Everyday is a winding road

As the 2 week Painting Elective Programme has ended I find myself highly drawn to this area of study. I have learned so many new techniques and methods in producing paintings including painting with palette knives and layering paints which I hope to carry with me along my studies. Discovering new and exciting artists throughout my contextual studies has also inspired me as there is such variety to be found. The 2 weeks were very productive and I am so pleased with my overall experience. Here is just a few paints which I produced during the last week. Enjoy!

 -

-Theresa

First Elective: Painting

I couldnt be happier to begin the New Year year with Painting as my first elective study. We began into the 2 week project by bringing in items such as articles, images and art references which inspire and excite us, which was a highly interesting task as the variety of imageery throughout the studio was astonishing. We were then given a lecture on Contemporary artists which I found very helpful as it opened my eyes in the world of contemporary painting. I find keeping a critical and contextual notebook to be of great importance as it allows me to understand the variety of art that lies within our world and to gather inspiration from these artists for my own work.

We were given the practical tasks of blind painting, negative space painting and painting with card which i found highly learning as I discovered that one can paint with the simplest tools instead of the obvious brush. Also painting the negative space really helped me attain greater skill in being more accurate in life painting.

Our next and current task is to create a construction inspired by a well-known painting. This project really excited me as there is no boundaries or limitations to what can be created. I researched various artists which inspire my own work and that have been personal favourites of mine but one artist stood out in particular which is Paul Gauguin. I chose to make a representation of his painting " The Poor Fisherman" as there is numerous textures and materials found in the image which I found would be interesting to use in my construction. So here is a collage of items that i will be using to convey my representation of The Poor Fisherman. I used orange skins, pebles, bamboo, heshing and various other materials to convey a tropical sense that reminds me of the lands of Tahiti and the subject matter that lies within Gauguin outstanding painting.

I have to say that I am really excited about what the next few days may bring.

Until next time!

-Theresa <3

First Year Art & Design Poster

 

(Click image to enlargen)

 After the assessments had taken place, I took and evening out to appreciate all the work that has been created by fellow first year art students. It was quite fascinating to see such creativity and inspiration floating about the quite corridoors and studios of LSAD. Taking time out to view all the artwork really made me realise how lucky I am to be studying amongst such highly intelligent minds. The standard and effort of each student is of a great standard and I think its important to step back for a moment and praise the beauty of it all. In response to my inspirational evening of viewing work, I took some interesting photographs which i decided to create a poster with. This posters symbolises  my pride, my respect and my appreciation.

<3 Theresa <3

Assessment Presentation Layout

Here is the layout of my assessment presentation which took place in the early hours of Monday the 9th of January. Displaying and setting up the resulting works which I have created in response to the project "Movement and Motion" was a task itself, as I wanted to exhibit my work in the most effective way.

Back-up work is quite an important part of the assessment process as they communicate how concepts have developed over a period of time. As you can see in the photograph of the right, a lot of my backup work includes photography. As I am quite a graphic; photography acts as an effective medium to communicate my notions and thoughts.

Overall I am highly pleased with how my assessment went and in all honesty I am just looking forward to getting back into starting new projects in my 3 chosen electives which are Painting, Printmaking and Visual Communications. Roll on Monday!

-Theresa

Rooted Secrets & Broken Promises

As the energetic buzz from our project assessments floated on by, I took time out to photograph my 3 piece sculpture installation which is the latest installment to my project on Movement and Motion. I think its important to capture my artwork in a way that my concept comes across vividly.

The roots represent secrets hidden away from view yet the flowers represent secrets that have bloomed and become known to the public. The fallen leaves which surround the roots of the centre piece represent fallen secrets that have lived their day and have faded into the back of our memory. Each rooted sculpture is created by a combination of finger knitting which symbolises and resembles chains which in turn represents the locking away of secrets. Each porcelain flower is of a delicate nature which is inspired by the fact that secrets blossoming are fragile.

 

I decided to spread the roots of the centre piece across the floor to symbolise how secrets may at times trip us up and stop us in our tracks. We may also forget and walk over old secrets that have lost their delicacy and have become words worn out. Birth, Growth, Endurance and Decay; the natural cycle of secrets and life. This cycle is a journey of its own and represents movement through time.

-Theresa

Chinese Whispers

An acrylic painting of a lettuce head and its long winding roots which represent the growth of secrets. I painted this image from a photograph that I had previously captured as I found the image to be quite reflective of my concept and also due to the fact that there is great movement shown by the twisting roots and withering leaves.

The composition allows for the roots to flourish in open space which ultimately presents us with the idea that they are the primary subject of the painting. The leaves may over power the roots which provoke the concept of how secrets may blossom and over grow into rumours of a false nature. Chinese whispers is a theory which lies behind this painting, as the roots of a secret begin small yet they may grow into something so different and wild. In a sense one could begin to view roots as whispers of secrets and the flower to be the voice.
Overall, I find painting to be one of my favourite ways of depicting ideas and concepts. I painted this particular image on a found piece of card primed with white primer. I look forward to trying out painting as one of my three chosen disciplines for next semester.

A secret was sown

I have been photographing images of things "breaking free" or in other words secrets emersing from their confinements. I myself, find that their is symbolisism hidden throughout everyday items and objects including the likes of plants and food. The thought of something breaking free is quite beautiful to me as it represents courage and growth.

It is clearly obvious that the majority of my work is conceptual especially my photography as each photograph i capture represents my own thought on how secrets may break through their confinement even if its just a flower blossoming or a grape flourishing. Symbolism is all around us. Everywhere and anywhere you look meaning is in abundance. The fact that nature, the essence of purity and simplicity, can represent a secret flourishing is quite profound.

I have been dealing with capturing nature that consisted of deeply rooted subject matter. Roots come in so many shapes and forms which is very interesting as each type may represent a different form of secret, ie a long root may represent a highly personal secret while a short root may represent a secret we may not even know we carry.

As the project on Movement and Motion comes to an end I find myself and my concepts greatly deepening into a very personal and developed notion. The path for my project is narrowing into one which I am entirely enwrapped by. The theme for the project was so broad that it has left me thinking how my project alone represents my beliefs, personality and well simply who I am.

-Theresa