Friday, August 22, 2008

Jozi Jaunts

Copyright Cathy Gatland
Copyright Cathy Gatland Copyright Cathy Gatland
Here are the results of a week's hard labour! Delivered to my friend and art promoter this morning to be yayed or nayed by her client. They are bright, busy and brash but I think they fit the bill - looking forward to a little breather now, take some time to smell the heavenly spring blossoms infiltrating the air, and perhaps in a day or two, paint one or two of them..!
(I have rather sheepishly put the copyright thingy under these, as they are a commercial commission, just in case! I should try and be a bit more professional about stuff)

16 comments:

laura said...

I say YAY! And you did these in a week--unbelievable! The colors are beautiful, sunstruck and joyous. You got such a wonderful variety and individuality in the figures--and, in the top one, I just adore the dog! Brava!!

Gillian said...

Oh wow - those are fabulous! I agree with Laura - sunstruck and joyous are good words. The colours and characters so vibrant and lively. No doubt mealie seller and woman w/baby on back are deep in robust conversation. I love the little boy with his toy vehicle made from a plastic bottle and wheels made from plastic bottle caps. And the couple getting their groove on in #3 and how the toddler is staring at them! I feel like I've just been to Soweto!

Teresa said...

Wow!! Bursting with life and color. These are great!!

Vivienne said...

Congratulations! Gold medal in street scene painting. They are just terrific, and as the others say, full of life and colour and character! You've got so many great touches ... the AIDS ribbon, the crocs,the recycled sculpture, fabric and washing and bicycles and so on ... and EVEN open space. Lots of very good decisions. You must be so pleased!

Cathy Gatland said...

Thanks everybody - after a little recovery period, I am feeling quite pleased - they are not da Vinci but... I do enjoy the cameos of abundant life that abound around here - much needs to be done on the presentation - too, too bright and garish!

Helen Percy Lystra said...

How wonderfully colorful and joy filled.

Adam Cope said...

hello cathy

well done for all your concentrated effort!

nice to see you making such progress :) (without being patronising... sorry for not having poped by off late)

an easier shorter way of typing copyright is to type a 'c' with the alt key pressed down, then you get the 'c' in the circle. personally i like to know the size of the piece... also then you've got an invetntory with sizes for future references (i type the size into title of the folder eg: josijaunt36x45)

won't be much of jazzy jaunt if josi didnt jaunt a bit of jazzy colour, n'est pas?

Cathy Gatland said...

Oh thanks Adam! I was wondering how you did that c in a circle...but when I try it here... the Favourites scroll pops up...? Maybe works in the composing window.
Nice to have you pop by again - I have been keeping up looking at your sketches and paintings, though not leaving comments - you seem to have been having an extremely busy and productive time - but lovely, lively work on Dordogne Ptg Days!

Adam Cope said...

the c in a circle alt key command is for a macintosh.

i googled this for you :

Copyright Symbol Webpage
- [ Traduire cette page ]
Hold down Ctrl and Alt at the same time and press C Ctrl+Alt+C. Hold down Alt and type 0169 on the number pad (right hand side of your keyboard) Alt+0169 ...
www.copyrightauthority.com/copyright-symbol/ - 39k -

not that it matters much, as if you find it difficult to earn money from your art, others will also...

documenting sizes IS important, even for potential buyers, however.

Adam Cope said...

ps for your 'graphic' studio work, which isn't done from photos, why not even more colouful & even more jazz£?

jumble it all up to get the atmosphere (which your sisters say you do, & they also know the area you're painting)

Cathy Gatland said...

Thanks for going to all that trouble - I think that'll work, I know Alt + numberpad produces all sorts of accent letters and symbols. As you say, it probably doesn't matter... I doubt anyone's waiting out there to pounce on these for their personal profit. I feel there's a long way (if I do go down this road) to forming a style that totally works - I think you're right that more colour, action, movement jumbled up is the way to go... Just not sure that I want to - and do have reservations about my authority to do so - I'm on the periphery of this world, not in it... thanks for your interest and help - will keep you posted if anything comes of it!

Adam Cope said...

re-periphery of this (township?) world... why then dont you paint your world,it'd be intersting to have a sort of compare & co,ntrast?

or is that all too political?

you might be interested in reading what my friend Ron Gang from isreal has to say about art & poltics on his site (google him)

best
adam

Cathy Gatland said...

Well, I do, but it's pretty boring! Home, garden etc... in a way these scenes here ARE partly my experience, I guess, even if as a 'voyeur' or onlooker - from my car window or from behind my gate - I've juxtaposed them into a township setting, but they are mostly my own observations.

I looked up Ron Gang and really like what he has to say about the 'eternal now' and Positive Vibrations - have printed it out to read and absorb, thanks so much. There are an army of artists doing very political, and politicized work here, and I have little desire to box with them - so good to have a role model who expresses his philosophy of 'witnessing goodness' so well.

Adam Cope said...

yes

glad you like what ron has to say.

imo, photography does social & political documentation better than painting. but to be aware of the background noise is important.

for instance, i'm an english artist living in france (along with a wave of other english immigrants) during a phase of cohesion & unification in european history... people DO take al lthis into account when they look at your paintings.

your african identity & your home is what makes you unique!

play your strong cards?

paint on & enjoy

Anonymous said...

I don't know where to leave my comment Cathy! I want to say something about everythgin you've done and I'm so afraid I'l miss commenting about this one or that one...I love everything you've done and these commissions are just simply fabulous, as well as the one you did some time ago. You're a very talented artist Cathy. Well, now I did forget the others I wanted to comment on...zut, can't remember! But you'll just have to know I loved seeing them all...ah, the sushi as well...and the kale...
Ronell

Cathy Gatland said...

Don't stress, Ronell! Thanks for taking the time - and your precious energy - to visit, and for your appreciative thoughts.