Assignment 5 - Paintings on a Theme

I progressed work on developing a theme for assignment 5 in tandem with exploring the use of other materials. My experiments with with acrylic medium, PVA glue and found materials helped to inform my preparation for my studies and themed work.

Arriving at a theme involved looking through my work to date and reflecting on my own aims for the Painting 1 course. I was reminded that the key issues for me were improving my colour awareness, understanding acrylic paints and exploring my own style/approach. As a result I felt that by revisiting the study of still life groups I would have the time to practice techniques I had discovered to date. I also wanted to demonstrate a progression from pure representational work to first stage abstraction, simplifying details and/or playing with colour combinations. For inspiration I went back to the works of Giorgio Morandi, Euan Uglow and Patrick Caulfield.

I enjoyed applying and mixing found materials onto supports so decided to start by including this technique into my themed pieces.

Using the base of one of my experimental expressive still life with mixed materials as inspiration, I set up an actual still life group in my studio. By this time the initial idea of a tulip had moved on to flowers currently growing in my garden.

Over painting the expressive concept work I modified the composition whilst still making use of the textured surface I had created with PVA glue, sawdust, dried coffee grouts and sharp sand.

I found my initial background based on ultramarine too warm and lacked sufficient colour variation so re-worked this area bringing in reflected / observed hues created via the still life objects. I discovered that by using a more balanced palette of warm and cold colours and an earth colour I was able to achieve a more realistic colour rendering of my image.

I noted that by using as a base an earlier under-painting my composition resulted in the bottle extending towards the top of my support, an effect questioned by my tutor during earlier still life studies. I, therefore, decided to adopt a portrait orientation with a modifed the still life group for my next painting.

Following a sketch and colour study in my sketchbook I repeated the process of the previous work. This involved sketching out the group on a prepaped support (i.e. primed hardboard) onto which I added texture to selected areas using PVA glue sawdust, sand and coffee grouts. Once dry I sealed the textured areas with acrylic washes prior to building up the layers of paint.

Over several days I modified the tonal effect and depth of colour and adjusted the flower which moved as the cut flower adjusted to the light. Once I was satisfied with the hues I sealed the image with acrylic medium, using a gloss medium on part of the image and a matte medium on the remainder. The result felt a bit too busy with a tension between the blue bottle and flower preventing the eye to rest.

Whilst visiting this year's Art in Action event I noted that the work of still life artist Sarah Spackman also included larger groups of objects and a limited palette similar to many of Marandi's works. Recognising that concept I proceeded experimenting with some different groups of objects.

 

However, like Patrick Caulfield I wanted to add some humour to my work but also wanted to begin abstracting. I started with an idea of "the old speckled hen" playing a metal model against the approapriately named beer brand. I prepared some studies in my sketchbook and started to lay out my ideas on a hardboard support.

Having blocked out the main colours and composition, I realised this was becoming less expressive or abstractive than my sketchbook concept and potentially moving back to a realistic image. This was not my intention so put this work on hold.

At this point I felt I had deviated too much from my original theme so moved onto ideas for a single pot and flower (in the style of Euan Oglow) and then another group but this time varying the composition such that the group of objects was balanced by more space .

I incorporated the single flower which had become a thistle found on my walk across local fields, into the new still life group.

From this group I produced a number of studies working up both realistic and abstract ideas. Working to a smaller scale than the first two paintings in this series, I tried out different support board materials (i.e plywood and MDF) which I primed prior to adding textures.

I found that I naturally started to develop the abstract concept playing with complementary colour combinations whilst I waited for the PVA glue to dry on my textured ground. I created a very bright textured background using a palette knife to apply the acrylic yellow/white paint over a crimson base coat contrasted with a purple foreground into which I scratched marks revealling the white primer below. Textured material was collaged to form the thistle head.

I sanded back parts of the background to try and expose some of the crimson under layer before coating the surface with acrylic medium as a varnish. I was pleased with the outcome particularly as I had worked quickly on this piece trying not to fiddle too much and modifying my approach as I went along without too much pre-planning in an attempt to keep the work as fresh as possible. The artificial colours were a more expressive response to the still life group and reaction to periods of concentrating on earlier work where I was focussing on a realistc colour representational style.

Returning to a representarional approach, I continued working on a representational version. Going back to this piece after the expressive version, I found I wanted to adjust the proportions of the object which then affected the underlying texture previously applied. This texture I scapped back with a knife before reapplying gesso which I allowed to dry before spreading a thin layer of acrylic paste to smooth out the adjusted surface. 

Working relatively fast and working with a limited palette, I modified the background and foregrounds. I worked the group of objects in muted colours then added a dark wash to the background behind the group to enhanse the contrast. The wash sat and soaked into the support in different ways creating an unplanned yet interesting effect.

 

Looking back at the Euan Uglow examples I had selected as research for this assignment, I felt I still wanted to work up a single plant and vase example. I replaced the whole still life group with the vase holding the thistle and re-worked my earlier idea.

For this painting I chose  to experiment with a canvas support which enabled me to accentuate the verticality of the still life object. 

The composition and positioning of the object created top/backlit effect with a dark background and hightlighted edges to the thistle. Having primed the canvas with two coats of gesso I blocked out the main areas. I then added texture to the head of the thistle using four layers of fine netting applyed with PVA glue and heavy body acrylic paste mixed with colour to the vase face into which I scrapped a pattern exposing the underlying paint layer. Once dry I gradually built up the painted image.

Tonal variations, refections and reflected hues together with details to the thistle stem were then applyed. This process helped to ground the vase and stop it feeling as if it was floating above the table. By this stage I was beginning to feel that I was in danger of over working the painting and fiddling with details. That was my signal to stop.

Reviewing the series of paintings for this assignment I got a sense of the way in which my work both evolved whilst at the same time leapt about as I restled with concepts and ideas that flashed up in my mind almost sponteniously. I have enjoyed the process of exploring adding materials and applying acrylic medium so that they enhance my work. Similarly, moving from paper and mountboard supports used for previous assignments to more rigid material and then onto canvas has extended my knowledge and experience. Working on supports larger than the pages of my sketchbook has provided the biggest area of growth with the associated freedom of working on different support materials, sizes and proportions. This has meant learning new skills in colour mixing, application of paint and observational techniques.

In terms of my style and approach I feel I am now achieving a more painterly outcome and better representation of observed colour when appropriate than when I started. However, despite researching a range of 20th centry and contemporary artists, I have only made small steps into exploring the opportunities that abstraction can afford my own self development. I consider that opens the door to on-going exploration of both acrylic based materials and found materials. I have not yet settled down to studying further any particular theme being surrounded by wonderful countryside, having access to family pets and an interest in the built environment. I feel, however, that I want to explore working with mixed media some more at this point in my development.

Overall the OCA Painting 1 course has provided the structure and support I was seeking to help me step outside my comfort zone and experiment with themes and techniques I had not tried before. It has also made me re-evaluate prior techniques and approaches to my art opening my eyes and mind to a more risk taking, playful and at the same time more disciplined approach.