Jo Harman

My workload from Colne Blues 2017 is far from over and the last few months have found me completing live sketches, paintings and trace-mono-prints inspired by some wonderful performers at The Great British Rhythm & Blues Festival in Colne, Lancashire. I currently have a number of paintings in various stages of completion but two which are well underway feature The Kaz Hawkins Band and Jo Harman.

My original intention was to start paintings from Colne Blues in the order in which I saw (and sketched) the bands. So far I have managed to do this but as anticipated some paintings take longer than others for all sorts of reasons and this has meant that there has been little chance of the paintings being completed with any sort of chronology. For example, my painting of Kaz Hawkins has remained untouched for over two weeks due to areas of paint remaining wet. Although I often work alla prima, where I want to use a scumbled technique the under-painting must be dry, absolutely dry. The up-side of this is that I have been working on other paintings including that of Jo Harman. Whilst it is still UNFINISHED it is progressing and beginning to “feel” like it is moving in the right direction. When I sketched Jo at Colne I was aware of a particular light that streamed from the stage lights through the audience. I knew straight away that I wanted to utilize this multi-coloured effect in a painting. As I monitored the lighting I felt that the light seemed to emanate from Jo Harman. In preparing the painting I decided to incorporate Jo in a strong light against the dark back drop. I also wanted to include the way the light hit the edge of the neck of the guitarist’s Strat. As mentioned it is unfinished but hopefully it is beginning to express the magic of the band’s performance and the atmosphere of an attentive audience who seemed quite spell-bound.

Jo Harman At TGBR&BF ’17

oil on canvas

60.5cm x 45.5cm

UPDATE 23rd January 2017: Late this afternoon I finished the oil on canvas inspired by Jo Harman on “The Muni” stage at The Great British Rhythm and Blues Festival. To see the finished painting follow the link https://petemarshart.co.uk/painting/jo-harman-tgbrbf-17/