‘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.
