint and take it from there. Just make a mark.

Its the business of not doing anything because we are fixated on the perfect end product without considering all the tiny myriad steps in between. So. Pot of tea at the ready, Ross Family Portrait here I come. I will put up a picture when it looks a bit better. I have started, you see. Not so bad.

In the meantime, I have done 4 Angels and a Honeymoon Portrait in the wilds of Scotland with bits of Norweigian landscape mixed in. They are delivered to clients on Saturday. Onwards and Upwards. To the Rosses.

Antonia Rolls Artist Extraordinaire. Let Us Begin.

Antonia Rolls Artist Extraordinaire.

http://www.antoniarolls.co.uk/ and http://www.jesusonthetube.co.uk/

Hello, I am Antonia Rolls, an Artist, living and working in West Sussex. My studio is in my garden and my life is wonderful here. I aim to show you what I am working on with each commission, and to comment on the work in progress.

My paintings are divided into three groups

Portraits - I am commissioned to paint individuals, families, groups in the settings of their choice. We include details of who the people in the painting are, Attributes I call them. For example, if a client loves shoes, I will paint the most fancy shoes possible as a clue to her character. The paintings are colourful, bright and joyful.

Religous - These are quirky interpretations of the Bible and Christianity. I was brought up Catholic, and so I know the stories. That is why I use the imagery that you see in the works. It is a sideways look at what we take for granted. The most famous work in this category is "Jesus on the Tube". Please go to http://www.jesusonthetube.co.uk/ to see it. These religious works, and the Jesus on the Tube, are often exhibited and cause much comment. Commissions based on these works, plus the sales of the originals, are all possible. Except the original Jesus on the Tube. That isn't for sale, but prints and commissioned copies of the original are available.

Fun - Brightly coloured paintings of Ladies, fun pictures of Plump Ladies by the Sea Eating Sandwiches, Pots or Mugs with Flowers in them. These are great for presents.

EXAMPLES OF PORTRAITS

The Wonderful Rev Rachel Mann.

Oil on Wood, and celebrating her ordination. All the attributes that mean much to Rachel are in this painting, including skis, wine and a pheasant, and a broken dumper truck.

Susanna R and Michael B and Family by the Family House

This is a large oil on wood painting showing the family and all their attributes outside the family home, before they moved to their new one. If you look carefully, you will see a horse, a dog in the basket of the bike, wine bottles, cats, golf clubs and so on.

EXAMPLES OF RELIGIOUS WORK

Virgin Mary as an Old Lady

Oil on board and framed beautifully. I have used a portrait of my mother to explore what the Virgin Mary may have looked like in her later years. I like to use modern images to make the religious ideas accessible to us now, today.

Jesus on the Tube.

This is the original and is acrylic on paper. It is only 5"x 5". Tiny. This idea has taken off on its own and has its own website now. Jesus sits on a crowded tube train being ignored by those next to him. They must wonder who on earth is sitting next to them in full Byzantine costume and a halo. Jesus looks straight out at you though, you have to make eye contact. To learn more and see other commissions of this with portraits of families included, go to http://www.jesusonthetube.co.uk/

EXAMPLES OF FUN PAINTINGS

Blue Bottom

A bright blue bottom, oil on wood and about 4' by 2.5', so nice and big. This was returned from and exhibition in a London Office as it unnerved the men.

Fat Ladies by the Sea

This is acrylic on canvas, and shows lovely brightly coloured ladies eating and sitting by the sea watching a man just about to go swimming. There is a half eaten sandwich not in the photo here, which is a shame. It is below the book on the right hand bottom corner.