Burst mains

So today I planned to spend the whole day in my studio working away as I did yesterday, as I feel my productivity hasn't been great of late. Plus January's review week is looming and I want plenty of work for then. But you know what they say about best laid plans... well today a water mains pipe burst down the road from the university (and where I live), meaning the whole of NW4, NW2 and NW3 and had no water! Fun. Therefore I couldn't get any photos of what I've been up to or use any of my sketching pencils, inks or oils, so today I had to improvise.

My tutor pointed me to some artists worth researching for my sketchbook and I was particularly taken with Gwen John (1876-1939)





Looking at her work got me thinking about the composition, background and setting of my drawings, so I've been playing around with a couple in my sketchbook this afternoon, though only one has photograph remotely well:



Hopefully the studios will be reopened tomorrow so I can get some more things done before I go home for the weekend, and have a go at using the new composition in a few paintings.

I'm planning to take the majority of my work home over the Christmas break so I can scan them instead of having to put hideous phone photographs on here. Or I could just take my real camera into uni one day. We'll see!