Reflections : Final student project

Working on images for large scale paintings, aiming to produce a sense of being drawn into the horizon. Something that I found in Peter Doig’s work was that ability to create a sense of being a part of or an escape into… As can be seen my time was spent working and reworking the images to create a sense of being drawn in/being part of. Still having to keep working.I think my main struggle lies with colour and exploring complementary colours.

Primary source.

Looking at my last post at the images of colour, translucent luminocity, horizontal, and angle formation of clouds is helpful.

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Spent time today focusing on natural light created at sunset and sunrise and its effects on the sky and clouds. Took some photos to work from with the idea of creating paintings based on the horizon.

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At studio today collating the experimental images of my horizon works to establish a way forward towards creating large scale works, Technician, Glen helped by making up the frame canvas , I have now primed it with 2 coats of gesso.The scale is 5ft x 3ft.

As can be seen by comparing size and scale of the works this will give me time to consider which images may work best as a larger scale works.

The works I am comparing here range from A5 sketches to A1 and A2 size works.

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Spoke to Jane today about taking time to reflect back over my blog.

To consolidate/reflect, where has the journey for the project come from? how is it progressing? Where is it heading? Who/what has inspired and influenced its development.

Looking back to the begining.

The realisation within a short period of time that my original project concerning aspects of war was no longer tenable due to the personal effects of the content. I had to make quick decisions- time is precious. This was a difficult time, I hadn’t expected to run aground mid stream – had to some how find a way forward, yet within a couple of weeks and finding qoutes such as “when you come to the end of your rope tie a knot and hang on!” by F. Roosevelt plus other words of encouragement, I started to find my new bearings, determined to move on.

The new project is based on aspects of nature concerning the near shoreline and distant horizon something that reasonates with me from cherished memories of my childhood by the Irish Sea. It has become a journey of reconnecting with nature, finding solace, sanctuary, restoration, healing. Something discussed by Philosopher, writer and speaker Alain de Botton talks about concerning art as therapy.

Informed by Researching.

Discovering how disconnected Western and the industrialised world is from nature- we spend over 90% of our time indoors, and don’t use 54 of our natural senses. Disconnected from nature – we see nature as different from humananity rather than ourselves as part of nature.

http://www.ecopsych.com/nsd.html

Inspiration found in artists such as Frans Krajcberg – his connection with nature through the Rainforest and his response to protect against deforestation through his sculptural installation art.

Claude Monets Waterlillies that were an inspiration to heal the French nation after WW1.

Exploration of multi-visual art disciplines in order to communicate ideas

Painting -Horizons

Peter Doig’s work has become an influence whilst developing paintings of seascape/ horizons concerning colour, aura, and layering within works and the way the viewer is invited to escape into the scene.

Painting and print – Micro-detail

Georgia O’keeffe’s detailed work to maginify flowers in order to draw the viewers attention to nature I have been influenced and inspired by, through observing the near shoreline,using sketchbook drawings and followed up through printmaking, using linocut and collograph materials.

Installations

Moving on to consider the hand installations as an expression of my response to found objects along the shoreline, along with recent ideas to develop a T.V. installation piece- the viewers relating to nature via tv.a response to Jean Baudrillard’s observations on simularcra…

“We live in a world where there is more and more information, and less and less meaning.”

Disneyland exists in order to hide that it is the “real” country, all of “real” America that is Disneyland (a bit like prisons are there to hide that it is the social in its entirety, in its banal omnipresence, that is carceral). Disneyland is presented as imaginary in order to make us believe that the rest is real, whereas all of Los Angeles and the America that surrounds it are no longer real, but belong to the hyperreal order and to the order of simulation

Jean Baudrillard, Simulacra and Simulation

― Jean Baudrillard, Simulacra and Simulation.

http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/850798-simulacres-et-simulation

To Guy Debourds observational writings and Artist Nam June Piaks T.V. Garden Installations. I want to explore the idea of the viewers passivity created by TV which was discussed in my dissertation this seems relevant as the viewer relates to nature through media technology, rather than active reality.

Back to nature..Quote.

There is pleasure in the pathless woods, There is a rapture on the lonely shore, There is society, where none intrudes, By the deep sea, and music in its roar: I love not man the less, but Nature more, From these our interviews, in which I steal From all I may be, or have been before, to mingle with the Universe, and feel what I can ne’er express, yet cannot all conceal.

LORD BYRON, Childe Harold

Read more at http://www.notable-quotes.com/n/nature_quotes.html#C14C3yeURf08Rzl0.99

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How can painting a horizontal line created by the sky and sea be SO difficult!! I have spent the best part of today working and reworking two paintings on canvas, with the intention of creating works that evoke a sense of the sublime and awe. It has proved to be more challenging than I could have imagined..I suppose what I am trying to acheive… and the actual efforts and realities of the results have driven me back to the drawing board.

I have to re-consider, Colour, form ratio, and what effects am I hoping to gain from this work.

Calm

tranquility

serenitny

lumioncity

sublime…

Must revisit how other artists responded with colour…

Color is everything. When color is right, form is right.
Marc Chagall.

Color is my day-long obsession, joy and torment.
Claude Monet.

I may need to consider working on smaller canvas, keep developing techniques and consider what I am attempting to acheive.. note..re-look at Doig, Rothko, O’Keeffe’s techniques.

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