Assignment 4 - Looking out into my garden

I have found the exercises that incorporate both inside and outside spaces together most challenging due to the contrasting lighting effects so I have chosen a view out for the final assignment piece. I have been inspired in my choice of approach by the work of Antony Eyton RA (ref: Pery, J., 2005, Royal Academy Publications and web sites). Although know as a figurative painter, the examples of Eyton's work that interested me most were of roofscapes seen through windows, his ability to both contrast the light between inside and outside space and balance colour across the view were concepts I wanted to explore in my own work.

Having experimented with views from windows both at home and in other buildings, I decided on a view from my conservatory into my garden. In order to help define the inside space I chose a view that Incorporated still life subjects on a window sill in the foreground building on experimentation from Part 2 of the Painting 1 module. I used both sketching and photographic images to assist with capturing a more interesting view i.e a child's eye view.

Starting with a landscape orientation I worked up a colour study but was not comfortable with the way that the window frame appeared to cut the image in two.

I then produced a series of thumbnail sketches with a portrait orientation changing the view point and sketching medium to get a better feel for the overall composition.

Once I was satisfied with the view that would provide an interesting composition, I used a photo to help scale up the image onto a prepared 600 mm x 840 mm mount board support.

Working across the whole picture I blocked out the main colour areas with lightish washes. Again, as suggested by my tutor, I have limited my palette. This time I have used titanium white, cobalt blue, cadmium yellow, yellow ochre and cadmium red.

I then worked on the sky creating a more dramatic winter cloud effect that was visible as I painted. From there I started to modify the reflected light on the window sill and strengthen the fence and associated shrubs in the middle distance.

I continued working on the foreground and middle distance gradually developing the contrasts and reflected surfaces.

Prior to developing the birch trees in my garden, I prepared a quick colour study in my sketchbook.

Comparing my painting with the actual view I noted some adjustments that were needed prior to adding reflections in the window.These included the orientation of the window sill edge and mother hen as well as lightening the surfaces in the middle distance and cooling the colour of the fence which I achieved by applying a blue wash.

By adding the reflected images in the window pane I have attempted to create a feeling of separation between the inside and outside spaces.

I was fairly pleased with the final composition. I felt that the gap I had created between the mother hen and group of jugs on the window sill helped to move the viewer's eye into the painting. The viewer's eye could then follow the diagonal lines created by the paved and gravel surfaces around the low wall towards the trees and flower beds. During the painting process, I found that each time I returned to my painting I discovered something else I wanted to modify either in terms of detail or hue. Eventually this seemed like fiddling/over working certain areas. Part of this re-adjustment process was due to the changing light as I worked over several days. Some of the re-adjustments were the result of mark making without checking the observed view.

Working to a larger scale introduced issues of scaling, colour mixing and coping with light variations over a period of days. I also noted that I continued to add fine detail with small brushes and despite using Anthony Eyton's work as a guide, I failed to adopt his approach of broader more expressive brush strokes. If I were to repeat this work, I would try to limit myself to larger brushes and attempt to work a arms length to create a more expressive response to the view.