Thursday 29 January 2015

Unleash the MDF !

Frustration rife in the studio today, I have come to the conclusion I just need a bigger surface to work on, it feels like painting on a postage stamp!! 50x30cm just isn't big enough, Im bursting to go large! Sketches on the boards, although painful, is forcing me to think about style and how my energy gets translated. Figurative, abstract, oil or acrylic these are the questions to be faced before letting rip on my awaiting canvases.  

Landscape artists under the microscope for me: John Virtue, Constable, Len Tabner, Kyffin Williams, local Fen artist Frank Ingrams, JMW Turner and the Canadian Group of 7. Research into their style,compositions, how did they develop their careers,who influenced them and what can I learn from them and build into my work. 
If you're interested check out my Research tab - currently WIP!  

Dans le studio

MDF sketches

Let the painting begin !

MDF boards at the ready
Blending colours











It's all in the preparation ! Some practicing with blending colour, a fabulous way to learn about the green and blue hue and how blending colours can achieve tonal variation.

MDF boards cut and prepped in different colours - purpose to experiment with the base colours and how they influence the overall tonal effect of the sky. Its important for me to build and understand my style of painting, how will I capture the essence of the Fens and what it means for me. Queue the 8 boards.. an opportunity to trial different styles in preparation for the canvas, preparatory sketches. 

Tuesday 27 January 2015

The Fens

Big skies
Sunset over the fields
Sunny but cold 
A freezing cold, wild weekend in the Fens! 
Big skies, peaceful, remote and magnificent. I managed to get the blue skies but it was freezing! Multiple photos later, and a few quickly drawn sketches I am now back in the studio. The plan is to pick 4-5 images and experiment with both acrylic and oil,using different styles of brush and palette work to try and capture the atmosphere. I have started work on 15 MDF sheets 30x50cm to develop and experiment with the style before heading to the canvas(s) !!! A bit of research on landscape artists through the ages is required, get those neurones activated and probably steal shamelessly some of their great ideas! More on its way….



Fen Country


Capturing the magnitude of the Fens

Before launching straight into my normal manic painting fenzy Im slowing down and undertaking a bit of research (yes,its true !).

I want to take time to really think about how I convey 'The Fens', translate into an image the feeling and emotion I experience when standing looking out over the vast agricultural landscape. For me it is magnificent, huge skies, bleak, peaceful (when the sun is shining and theres no wind!). The rich black soil contrasted against the ever changing sky. So The fens is my project for the next few weeks - more to come but Vaughn Williams composed a short classical piece inspired by the fens - enjoy!

Monday 12 January 2015

Royal Photographic Society

The International Biennial Members' Print Exhibition - The Grant Bradley Gallery, Bristol.

'Lost' by Leigh Eros

The RPS founded in 1853 to promote art and science of photography. A biennial International exhibition of a 100 photographs selected from over 3300 submitted which reflects diverse subjects and photographic styles.

Some fantastic use of light and movement in the subject matters as well as interesting use of various printing techniques. 

This exhibition for me is inspirational, what a wonderful way to spend a wet afternoon in January!




'Joie de vivre' by Steve Jones,
Gold medal winner
"Last taxi home' by Boguslaw Maslak
Bronze medal winner


'Lewis Smith' by Marc Aspland
Silver medal winner

Sunday 11 January 2015

Ideas for paint effects - Acylic

Acrylic

Texturing a ground with thick paint:
Roller of thick paint onto canvas. Let it dry then add colour on top

Dropping in india ink:
Apply a wash of transparent of colour, while its wet add indian ink in a dropper and tilt paper so it runs to relevant shape. Lay flat and let dry. Final step, apply a glaze of satin acrylic varnish.

Apply paint with newspaper:
Crumple newspaper, dip into paint and daub - then apply colour into negative spaces.
Crumple newspaper, couple of separate pieces, using different colours dab on canvas. While paint still damp draw a few lines, use sgraffiti. good for scrubbery / trees effect

Removing paint with newspaper: 
Apply paint to canvas, lay newspaper on paint, smooth it out and then lift off - creates interesting pattens.

Removing colour with masking tape:
Apply paint, while still wet, dab surface with crumpled up ball of masking tape

Texturing with modelling paste or plaster:
Trowel on plaster or paste, cover with cling film. Just before film settles, squirt some diluted paint underneath with squeeze bottle. Allow to dry then remove film.

Texturing with cling wrap:
Place strips of masking tape onto areas that one wants to remain without background colour.. Dilute acrylic paint and flood canvas with colour. Immediately lay cling wrap over the surface, allowing it to wrinkle. Leave cling wrap in place and cover with paper and put weight on top and allow to dry. Once dry remove cling wrap and masking tape. Paint where appropriate on blank masked areas.

Acrylic and solvent based inks:
Apply acrylic was on either canvas, matte paper or shiny card. Whilst wet drop in coloured ink - marbling effect achieved.

Liquid starch:
Apply wash of acrylic paint, whilst still wet spray with liquid starch - this will push the colour around - subtle effect and good for cloud imagery.

Mineral spirits:
Apply wash of acrylic. Dip a wooden skewer into mineral spirit and touch onto surface of wet paint. Creates a 'ring effect' - flowers, pebbles etc.

Colour layering with gel medium:
Apply gel medium to paper, leave some of the white paper untouched. Let gel dry. Brush on 1st colour, when almost dry wipe off some of the colour with a rag. Then apply more gel to the parts you want to keep white or yellow, allow to dry. This protects and allows the colour ro remain, repeat process with other colours. Can apple texture by pressing in netting or texture into a layer of the gel, allow to dry and then continue process.

Building texture with, foil, tissue, sand anything!
Glue pieces of foil and or tissue to paper or canvas with gel medium, allow to dry. Then paint over, foil provides sheen, tissue provides matt effect. Sand can be applied, draw with glue, throw sand over whilst wet - can paint over if appropriate. Can also draw interesting patterns in glue before dries.

Powdered graphite:
Mix with glue - can apply plaster first for texture then apply the graphite mix. Paint as required and then
can sprinkle or place on painting. Seal with matte medium

Applying mesh or wire:
Apply modelling paste press mesh into paste, leave to dry and lift then apply paint.

Masking Tape:
To produce clean lines, seal and glaze paper or canvas (stops ripping when masking tape removed) Add masking tape, paint layer, remove tape whilst still wet and repeat.






Thursday 8 January 2015

Evaluative Statement : Urban / Habitation (Oct - Dec 2014)


Inspiration: Texture, movement, flow, colour and tones, nature and my intuition.
Project : Imagery from my rowing boat in the ‘Floating Harbour’, Bristol. A unique insight into the environment and imagery from water level.

Painting
Working with oils was a new experience; the creamy texture allowed me to blend colour which delivered a richness and depth of quality. Slow to dry so I could work at slower pace.  Painting 1 demonstrates a mixture of interesting textures and blends of colour but for me it is visually too busy and disconnected. In Painting 2, I aspired to capture water movement and flow using texture, this was partially achieved, I would like to experiment further with paint flow and running paint across various surfaces.  My developing style reflects abstract expressionism and colour field. I draw my inspiration from John Virtue, atmospheric and monumentus in scale; Turners genius of movement and flow; Klee’s tonal qualities and Rothko's impact with colour. Experimentation of colour and tone is an important discipline to be applied to future projects.
 
Painting 1 
Painting 2



Sculpture
Energizing and exciting; channeling energy into sculpting to reflect texture and movement feels liberating, a freedom of expression not experienced in printing. I feel I successfully achieved the challenge of sculpting a ‘to scale’ head with surface texture  (although not without challenges with ears accidentally being chipped off). The fish plinth added a quality and completeness to this simple piece, on reflection, additional markings to the body of the fish would add to the piece. I’m brimming with ideas for future work, demonstrating flow, shape and form, experimentation with Bath stone and/or clay to sculpted, textured and tactile forms.  Moore and Hepworths scale, curves, clean lines and visual impact excite, a key building block.  I plan to build on knowledge taken from the development of my paintings, drawings and research moving forward.
 
'Sid' the fish
'Head I'



Printmaking
Initially compared to painting it felt a slow and confined process; my creativity felt stifled and trapped 'an uninspiring production line'. In 'The Boat in Motion' I aspired to build energy and movement, showing the embossed boat moving through water. I feel I successfully achieved this through the 5 progressive prints.  Akiko Taniguchi’s  blocks of colour and negative shapes inspired the boat, blades and reflections on the water. I discovered carborundum and embossing provided the previously missing dimension of texture. I will look at how to build/combine this technique into future paintings. Transposing energy in the form of flow, texture and movement is key for me and I have learnt that it is indeed technically possible in printmaking.

'The Boat in Motion' 
'

Carborundum print
The Bridge

Moving Image
I set out to capture the visual imagery of water in different forms/contexts around the Floating Harbour. I succeeded in capturing flow in multiple aspects, the colour palate worked well however there was far too much material compressed into a 3 minute film  delivering a confused story. Less is more! Greater planning and storyboarding required. Possibility to incorporate moving image and sculpture - installation.

Installation
 ‘Lightening Bolt’. The cloud unrefined and rustic which worked in partnership with the suspended luminous bolt, however, impact was restricted by the need to position in a dark space to demonstrate full effect. A consideration for future work. Development of 'clouds' could be built into the next project. Berndnaut Smilde clouds have a quality to strive for.
'Lightening Bolt'













Whats next: 'The Fens'
Painting: Experimenting with colour and tone, examining flow and textural techniques.
Sculpture: Bath stone & clay - experimenting with techniques and build on knowledge from painting.