Post College Artwork

Over the last few weeks, I have used some canvas boards to do some paintings and I am really pleased with how they turned out. I used Inktense pencils and water-brushes, and in a few of them, I also used oil pastels to add the white waves to the sea.

I did two views of Balnakiel Bay, a view of Cullen Bay and a bog iris. The measurements are the sizes that the canvas boards were listed as when we bought them.

Balnakiel Bay
18x24 cm

Balnakiel Bay
20x24 inches

View of Cullen Bay
10x8 inches

Bog Iris

18x24 cm

I really like these paintings, particularly the larger view of Balnakiel Bay which I decided to give to my parents as a small "thank you" for everything they have done for me and my sisters. I think my favourite part is the variety of blues in the sea and the texture I managed to achieve for the grass in the foreground.

Extended Specialist Techniques: Final Piece

This unit was one of the units we did in the first half of this year and I continued using recycled materials as I did last year for Exploring Specialist Techniques, to make different items of jewellery.

For my final piece, I made a necklace using metal bottle caps with photos of some of my memories and fears in them. I used Epoxy domes to protect and secure the images.

Some of the photos I used were of some drawings that I have done, some places I have been and people who are either family or friends.

I was really pleased with this necklace and might try to make other items like this in the future.

National Gallery of Modern Art 2

Today we went to the National Gallery of Modern Art to see "Modern Scottish Women" (MSW) and "Surreal Encounters". Both exhibitions were interesting in their own way but I particularly liked one of the paintings from the MSW exhibit.

Josephine Haswell Miller (1890-1975) painted "Memories of the Sea" in 1936 using oil on board. There was a description with it which said:
"It is a calm, reflective study clearly expressed in cool tonalities that typify the artists work of the period."
It also said she was "fiercly self-critical and destroyed much of her work" but she "must have been pleased with this piece" as it was exhibited in 1936, 1937 and 1939. In 1938, she was the first woman to be elected an Associate member of the Royal Scottish Academy.

I love the colours in this painting, especially the combination of the blues and pinky-red colours. I also love the detail in the shells and other items throughout the painting, as I think it adds to the overall impact of the piece. I think the details in the map and the markings on the shells are incredible and give the painting more interest.

I really liked this painting and I think it was partly because some of the shells she used were similar to ones that I drew for part of my higher coursework. I enjoy drawing shells and other beach-found objects, e.g. driftwood, etc. and I hope to be able to include them more in my work in the future.

FMP: Evaluating the Final Piece

This is my final piece:

In the exhibition, I have post-its for the public to write their comments on, to help me evaluate my final piece.

Please comment below to help me evaluate the piece.

Papermaking: Finished Piece

For my final piece for this unit, I decided to make an artist book using a variety of pulps and some different printmaking techniques. I have also used a sewing machine to add some stitching to a few of the pages.

I am really pleased with my final piece because I think it shows the versatility of handmade paper as a medium. I also think it is very powerful because it starts with the heartbeat through the thumbprint as though the pulse was beating strongly and the pages in between show a variety of uses of the handmade paper showing different stitches and prints, finishing on the last page with a flat-line representing the end of the book, instead of the words "The End".

FMP: Final Piece

For my final piece, I decided to use multiple decoupages because after thinking about which places have impacted my identity, I realised that it takes a combination of places to create someone's identity.

In my final piece, I have used 14 locations as subject matter which I think reflect the 14 years since my family moved to Scotland. Some of the places I have used are Yair Bridge, Ashiestiel Bridge, Trotternish Art Gallery, St Callan's Church, Balnakiel Bay and Ravens Rock.

This is my final piece:

I am really pleased with the finished product as it captures all the places that I feel have impacted my identity, and it gives me a unique memento of these places altogether.

This final piece plus other items mentioned in some of my other posts can be seen at the Borders College, Galashiels, Art Exhibition, which is open to the public from Wednesday 8th June to Friday 10th June inclusive. Do feel free to come along...

Papermaking: Final Preparations

For my final piece I am hoping to make an artists book using a variety of handmade papers and using handprints, different stitching techniques and an enlarged linocut of my thumbprint.

I have printed some sheets with the thumb- and hand-prints and I am really pleased with how they turned out. I really like the personal connection created by using my fingerprint.

close up of handprint

I have also tried some different stitches (both by hand and with a sewing machine) to see what effects I could achieve. However the handmade paper didn't like very many of the machine stitches I wanted to use and it even tore when I did plain hand stitching.



I had to use tape on the back to keep the "wave" stitch in the paper  because it had completely torn the paper around it.

 

I tried to stitch a bee onto the paper but the thread was very fine and the needle just tore the paper.

 

back of stitched "bee" showing torn paper

I decided to do a linocut  to add the bees, instead of trying to stitch them and I think they worked really well.

I also tried hand stitching a chain and anchor onto a piece of paper with words from the "Mermaid" story we illustrated. I think it turned out really well and it didn't tear even though I used wool so I am very pleased with it. (There is a slight tear which occurred when I separated the damp sheets of paper so that they would dry quicker).

I am really pleased with these pages and hope to be able to use most of them in my final piece. I still need to figure out how I am going to bind the pages together though - any ideas?

FMP: Tom Davidson

Tom Davidson (b 1956) is a printmaker who used lino cutting to create “Highland Loch”.

 

I think this image is really interesting because the range of tones creates a real sense of depth and distance. I particularly like the ripples on the water and the lighting effects used to convey the reflective qualities of the water. I also think the fine lines used for the trees, in the sky and on the hills adds more interest to the image. The skill involved in creating this print is incredible and I realise how much time and effort must have gone in to making it.

I decided to use Tom Davidson as one of the artists for FMP because I thought it would be interesting to try using printmaking as an alternative media for my work. I might try this idea at some point in the future but as the theme for this unit was "Environmental Identity", I felt that using media which I think better reflects my (artistic) identity, would be more appropriate.

FMP: Bill Lawrence part 2

Bill Lawrence's work is done using pen and ink, and only in recent years he has started adding a little bit of colour.

We have several of his works in our house, three of which are in our lounge.

I really like these drawings and think they are very effective landscapes. I think his technique is amazing knowing it is all done in pen and ink, which allows for a very detailed drawing. Although most of these pictures are in black and white, they are still very powerful images and I think the greens and purples add to the image without taking anything away from the drawing.

I would be interested to try this technique myself at some point.

FMP: Amanda Dunbar

Amanda Dunbar (b 1982) is an American artist who uses oil paints to create her work. She likes to add lots of texture to her paintings by using her brush to make the paint stick out from the canvas. She loves painting because you can talk about so many things, through painting, that are important to you.


"Bubble Maker"

I really like this painting because I think it is dramatic and it reminds me of blowing bubbles when we were children. I also like the lighting effects on the girl's face. I particularly like the effects created by the subtle range of colours on the bubbles.

For more of her work see:
http://www.amandadunbar.com/index.php?/albums/

These are some of my favourite paintings by her:

"The Unknown"

I particularly like "The Unknown" which she painted in 1995. This painting appeared in a documentary Dunbar took part in and she explained a bit about the painting. She said she was "trying to show how there is always something new to learn in the world. There is always something out there that we can think about and try." She also said this was one of her favourite paintings because you "never know what is going to happen unless you try something new" and she thinks that is really important.

The amazing thing about Amanda Dunbar is how young she was when she became an artist. She went to an after school art class at the age of thirteen and the instructor asked the class to paint anything so that he could gauge their skill level. Dunbar painted "Mother's Touch", a portrait of a memory she had of her mother drying her after a bath. The instructor was astonished by her ability. She had a solo exhibition in Dallas, Texas at the age of 16.

I think she is a really inspiring person and an incredible artist.