I think it's about time I shared with you the plans for my current art work. If you've seen this blog before you will have noticed I've been posting updates about my portrait of trans gender beauty Grace Oni Smith, who I've been working with for about a year now.
The finished Pre Raphaelite style portrait along with a selection of studies in chalk will be shown as part of Cornerhouse Projects between July 31st-Sept 9th to coincide with Manchester Pride. You can read the official write up on the website here: http://www.cornerhouse.org/art/art-exhibitions/cornerhouse-projects-gemma-parker-layla-sailor
I'm really excited to show this work in progress (I plan to continue exploring this theme after the dates on show) not least because I am also getting a custom made frame for the main piece made to my own design! It will very much in the Pre Raphaelite style and will further extend the theme of transgender and transformation. I'll share this with you as it is created.
I've got about 6 weeks to finish the portrait, and so far I'm pretty happy with it. Every time I sit in front of it I make about a million little alterations and changes. It's true that spending time away from your work really does allow you see what needs doing. I get about one full day to work on it per week at the moment so I plan on upping that, sticking some Kylie on full blast and making each studio day count!
Here's where I got to last week. I was having awful trouble with her neck the week before but I've managed to see where I was going wrong and put the foundations down for the right shading now. I'm going to put her tattoos in next week so that will be fun too! Can't wait to get going on her hands and all that hair!
Come back next time to see how I get on
Gemma***
