Lesson of the Week...Weather in Art

I love this one. Weather. Art. Together. Awesome. 

The tangents you (well, ok, I) can take this off are deep and endless but with my little year 3s it's just a small step for now. I'd like to eventually set up plans for weather in art up to year 6 and bring in 'meteoropathy. This fascinates me, ever since I saw Ola Rek exhibiting at the National Gallery in Glasgow a couple of years ago. She's October's artist of the month.

Artist of the Month - September

I seem to have had a run of interesting and intriguing female artists and this month was going to be another one that I discovered whilst back in the UK. But then since I showed my dad my last painting weve had a back and forth text conversation about the artist that my latest work reminded him of.

 

So why not...this month's artist is Roger Dean. And he's from my home county of Kent!

On first glance, he really isn't an artist that would appeal to me. I asked my Dad if he would have his work on his wall...maybe back in the day but not now. As I've looked at his work more I am drawn more to it and notice more detail each time and I'm realising that is a basis for having a piece of art on display. He's definitely going to be an inspiration but his technique I can only dream of!

Dean was born in Ashford in Kent but travelled well as a child being the son of an British Army engineer father. He came back to England in the late '50s and went to the Canterbury College of Art. He is actually a silversmith and furniture designer by trade with architecture being part of his CV as well. However, he became a much respected and reknowned rock artist in the 1960s. He has designed many album covers for the likes of Yes and Asia and has published books of his work. He became known for the distinctive bubble style that he designed for Yes' album Close to the Edge...

...it's this album that my painting reminded my Dad of:

 

He is otherwise known for the fantasy scenes he paints, the almost sci-fi scenes but he sees himself as more of a landscape painter than a fantasy artist. Arches, floating islands, sweeping and swirling paths are all features of these organic dreamy landscapes. He mostly works in watercolour, but many of his paintings have mixed media including gouache, ink, enamel, crayon and collage.

His website is rogerdean.com (althought they are currently having server probs) and his Facebook page is 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Roger-Dean-Official-Page/267978434150?fref=ts

 

Enjoy x

My latest painting

It’s another school year, another term and the summer months have flown by. I’m back to it with my old classes now in their next year and my brand new year 3s. So cute. I'm finding I need to refresh my planning all the time I think otherwise I feel I will get a bit bored and lose my way with my lesson plans. A few more years in the job and I might get it right!

I spent the remainder of the summer holiday here in Oman, painting my next commission and it was finished within a month this time because I had the time for it and could absorb myself in it. I had great fun doing this one. My last one was full of love, this one was full of enjoyment and fun.

So writing here has had a hiatus, but I’ve been taking in the art world as well as some new (to me) artists. The next post will be about an artist who my Dad has introduced me too…simply because the painting below that I have recently completed, reminded him of Dean’s work. It’s also a throwback to his youth as well maybe ;-)

Enjoy.