Evaluation - 'Horizon'

‘Framing the infinity’

This project immediately followed my fathers death, I returned to the studio feeling very calm, for me it was about stripping elements down to a minimum and keeping the imagery simple.

               

'Floating Horizon' (200cm x 50cm)

Acrylic on canvas, working with deep purple and blending aquamarine and red with the cobalt teal dissecting the canvas. The effect being one of calm contemplative and mood provoking whilst creating an imagery of infinity, the lines wrap around the canvas.

Rothkos ability to create an atmosphere and depth to his paintings evoking an emotional response and reflecton to the colour has been an inspiration whilst Barnett Newmans ground breaking paintings (more in the vertical) developed his infamous ‘zip’ series, have been rotated  into the horizontal. The simplicity of the imagery for me proves a powerful image. Agnes Martins work which depicts simple lines of colour, although for me the colours are not as bold as my natural preference, more pastel in tone, influencing the ‘zen like’ atmosphere. I have taken these ideas and blended them into my final works. In ‘Red’ I feel the thin cobalt teal horizon works well, it presents a thin, crisp line exactly what I was aiming for

'Horizon II'   (100cm x 65cm)

Acrylic on canvas, working with deep purple and blending aquamarine and red with the cobalt teal dissecting the canvas. The effect being one of calm contemplative and mood provoking whilst creating an imagery of infinity, the lines wrap around the canvas.

Rothkos ability to create an atmosphere and depth to his paintings evoking an emotional response and reflection to the colour has been an inspiration whilst Barnett Newmans ground breaking paintings (more in the vertical) developed his infamous ‘zip’ series, have been rotated  into the horizontal. The simplicity of the imagery for me proves a powerful image. Agnes Martins work which depicts simple lines of colour, although for me the colours are not as bold as my natural preference, more pastel in tone, influencing the ‘zen like’ atmosphere. I have taken these ideas and blended them into my final works. In ‘Red’ I feel the thin cobalt teal horizon works well, a thin, crisp line, exactly what I was aiming for.

'Horizon I'  (100cm x 65cm)

To achieve the flat surface I used foam rollers, applying across the horizontal to create an expansive feel,  ensuring the colour was blended to achieve the soft muted contrast. It was easier to work with the paintings on the floor, I could apply pressure with the rollers and had more control over the desired effect. It was important for me to paint the edges of the painting to reinforce the infinity. The end results were original in the making, I went with my gut feel as to the colours and how they were blended although it was difficult to work fast enough whilst the paint was wet enough to get the blending. It was important for me that I created an illusion that drew the viewer into the painting so using masking tape to create the thin line, which if you look carefully gets narrower in the centre of the painting.

Areas for improvement next time include applying more layers of colour to add more depth, texture and an overall quality to the painting, this can be achieved by mixing the colours with a glaze to thin the paint and applying multiple layers. Experimentation with a larger roller so I can work quicker to avoid the paint drying before blending is complete. In ‘Floating Horizon’ I would make the white line thinner as I feel it looks a little clumsy currently in addition to placing a board between canvas and frame to avoid the frame imprint.

I set out to achieve a simplicity, stripping back texture and energy in my painting, the overall effect is one of calmness and depth, yes I’m very happy with the outcome but have clearly identified where I can improve the next paintings.