Friday 27 April 2012

Watercolour - Milan Apartment

Milan Apartment
Milan Apartment

Ever since we got back from Milan a few weeks ago I have now worked on all of the photographs. Hooray, because that meant I could get on and start painting some of them.  This was one of the typical European apartment blocks with shuttered windows and long doors opening onto a balcony. Unfortunately my re-production here doesn't do justice to the soft pink colour of the walls but you get the idea.

Milan Apartment 2
Milan Apartment 3
Milan Apartment 4
Milan Apartment 5
Milan Apartment 6

Thanks for looking and check back for more paintings of Italy.


Photo Friday #12


Cresswell beach, Northumberland. I love taking portrait shots of the beach and sea as I find it concentrates your view more on the movement of the water.


Friday 20 April 2012

Photo Friday #11

Red Tulip
Red Tulip
The sun's just come out after days of cloud so I'm feeling spring-like for today's Photo Friday with this gorgeous tulip.

Available to purchase as a print or a card from my fine art website.

Thursday 19 April 2012

Inspirations ~ Charles Rennie Mackintosh

After just having watched an excellent programme about Art Nouveau, I thought it was time I wrote about one of my favourite art nouveau artists.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Photo taken by Annan 1893
Charles Rennie Mackintosh was born in 1868 in Glasgow. From a young age he was artistic, going to a private school for artisan-class children and enrolling at School of Art evening classes.

He started work in his mid teens, as an architect and soon transformed himself into a designer and artist as well.

Art Nouveau was inspired by natural forms and structures and Mackintosh used flowers and flowing lines to great effect.

Glasgow School of Art


In 1897, Mackintosh's entry to design a new Glasgow School of Art won. The governors though, only had money for half of the building so it was this half-building which opened in 1899. Mackintosh re-designed the western end which was completed a decade after.

While on a weekend trip to Glasgow, I visited the School of Art. They give guided tours. I remember the guide pointing out the niches on either side of each set of wooden doors. Mackintosh's idea had been that these niches would house a single rose in a vase every day of the year. Unfortunately, the romantic idea didn't extend to practicalities - the school couldn't afford to replenish roses every few days!




Art Nouveau dining room
 I also visited the House for an Art Lover just outside Glasgow. In 1901 Mackintosh, along with his wife Margaret, entered a competition to design a 'Grand residence for an art lover'. Unfortunately, the entry was disqualified due to being incomplete. The required drawings were completed and the design was given a special purchase prize which meant, along with the second and third prizes, they were circulated around Europe.

Art Nouveau fireplace

It is thought that if the submission had been complete, that the Mackintoshes would have won.

In 1987 Glasgow civil engineer Graham Roxburgh came up with the idea of building the House for an Art Lover from the competition drawings.



This dream became a reality in 1990 when building began, although recession in the early nineties forced a temporary halt. A parallel with the building of the School of Art a hundred years previously. The School of Art was responsible for getting the new project moving again.








LampshadeLampshades
Stained glass rose



What I love about Mackintosh's work are the clean, simple flowing lines. I love stained glass, and his designs seem to be so versatile. You could transfer one of his stencil designs to a stained glass window, or a patchwork cushion. I love the jewel like colours and the way he designs using the natural shapes from nature alongside more geometric straight lines.

I was interested to learn that Mackintosh, in his later years, abandoned architecture and concentrated on developing his watercolours. In his 50's, he and Margaret went to the French-Spanish border for a long holiday. Mackintosh produced over 40 landscapes which, although completely different from his design work, still have a stylised quality. Natural forms are broken up into geometric shapes - reminiscent of the architect rather than the flowing art nouveau designer I think.



Rue due Soleil
The Rock















For more information on Charles Rennie Mackintosh please visit the website.

All photographs taken by Gillian Cross and information sourced from "Charles Rennie Mackintosh" by Colin Baxter & John McKean and The House for an Art Lover website.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post.

Friday 13 April 2012

Photo Friday #10

Photo Friday's back after the Easter break with a shot from my recent holiday to Milan, Italy. We had a day at Lake Maggiore and went up the mountain in a cable car. Half way up there was a tiny little building selling drinks and this delightful ladder was propped up against it's wall.

Alpino Bar
Alpino Bar

Thank You

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If you have any questions about purchasing any of the images or prints, please email me.

gillian@gilliancrossphotography.co.uk