Patrick Heron

If you are interested in learning more about the British artist Patrick Heron (1920-1999) a good book to start with would be Patrick Heron St Ives Artists by Michael McNay. It gives a good overview to the life and work of this Cornwall artist. It is a small book, 80 pages, but contains many illustrations, most in colour.

Another interesting book is Patrick Heron: Early and Late Garden Paintings, by Andrew Wilson. It is an exhibition catalog for an exhibition at Tate St Ives in 2001.

Both are published by the Tate.

That difficult early period.

I have a new painting under way. I was interested in the colour and texture of some old stone carvings on the steps of Charlottetown’s Basilica. The effects of pollution and weather have created an almost painterly effect. I was hoping to use these stones as a basis for the colour structure in a painting.

I have reached that difficult early period when I can imagine were I want the painting to go, but I have the suspicion that I’m not going to get there. The under painting is complete, and though I was expecting to go in a different direction, I find the work I have done so far interesting. I like the discord in the colour and find it very puzzling. It suggests a different direction.

I was going to almost completely cover the under painting and have it show through in an almost delicate way. But I very much like the harshness.

What to do, what to do?