Author: aishalily

Today I wanted to loosen up so I followed some online life drawing lessons by ‘New Masters Academy’- although it’s not nearly as good as drawing the figure in real life in front of me, I’m making the best of online resources seen as lockdown prevents me from using the life room. The YouTube videos show the poses for certain lengths of time and they really got me to look and, although I’m not over the moon with the results of today’s drawing I am pleased with the fact that I’ve retrained my eye to pay closer attention to what I’m drawing.

For the one minute poses I used a very soft, light charcoal and just rubbed it out once the time was uo and draw over it, this was a valuable lesson as I taught myself not to be precious and therefore I flowed much more as I drew.

Today I thought I’d develop some more woodland scenes. I first studied a section of George’s Braque’s ‘Paysage à La Ciotat in acrylic, using black and white as I wanted to solely concentrate on brush work without colour as a distraction, besides, I’m still working on generating ideas for Morozoko (Jack Frost) which at the moment I’m thinking of using monochrome colours for. Braque’s piece caught my eye as he seems to exaggerate the life in everything he paints through his curved – bouncy strokes. I enjoyed making a study of his work and as much as I enjoyed painting the tree itself I enjoyed painting the gaps in the branches – the background, equally and I’m fairly pleased with the outcome. I then went on to paint a study of one of my own photographs of a woodland scene in the style of Braque but this time in oils. I became immediately excited the minute my brush touched the paper, loaded with oil paint, as I realised oils are to disclose all sorts of new grounds for me to explore!

Today I have begun developing the ideas I came up for a painting on Morozoko, in my sketchbook. I looked John Virtue, who paints beautiful moody, atmospheric paintings of London. If I were to peruse Morozoko as my final painting for this project I was thinking something along the lines of a dark atmospheric painting, that may be taken quite seriously and aimed at the older generation, and so I produced study of Virtue’s work to get to grips with dark colours and the way virtue allows himself to paint gesturally yet deliberately. I then produced some studies using my own landscape imagery, inspired by his style:

I also spent some of my day following some of ‘New Master’s Academy’’s life drawing videos as I wish to produce some more life drawings to strengthen my portfolio for university.

Bonnard

Bonnard shows excellent examples of light and atmosphere within his dreamy oil paintings and so I studied them and from there produced my own studies using similar colours and effect. I realise that Bonnard seems to use the white of his canvas to his advantage, giving his paintings an almost-grainy, dappled light effect and so I allowed areas of the white paper I was working on, to show through, which has successfully created a similar effect to his.

John Watkiss

I am attracted to this painting by John Watkiss for the artist has beautifully delineated a glowing light across the figures. The whole painting appears to radiate and shine with light, through the strokes of yellow pinks that contrast the dark locks of the figures hair.

I attempted to paint my figures in the style of Watkiss but I must admit these are not my best studies. I used acrylic and found it difficult to blend the way Watkiss has, and I ought to have mixed a better colour pallet for the shades are slightly off and don’t quite work so well together. As I painted these studies I soon discovered that I didn’t find so much enjoyment painting in these colours, I find them a little sickly and I think I’d like the figures in my painting to contrast an atmospheric background which would mean using a different colour pallet to an atmospheric pink, yellow, red toned background that I’m planning. I would also say that even through the second study in Watkiss’s style I didn’t improve and I think it’s because I really found no enjoyment in it.

I would guess that Watkiss used watercolour along with acrylic in his painting, for when I attempted this third study (above) in black and white washes of ink and acrylic, I found it much easier to create the smooth, blended effect that Watkiss renders his painting with. I enjoyed working with more fluid mediums and I think this shows as this study is much more competent, showing a lot more flow and the brush strokes appear less forced or scrubbed. I would say I am also able to show more character with fluid mediums for my lines are much less rigid.

Jean-Michel Basquait and Christopher Le Brun

I am drawn always, to Basquait’s work, for his ideas seem to flow thrpough his loose, expressive strokes. I also wanted to introduce a sense of wildness in vigour into my work which I knew I’d attain through looking and studying Basquait’s works. Jean Michael Basquait’s work always reminds me not to take work too seriously, his playful child-like marks remind me to have fun, which is how I went about creating gthe studies below; I allowed my lines to be free and go in the direction my hand would take them. I also worked on them quickly for my mind did not act as a barrier to my brush and I found myself making disoveries from these experiments a lot more than when I work in a less playful manner.

Christopher Le Brun’s work, similar to Basquait’s work in the sense that it’s loose, also encouraged me to work light heartedly and influenced the vigorous orange and red’s, contrasted by the white, that began to emerge from my experiments.

Ekaterina Popova

I am drawn to the traditional acrylic and oil works of Popova, a Russian artist, as her paintings of interiors are intimate, emotive and arouse feelings of nostalgia, but more than that a sort of presence that’s hard to describe with words. I’m in awe also, of the way she has cast a strong sense of light, catching on objects, whie using a vibrant pallet of pink, orange, red and purple tones.

Here, (above) I have attempted to imitate Popova’s use of white, by applying the white paint on top of a dried wash of a vibrant orange ink, by dappling and blotting a coarse, brush. Note, I only used a very small amount of paint on my brush which, combined with the coarse hairs has allowed highlights of the ink wash to show up from below. Through doing this, I have achieved the rustic buttery white strokes that Popova uses.

Here I included darker areas to contrast the light, like Popova does in many of her paintings. I would say that the left side of the study succesfylly suggests an illuminative light source, which I tried to carry through the rest of the study e.g it the white highlights subtly move accros from the left catch on the hanging clothes, and on to the rug in the center.

Bryant Giles

Giles layers and collaborates his articulate drawings/ paintings to create one big conversational piece. Each piece seems to tell a story as my eyes scan across the piece and the many different lines and angles, along with Giles’ choice to leave areas uncoloured, creates a striking piece filled with mystery and commotion.

Like Giles, I want to create a little commotion within my own painting and so I made some loose drawings of my own, inspired by his works. Working like this really helped me generate ideas for I was able to work quickly and I found I created quite expressive lines like his, through using soft coloured pencils, and dark graphite.

Michael Andrews

I really feel a strong attachment to Michael Andrews piece ‘All Night Long’. It displays the glowing, rich atmosphere found amongst a party of people and soi have made experiments from this piece, through which really began to help my work develop strongly.

The two studies I have shown below have been made using the rich colours that Andrew’s has used within his piece. The painted figure (first study, left) was heavily influenced by the suggestive brush strokes he uses within his own figures as I like the movement he suggests amongst his figures by painting them in this fluid manner.

In the next two studies (below) I concentrated on the tones Andrews has used and mimicked them in my own composition . For the first I used a combination of chalk, coloured pencil and oil pastel. These mediums allowed me to quickly grasp the tones and merge them together smoothly. I found they’re a great and effective combination of materials for making quick studies. For the second I used watercolour pencils, graphite and a little acrylic which I also found affective but a little slower for I had to allow it to dry.

This block of mixed media painting workshops, led by Iwan Gwyn Parry, a practicing painter, was centred around a broad based ‘self portrait’ theme, where I produced a body of work that reflects my character, and important thoughts and events in my life.

As I began this work in September, it had been a strange time. Throughout lockdown I’d been reflecting lots in my own thoughts, reflecting and remembering parts of my life, and so when I was introduced to the theme I had plenty of ideas. Lockdown life had been a somewhat crazy, dreamy six months mainly spent in the company of a boy I’d met just before lockdown and he was whom I spent the majority of lockdown with. Most days we were out venturing in nature together and spending time in his shed smoking looking at art and listening to rappers, dubstep and the music he produced. We both shared creative mindsets and we were always conversing about mad, crazy ideas and thoughts and about artists lives . Around the time I began this body of work, I had just re-entered a structured, busy life again and things with the boy, who’d been my companion throughout the strange times, came to an end. I suppose I was a little overwhelmed by everything at the time- the adjustment to a routinely life again, interaction with lots of people again, I was feeling very strange and a little lost.

I discovered that red black and white best described these feelings I was succumb by. I have included many symbols and subtle messages within my work that are personal to me, ones I think only I can fully decipher, and this is what excited me while I was working. I felt as though I was confessing and explaining everything I needed to but without having to talk to people face to face. I found by explaining myself in this way, through my brush strokes, that I was given the reassurance, comfort and closure that I realised I needed, and this is why this body of work was a lot more than just an art college project, it felt like a journey of growing through raw exploration of my inner self.

I was also comforted by three artists who’s work I found myself very much relating to and a great aid in strengthening my own practice. These three artists were Jean-Michel Basquait, Tracey Emin and Cy Twombly. All three use words and lettering very powerfully within their work, which I too wanted to use within my own work, as words to me, are, and have always been, very meaningful.

Below are some works by these three artists that I found to be most influential and that particularly stand out to me.

Below are images of my entire body of work completed for Iwan’s workshop’s (in order). I began the body of work by starting on the large scale piece, which I worked on throughout the five weeks, alongside which, I made studies in a sketchbook and A1 sheets.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this block of work. I worked hard, yet it didn’t feel as though it was work for I enjoyed it so much. I learnt to work in a new way, prompted by my thoughts, reflections, powerful sentences I would construct, and emotions. It made me feel confident to be creating from my head, and it felt liberating to be creating work so personal, I discovered I was totally engrossed. I am extremely pleased with the collection of work as a whole, although I would say that I should have spent a little more time rendering the main portrait featured in the large scale piece. I would like to continue working in this way in the future – through using my mind as a muse.

The life model is off due to fear of covid so this week I drew a skeleton in the set up of a perspex box that used to be what the life model posed in.

I was inspired to create this piece by my classmate Rowenna whom I walked in on painting abeautiful piece of this skeleton in the dark, lit only by a lamp. I had to work quickly as I didn’t have long enough to finish a rendered piece, but as my motivation was brimming and I was excited by the dark, lamplit environment and the stunning reflections across the perspex box, I worked with gusto and produced this piece below, and I think it may be may best piece of work I’ve produced in the life room so far.

I worked on this standing at an easel again. I have become fond of working at one, it now feels rather strange working at a desk – I much prefer the freedom of working upright- my arm has much more freedom to produce different strokes and I can see the piece as a whole more easily.

I drew all the elements with compressed charcoal, adding bits of white chalk ere and there to give myself a sense of light structure. I then covered most of the drawing with washes of black ink and compressed charcoal. I then reworked the highlights with white ink, and defined dark areas further with black acrylic. I wasn’t ever too preious about the piece at any point and played with it in q way, always maintaining a sense of fun and I think this shows through i’s loose but structured lines.

Billie Zawenga

Zawenga works through a process that begins with template drawings and fabric-cutting and ends with pinning and sewing. She quotes “I’m expressing myself and embracing my femininity through my choice of material, sewing is also very therapeutic and as a person who internalizes things, I find relief in it.”

What is most refreshing about her work is the way she uses chopped bits of fabric and fills them, it looks as though sections are missing, and therefore marks her works with a sense of wonder. I like how the artist uses the background to mold the elemnts within her pieces, specifically within the first( take the duvet for eaxmple). I also notice she uses many different segments of different shades of fabric to give skin tones of the figures form and shape- I would consider working this way if I was to deaw a figure with fabric. I’m also inspired by the use of writing in stich alongside the textile illustrations.

I admire the choice of colours Zawenga uses here they are rustic, and, combined with the jagged borders, the piece emotes insecurity and a sense of unsettlement.

Harriet Popham

I’m captivated by the fluid, continuous lines of stitch that Harriet Popham drapes her work with and how she allows them to flow outside the boundaries of her subject. Through this technique she gives her subjects spirit and sense of impermanence.

Sarah Davidson

This collection by Sarah Davidson reminds me of old black and white televisions. Although I tend to work quite loosely and wildly I am fond of the rigidness and precision of this work, it almost creates illusions combined with the photographs and is an interesting way of working that I’d like to experiment with.

Lauren DiCioccio

Again, I was drawn to Lauren DiCioccio through her use of wondering lines of stitch. Here they give the work the notion that the piece may unravel, and therefor they look fragile. the subjects the artist has chosen are prestigious, it’s interesting that she chooses to represent them as fragile.

Debbie Smyth

Debbie Smyth’s playful, yet sophisticated contemporary textile pieces are a statement. Her artworks are created by stretching a network of threads between accurately plotted pins and she blurs the boundaries between fine art drawings and textile art, flat and 3D work, illustration and embroidery. I especially like the way she creates shadows with tangles of thread, and the spikes she uses to lift her drawings from their outlines. The combination of these many rigid lines of black thread along with the tangles and the curved lines, against the white is what makes these drawings appear so striking.

Ruth singer – trapunto

Ruth Singer explains that she revolves her work around ‘making with meaning’. I like the blue piece in particular as it seems to have depth, the raised tranpunto gets denser towards the centre which emotes frustration. The second piece is delicate, and the use of trapunto is interesting here for it’s carefully patterned to form the leaf shapes.

The use of applique here is strikingly bold on the front, it creates a strong impression and catches the eye instantaneously. The composition as a whole is full of subtleties that reveal themselves the longer you look, through the way Singer varies her use of applique and threads throughout each hanging.

Neroli Henderson – trapunto

These pieces by Neroli Henderson are also somewhat emotional they seem to have an air of melancholy, but also strength. The use of trapunto in the figures enhance the shape of the body and make them lifelike. She combines many different patterns through use of tranpunto., creating textured and intriguing surfaces. I like the way the artist draws into the background with the use of trapunto also, as it creates sense of space.

Sarah Walton – appliqué

Sarah Walton uses a combination of machine stitch and applique. These methods work well together for the applique gives the raw, flowing illustrations a sense of solidarity, and as she uses patterned cloth the pieces are given a sense of refinement and detail . As the artist leaves the background empty and so her pieces convey a sense of animosity.

James fox – reverse applique

I notice that James Fox uses colours repeatedly in a pattern which lends each piece balance, he uses many different fragments of material in reverse applique and so from afar his pieces are elaborate. I specifically like the loose threads across the portrait for they break the refined structure of the piece, and give it a sense of freedom and unrestraint.

Sue Stone – appliqué

I like how the artist layers within her pieces using applique, especially in the portrait piece for her figures really come forth and possess a life like quality. I notice that she has thought carefully about the placement of shapes and space for it is even throughout both pieces, for example the circular clock is contrasted by the rectangular chequered background and the heads of the figures are laying against a background of vertical and horizontal lines. Stone has chosen a placid pallet that doesn’t detract from her subjects, with glimpses of brighter colours to stop the images from veering towards looking bland. Personally I’d say her works hold an air of despondence, perhaps something to do with her choice of subjects which appear very mundane.

Rachel Howard – appliqué

This piece by Rachel Howard stands out to me for the shapes and lines are constructed in a loose way which I’ve found is hard to obtain through the medium of sewing and is a way in which I like to work. I like too, that the artist has used a floral cloth for the skin tone of the figure, using patterns for a skin tone is a good way of hinting at the character of a figure and is perhaps something I’d like to include in my own works.

Willemien de Villiers -appliqué

Willemien de Villiers’ works are intricate and combine different shapes. Much like James Fox’s work, Villers work too, is balanced through the distribution of colour throughout each piece. The careful intricacy ensures each piece is full of depth and the careful patterns hint at subtle meanings that the artist wishes to tease us with. I am particularly fascinated by the stitching the artist uses on op of the applique within the last piece as it enhances the applique and really brings forth the surface.