Exercise 2.1 Identity/labels – line drawing
Having a small child, I only tend to use a handbag for special occasions. Picking two key items I'm likely to have with on a day to day basis's. Plus point with interesting shapes and lines to follow, my lipstick and car key.
Using a selection of drawing implements such as, fine liners, biro, big nib pens, graphite and crayon. It is interesting to see the different lines that can be created, from delicate soft lines of the fine liner to the scratchy lines of the biro and the chunky undetailed lines of the permanent marker. I seemed to draw smaller sketches with the finer pens and bigger sketches with the bigger pens. It was easier to get more detail in with the finer so I probably should have used them for the larger sketches to create more detail?
Car Key
Lipstick
Choosing my eyeshadow palette to draw around, although a simple shape on the outside line, yet the inside detail was quite the opposite. And became even more difficult once the layering began with the circle palettes. It became a bit difficult to see where one layer began and the next one started. The layering effect gives the feeling of movement to the object.
Eyeshadow palette
I am keeping an embroidery journal at the moment which
reminds me of Engler’s work. Picking key motifs for from the day to represent
the day, which can be somewhat difficult on a boring day. This task is quite
similar to those boring days what items represent my identity. Who am I? what
do people think of when they look at me? What do I think of when I look at
myself?
I chose to use the contents of my make up bag, not only is
it full of goodies but it also means something to me. It my mask, it makes me
feel confident or to cover over the bad days. Like Engler’s Everything in My
Bag #28 it documents a journey, the war paint being plastered on!
I used to wear lipstick a lot before lockdown, another
casualty of lockdown was my lipstick selection. Bright reds, pinks and purples.
There was no point in wearing them with a mask covering it.
It makes me feel like me! not just mum, I feel like I have
lost a bit of my identity being a mother. But when I put my make up on, I feel
like Leanne again!
Exercise 2.2 Identity/labels – collage
MARCELO MONREAL – FACES [UN]BONDED
At first glance of Monreal’s work Faces Unbonded, I initial thought
of a perfume advert you would find in a fashion magazine.
The cut-up faces of celebrities with beautiful flowers
bursting out from behind the cut skin. I can’t decide if he is trying to imply
the there is good underneath the skin. Or does everyone start of with a natural
beauty such as a flower, but we then contain and hide the beauty behind a mask.
Or is there beauty behind their appearance, like never judge a book by its
cover. Although if he meant that why did he use famous models in his work?
What I am going to take away from Monreal’s work is combining
collage with what is going on beneath the skin. Like the saying your like a swan
looking all calm and elegant but under the water you’re frantically paddling to
stay afloat. That is how I would want to represent my collage work. Whilst
being playful and experimental.
I really hated having to work on pictures of myself, I actually felt quite embarrassed taking the pictures and printing them. And my fears were confirmed when my family started laughing at the A3 copies of them. So I found myself doing this exercise while no one was around to pass judgement or make comment. The work also got quickly put away once it was completed. I wish I was more confident in myself.
Now I had my selection of hideous mugshots, I moved onto my items to collage. I chose the following:
Key- As I'm always rushing about to get to places and usually struggle to find my keys.
Lipstick- Makes me feel like the old me, and I wear it when I'm making an effort.
Makeup brush- For putting on my warrior paint on for the day.
Diet Coke- Giving me my sugar and caffeine fix for the day.
Mirror- Representing reflection.
Highlighter pen- I chose this as this symbolises the stressful periods at work.
Gathering together an interesting selection of papers to work with.
I am really pleased with the selection of collage I have created, various size, colour and texture is included within this group.
Start of my process having fun with playing around with my photocopied collage piece. I actually found it really helpful to just place the objects in a free manner not worrying about what it looked like as I could move it again. It was oddly satisfying defacing my own face and it helped me to develop ideas.
Sketchbook
Following on from own of my sketchbook ideas, and developing it as the collage came together. I also decided I would like to cut around and create my collage with a black, I feel like this has given the collage a cleaner look. As described in my sketchbook slicing my face into layers my first and second layer included the key and the highlighter symbolising the stress within my life making my head want to explode at times.
Next it was beauty with the lipstick, mirror and brush. I chose to remove the eyes and replace them with mirrors looking out at the world, they also look like goggles or glasses which is an added bonus.
Finally splitting my torso open to be filled with the chemical ridden black carbonated, caffeine drink. That runs though my veins to keep me going.
I found this an enjoyable exercise as it pushed me out of my comfort zone, I also didn't feel like I had the perfectionist pressure with collage.
Melissa Zexter
I love Zexter’s work, I have seen similar work before. I
find that the additional embroidery brings a new layer to an image. Creates the
story you wish to tell from a simple photograph, whether it be a simple line or
detailed patterns. Zexter describes the sewing element creating a meditative process,
which I can really relate to. I miss that part during many of these exercises,
it is nice to do some sewing in my work.
https://delawarevalleyartsalliance.org/exhibition/melissa-zexter-05-2023/
https://clotmag.com/interviews/melissa-zexter
Using Zexter’s work and other artists work I have found on
Pinterest, I began using my sketchbook to capture my ideas.
Sketchbook
Choosing to develop my first idea. Using the yarn to express my emotions, colourful for positive emotions and the black for negative emotions. I really enjoyed the experimental and playful nature of this technique. And I feel the final outcome is a great image.
Exercise 2.3 Personal experience
I chose to keep with the makeup theme that has followed me through this unit. Using my makeup routine for my collection of images. Although I didn't think this through as it involved more images of myself.
Collating them into date order first.
Then collating them into a grouping of similar tasks such as removing makeup and face cream.
And then finally into order of my routine.
Whilst working on this piece my daughter walked past and said "oh are using Lucas Simões in your work now"? Which I wasn't, she then showed me his work
and I can totally see why she thought I was. He uses multiple faces in the image below and
creates a new image which reminds me of a smashed mirror.
Using the free version of photoshop which had been recommended to me by my brother in law called photopea I began playing and exploring the different effects that could be achieved through the app. I really enjoyed doing this although it did take me sometime to work out how to use the app. And I found I got confused with what filters I had used or different parts of the image I had changed. Which then made it difficult to then document or replicate the image again.
Going back to something I am more confident with, back to more hands on work. I began by creating a mind map to log and organise all my ideas for this next exercise.
Using a coloured and black and white image of myself I began slicing my face into sections and then alternating the layering. I didn’t want to completely obscure the face but I did want to distort it. Which I think I achieved.
Not being able to commit to what I wanted to do with the image, I thought I’d start by trying an idea on cellophane and laying it over the top to see how it looked. I really liked this concept so created several of these layers to change the image. Using the outline for my face drawn with a continuous line once and multiple times and even taking inspiration from tribal makeup and drawing black and white patterns on one of the layers. I liked the continuous line effect so I decided to embroider the shape into the piece using the overlay as a template. I feel I have created an interesting collection of samples all based from the same image.
Exercise 2.4 New ways of thinking inspired by writing
After reading this assignment it filled me with dread, the thought of finding someone to write to and getting them to write back just sounded really long winded. So thinking how I could make this easier I decided I'd rope my children in. Instead of letters I wrote lyrics to songs and asked them to reply back with lyrics of a song they like. I also realised how many notepads I had with lists in, so I used them to go over. It was therapeutic writing up what I'd done for the day over the top of one of them. And even using some of the old revision notes from my daughters exams.
I only have access to a photocopier at work and I was not due to go in for a few days and wanted to get on with the task. So, I decided to use photopea (photoshop) cutting out words and added different backgrounds. If I'm honest I don't like them its hard to see the background I do not think it adds anything to the images. Perhaps it would have been different if I hadn't done it online.
Newspaper
Sheet of Music
Brick wall
Another Letter
Blue
Curious has two meanings to me, it was a way I described how I felt when I was pregnant with my daughter. I didn’t feel excited and was sick of people asking if I was excited and I wasn’t due to the depression. So my therapist thought the word curious was a good way to describe how I felt. And that has always stuck with me. I also find I prefer the work I do when I’m being curious, wondering what will happen if I just do this, or how about if I try this. I tend to come up with more interesting, creative pieces.
I really love the colour palette I have used for this exercise. They are bright and vibrant. Using a selection of techniques, encompassing the word ‘curious’.
From the cellophane with the initial idea being to sandwich the word between two sheets and then heating the cellophane to see how it would react. Which it didn’t, which was annoying. So thinking what next? Which is how it ended up with curious punched out in holes and with stitching.
Then wondering what else could be developed from it, which is how the cellophane with the painted curious, with the multiple ‘curious’ scratched out in the paint was developed.
On the light box
on the light box
On the light box
On the light box
Exploring print in my next piece, building on from the purple used in my previous piece. Using 3 contrasting colours in this piece of purple, yellow and orange. Keeping it light hearted and fun!
Creating a stencil with the word Curious written in different styles, then layering onto fabric. It reminds me of a graffitied wall or a student who has had to write lines of a board.
Not wanting to waste the stencil and being curious as to what would happen if I'd used the stencil in the opposite way. Every time I did a layer I then printed the left over ink on the stencil onto another piece of fabric. Using the same stencil and ink but creating two different pieces of work. Producing an unclear, blurred style print.
Using a different type of print for this piece, using a monoprint. Mixed with machine embroidery words stitched onto water soluble fabric. It definitely looked clearer before the fabric was dissolved, note to self to go bigger in future as I think that would make it easier to keep the shape. The only downside to this style of printing is the mirror image it creates so the words were backwards, thankfully you can flip images on your phone, but that then meant the embroidery was backwards. Although it does make it visually interesting.
Not wanting to waste the ink on the plate, I decided to use it to create another print to see what the outcome would be.
I also wanted to see if I could use the words cut out of the stencil to create another set of prints. Using the positive and negative print.
Carrying on with layering but moving away from print. I wanted to encapsulate the word curious, hide it away within the wax. But then make it visible with light shining throughout. Unfortunately once I had created my block of wax, layering the words up with the layers of wax too thick.
Thinking about what I could do to improve the outcome, I thought I could melt the wax down to make it thinner. But once the wax started melting and the words began to appear in the liquid wax, I thought yes this is it and began to film. Watching the word curious appear because I had been curious to see what would happen if I had melted slightly.
Alison Carlier
I found it hard to find that much of Alison's work that was related to sound, I'm not sure I would necessarily instantly think of sound in both of her pieces below. The second image reminds me of sound recording you would see in a film with the different pitches increasing and decreasing in sound. I decided to take to Pinterest to see if there were any other artist that could help inspire me.
Exercise 2.5 Works based upon music
I had already explored mark
making and sound in my journey work. I was keen to use it again as I had found
it interesting and mindful. Allowing myself to clear my mind to hear the sound
and focus on it and then thinking or the marks and shapes that I could hear.
From the soft hum of the tumble dryer to the harsher popping sound of the water
in the kettle reaching boiling point. My third choice of electrical
noise was my airfryer, I was at a soft play the other day and as soon as I heard
the whirring and the beep, I knew exactly what it was.
Focusing on the kettle
boiling sound and what shapes I could visualise. Imagining the bubble building
up to the boiling point with smaller more frantic bubble building up as it gets
hotter, hotter. Allowing the dots to dance all over the page, from the slow,
large blobs simmering away, gradually building up in speed and pressure. Using shoe
polish for the large dots, pompom and ink and finally ink with a cotton bud.
Kettle boiling
Moving onto the low rumble of the tumble
dryer whirling around with its load. What made it more interesting was the sporadic
clink of the of metal from a rogue zip. Using the side of a piece of chalk to
whirl across the page. The soft, cloudy marks as a visual to the low rumble, with
an old key used to scrape harsh marks with acrylic paint like the harsh metal zip
hitting against the metal drum.
Tumble dryer
On reflection the airfryer and a similar
hum to the tumble dryer. But its interesting to see the different ways I have
interpreted the sound into marks. Capturing the waves of the hum as it went up
and down going on and on with a various lines across the page, tailing off as
the ink ran out on the tool. With a constant high pitch sound which stayed at
the same pitch. Using a line of ink to representing the continuous sound.
I like the way the polystyrene can not
only be marked with pens etc, but I could of explored not using colour at all.
Could I have just used tools to mark into it, on reflection I think I should of
done that. Exploring the marks that could have been made to represent the
sound.
Exercise 2.6 Works based upon place
Hunting around the house looking for some interesting surfaces to gather rubbings off for this exercise. I was quite surprised how many there were, I had to be creative. I was running out of time and was restricted to just use what I could find in my home.
Gathering together my found drawings. I enjoyed this for form of research. I've often looked at interesting surfaces, an unusual pattern or even a crack in a glass and wondered how I could incorporate these images into my work.
Selecting 10 images and creating a list of adjectives to go along side them.
Next taking to my sketchbook to practice different mark-making techniques, creating a catalogue of marks to help inspire me for the next task.
Task 1
Then selecting some of the key descriptive words and making my own interpterion of them in the form of marks.
Next developing on from my initial mark-making, looking and which techniques would best represent my chosen found drawings.
Using plaster of paris mixed with acrylic paint creating a thick crumbly paste.
Creating the texture of the spikes on the cactus by pulling a fork through the acrylic paint.
Although on reflection I wish I had explored the texture of the wallpaper not just the patterns. Perhaps I could of looked at creating the texture through pressing the papers onto a pebbled path. Instead choosing ink to spray from a toothbrush and drip.
Trying to think of a way to capture the faded areas and rust using just black and white. I chose to mark the paper with wax resist and an ink wash to give the effect of a tired and faded surface. To illustrate the rust area taking a cotton bud to build up darker areas with the ink.
Recreating the repetitive pattern of the roundabout in the playground, using a sponge and trying to remember to dab in the right direction to make a repetitive pattern.
I really enjoyed making this final piece, taking masking fluid and brushing it on trying to create a frayed edge. What I like about masking fluid is the unknown you never know how the final outcome will come out. Luckily this one came out how I had hoped.
Task 2
Going a bit crazy on this task I enjoyed being experimental combining different techniques. I envisioned the rusty metal chain, created a smoothed raised texture using the hot glue gun. Creating collaged shapes of the chain with a mixture of papers and rubbings. Using muted tones for my colour palette.
Exploring adding colour on this piece using it to form an abstract version of the pattern, as well as making the blocked pattern in paint and rubbing. I like the combination of the contrast of the black and white with the little pops of colour. The rubbings also add another level of texture next to the flat one tone coloured shapes.
Trying to think about how to do my interpretation of the side of the salt box. Having softer edges it was different to the previous two. Using black paper as a base and then building onto that, with masking fluid, paint and tissue paper. This could be interesting to explore of a larger scale, looking at the subtle colour changes. Would screen printing be an interesting choice or maybe another form of printing. Building up layers of colour like the weather beaten salt box.
Lucy Freeman
I really like Lucy's work its the sort of work I could see hanging up in the right room. I do prefer the more vibrant tropical image below compares the the darker tones. There is some similarities to Monet's work that I have looked at previously. With the natural, flowing cut out shapes layered into a jungle like scene.
.jpg)
Task 3
Using the cactus found drawing to create my colour palette for my collage, making 7 sheets to play with.
Taking inspiration from some of Lucy's work although using more geometric shapes rather than the free flowing shapes. As well as including some of my previous textured rubbings using the circular shapes and cutting into them and rearranging the segments.
I really enjoyed this task, starting with a rough idea and then seeing what felt right and adding to the image. Although abstract I think you can still see it was based on a cactus, and the rubbings work in harmony with the shapes and colours.
Self Reflection
I began with not really understanding the themes and feeling
I had misunderstood but with this second exercise I feel I have become more
confident. And can see how the different themes could inspire my work going
forward or even a combination of themes. A lot of the themes are your
interpretation on what is being asking, which makes me feel a bit freer to
explore and be curious.
I would have liked to have visited a couple of exhibitions I
had found at the drawing room and the cult of beauty at the wellcome
collection. I had it all planned and then there was a train strike, I will get
there in the coming weeks. I feel a lot of my inspiration/research comes from
visiting places, whether it was an exhibition or a walk it helps me to get
creative. I have also used tools such as Pinterest as part of my research
techniques.
I have been out of my comfort zone during some of these
exercises, mainly the ones involving my face. Feeling like I needed to hide the
work away due to embarrassment and judging. I left it out one day and yes
comments were made by my family, but I shrugged them off and it felt like a
weight was lighted and I could be more confident in my work. I think that is
visible as we go through the unit, using my creative skills to push boundaries I
had set myself.
Using a combination of mark-making, collage and even
exploring more technical approaches such as photoshop to make an interesting
collection of work. I have a large amount of work I can call on now for future
work, with a bulging sketchbook. I actually referred back to it several times
throughout this unit. Even being creative in the way I have added additional
pages to may sketchbook, it makes me feel proud of my work.
My only negative is my time keeping I need to be stricter
with my time, stop procrastinating and setting myself shorter deadlines.
This unit definitely felt like it had gone up a level, with
the workload increasing and much more in-depth assignments being set. This is the
first time I’ve felt like a ‘proper’ uni student, but I really have enjoyed
this unit. I hope I have been brave!
Demonstration of technical and visual skills: Materials,
techniques,
observational skills, visual awareness, design and
compositional skills. 40%
There has been a lot of observations needed throughout this
assignment, whether it be my face, routine or perhaps and interesting surface.
I have become more aware of my surroundings and interesting items or experiences
that can help to inspire my work.
Having these have created a good base for my work to help me
develop different techniques being playful and exploring. Wondering what would
happen if….. and then actually doing that. It might not be perfect for example
the word exercise where I had an idea working within the wax which didn’t work
so I developed my idea until I made it work.
Quality of outcome: Content, application of knowledge,
presentation of
work in a coherent manner, discernment, conceptualisation of
thoughts
and communication of ideas. 20%
Working with my face has made me explore more about myself,
becoming more comfortable with myself and work. From exploring my feelings with
collage and embroidery, using it as a way of explaining to the world how I felt
inside.
And then even choosing to use my face again in the personal
experience work, which really surprised me as the first thought of using it filled
me with dread. It has helped me to communicate my ideas in a creative way.
Demonstration of creativity: Imagination, experimentation,
invention,
development of a personal voice. 20%
Using my found drawings allowed me to experiment and invent
creative ways to explore my own way depicting the feeling, the sound images to
express the way I see the sound, and then exploring myself through words. Being
brave as my tutor suggested and no striving for the perfect but doing what felt
right to me. As my work says "I am curious"!
Context: Reflection, research and critical thinking. 20%
I like to reflect on the work I have done, stop and think
what would happen if I just did this. Not always ending in a perfect outcome
but using it as research for the next piece of work looking at how I could
change and improve a technique.
Researching techniques, exploring which would work. Mark-making
involved a lot of research, reflection, and critical thinking. Using a found drawing,
looking at several mark-making techniques that could be used to represent that
drawing/texture/pattern and then developing on from the sketchbook mark into a
bigger piece. For example, the plaster of paris, gave the perfect texture, I could
not see an issue with it when creating a sample in my sketchbook. But once on a
larger scale and dry, the paint/plaster mix crumples off the page.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment