Keith Proctor

My father told me, never draw a straight line and never draw a whole line, always break them up when you sketch and change the weight applied to the pencil to make your marks interesting. What great advice this was! I still sketch this way today, as it is very important to be able to sketch with ease. I paint in oils, in daylight only. I start with a charcoal sketch; concentrating mainly on balance and composition before I begin painting. I always work with a very large mirror behind me and keep on glancing over my shoulder to check things out from a different angle. I work very quickly indeed and rapidly apply the paint. I use a “strictly” limited palette and mix with care before painting. It is bold, fast, confident brushwork that makes things work for me, as once I slow down and start picking at the work I know it is finished. It's on these occasions, that I can hear my Father shouting “leave it alone.”I always listen to music as I paint. I listen to everything from rock music to Rachmaninoff; and go through stages of working to certain music, even individual songs. All of the Jack paintings to date have been painted while listening to Tony Bennett...strange isn’t it!