Skills Audit
Since completing the Access Course in Art and Design at Hull
College in 2013, I have continued to study alongside developing my own
practice. I have completed courses in painting, drawing and the History of Art
(Western World) over the previous five years with the Open College of the Arts,
now part of the University for the Creative Arts.
However, I now need to consolidate and develop my current
skills and learn new techniques to take my work further forward. I have been
thinking how I can do this by reviewing where I stand at the moment regarding
both printmaking and painting. By looking at, and analysing, what I have done
recently, I can identify what skills need to be learned or developed.
1. Printmaking
I have been a Member of the Ropewalk Printmakers since
January, 2016 attending weekly workshops and participated in other events,
including demonstrations by a number of practising printmakers. I became a
Member of the Hull Print Collective in 2017 and regularly attend the Hull
College Evening Classes in Printmaking.
Exhibitions and
Techniques
I have exhibited my work in a number of galleries and other
locations as part of the above groups, and also as an individual. I have been
successful in competitive National and Regional Exhibitions. Last year, my
aquatint “Pond” was selected for the National Open Printmaking Exhibition, 2017,
held in Hull as part of the City of Culture events. These works represent some
of my ideas around the sense of “place”, which is a major theme in my current
practice. Printmaking is dependent on the artist being proficient in a number
of different processes and skills and there are a number of things that I need
to work on to improve. This is the most technical part of my practice.
“Pond”, aquatint on zinc
The plate (the base upon which the print is made) for this
work is zinc, over which I applied a series of layers of “stopping out” (a type
of varnish to prevent the acid from biting into the plate) to create different tones.
The image, which I developed from a painting of my garden pond in June,
represents a fleeting moment when the sunlight hit the surface of the water creating
a myriad of reflections from the overhead trees and leaves and surrounding
foliage. The shapes are abstracted to create the greatest possible tonal
effects. I also used a very strong nitric acid solution, with no preparatory drawing.
This creates a lively and energetic feel to the piece, which I can develop
further.
Earlier this year I was successful in having two prints
selected for the “From the Humber to the Wash Open Exhibition, 2018” – “Heads,
Rievaulx Abbey” and “The Magic Tree” . This
exhibition was open to artists living in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Norfolk and
for works in any medium.
At the “From the Humber to the Wash, Open Exhibition, 2018”
with “Heads, Rievaulx Abbey” – collagraph, on mountboard with carving, PVA glue
and carborundum
“Heads, Rievaulx Abbey” is one of a series of works I
created as part of an exploration of the theme of place. At Rievaulx, I was
impressed by the remains of the weird and wonderful collection of Gothic sculptures
which, although worn and damaged, had survived the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
I marvelled at the imagination of the medieval sculptors as they carved the
heads of wild animals which they cannot possibly have seen. The print is a
collagraph. The plate is mountboard, out of which I carved the shapes of the
heads. The white areas are built up out of layers of PVA, and for the dark
areas I added carborundum – a type of grit which holds the ink. In my abstract
print of Stones I incorporated sandpaper into the collagraph plate for added
texture. I think that a number of these techniques could be incorporated into
other works, either as part of the printmaking process or as a piece of mixed
media.
“The Magic Tree” arose out of my visit to the area known
locally as “Little Switzerland” at the foot of the Humber Bridge at Hessle. As
I walked through the heavily wooded area in front of me I saw a small tree,
standing alone in a clearing, pierced by a shaft of sunlight from above – it seemed
to me to be rather like a mirage. I tried to capture some of that magic in the
print shown below.
“The Magic Tree”, hard ground etching, with aquatint on zinc
I chose zinc for the plate as it has properties which lend
itself to providing an excellent white background for the finished print – an effect
I wanted to achieve for the light effects. I applied a hard ground (a surface applied
to the plate made up of a wax-like substance which dries hard) to the zinc and
then drew into it with a fine, diamond ended etching needle. A layer of
aquatint (a type of resin, in dust form) was then applied to the surface area.
I followed up by “stopping out” numerous layers of tone. Each layer tone is
done separately and the whole process took a number of weeks to complete, due
to the detail involved.
Plates, grounds,
inks, techniques generally. For another print, “Trees along the River
Wharfe”, I used an aluminium plate which has different qualities to zinc.
Aluminium produces a “greyer” finish to the print. It is very useful for dry point
i.e. creating a print without using acid. A needle, or other tool, is used to
draw into the metal. As the tool moves through the metal it creates a “burr”,
rather like a furrow in a field, which when inked up produces a distinctive
character to the work. Dark, or textured, areas can be created by closely
scratched, or cross-hatched, lines. An example is shown below.
Due to certain health and safety issues
concerning the use of chemicals and aquatint resins, which are carcinogenic, a
technician has to be included in certain processes. However, as regards all
other processes and methods, I aim to be as self-sufficient as possible. I would like to experiment further with all of the above
methods and possibly in combination. This will link in with my research into
other artists working in the same field.
Colour. Rather
than printing in monotone, it is possible to produce coloured prints. This can
be achieved by inking up the plate with different colours at the same time,
either by keeping the colours separate, or by blending them into each other.
Otherwise, separate plates can be made for different colours and the plates
then printed on top of one another to produce a multi-coloured image. This is
more appropriate for methods such as lino cuts. I do need to develop my skills
in all of these methods as, so far, I have little experience.
Chine Collé is a method whereby coloured
tissue is adhered to the printing paper during the printing process. It is very
attractive and I have used the method on a few occasions. However, to do it
properly I need to use light-fast tissue (probably Japanese) and rice paste or
cornflour paste rather than a ready- made glue such as Pritt Stick, which is too
thick and clumsy to achieve a good finish in my opinion. I have also used
colour for screen prints as described below. These are all areas I can develop through
further experimentation and exploration.
“Demeter”, Burton Constable Hall, screen print
Screen Printing Over the last year I have become very interested in screen
printing, and I have recently studied works by Andy Warhol, particularly his
iconic “Marilyn” screen prints, in some detail. The Hull Print Collective has
been invited to exhibit prints at Burton Constable Hall, East Yorkshire for the
Christmas Fair, 2018. They requested that some of the prints be based on images
involving the Hall and its surrounding grounds. I decided to work on some
screen prints. I visited the grounds and took a number of photographs,
including some of the Classical Statues of Ancient Greek Gods and Goddesses
which formed the basis of a photographic screen print. I then made a number of
coloured backgrounds using the open screen-printing method, which involves
applying paint directly to an open mesh screen over which I then pulled down a
squeegee type blade to push the ink through the holes. When dried, I then
imprinted the images of the statues onto the coloured backgrounds using special
machinery at the college. I have previously used this method, developing coloured
screen prints from my own ink drawings or collagraphs.
2. Painting
I have illustrated a number of paintings above, such as my
studies of the Cement Works, South Ferriby, the Mudflats and Sunset, and the
Whale at Burton Constable Hall. Painting is not as technical as print making,
but there are a number of techniques for me to develop further, including use
of light, form, line, tone, texture and the use of different materials,
including grounds and paints. When painting The Whale, I used an impasto method
(applying the paint very thickly) and incorporated texture paste to produce the
effect I wanted. Below are some close ups of the process.
Texture/use of
materials. Other artists employ a range of techniques and materials
to add texture, mood or authenticity to their works and I will continue my
research into such artists to improve my knowledge and skills.
Light/Tone. Light
and tonal effects form a large part of my practice. I can learn much from
artists who use light effectively in their work.
Application of paint.
The way paint is applied can evoke different effects and moods. I will
explore what can be achieved, for instance, by using more energetic brush strokes
and different types of brushes.
3.
Photography.
I use a digital camera and although some of my photographs have
enough tonal contrasts for this method to work well, I do need to learn “photoshop”
to create better quality images to work with.
4.
Abstract/figurative.
I have worked in both, generally
developing an abstract image from organic forms, such as the piece of bark,
shown below. However, I think that if I learn how to command the processes
better, it will give me more freedom to be expressive in both areas, perhaps
producing unexpected results.
5. Mixed media
I want to explore further aspects of combining printmaking
processes, photography, drawing and painting in mixed media to create new and
exciting effects.
6. IT/Social
Media
I am reasonably competent at using Word and the application
Paint in connection with my photographs. However, I do need to update my computer
skills in general and learn how to use Photoshop. I also must become conversant
with all social media. Until a few weeks ago, I had not used a Blog, but I am
now using Blogger and have made a number of posts.
7. Ideas/imagination
I have given examples above, how I have used my ideas to
work on different themes and used a variety of working practices. However, as I
research further I hope to come up with further ideas upon which I can expand
my knowledge and experience.
8. The Viewer
My work should be interesting, questioning, sometimes
challenging - and engage the viewer without complicated explanation. I shall
seek to find more ways of achieving this aim through further research.
9. Research Skills
I am competent at research, including online, and with use
of the Harvard method of referencing, however, I constantly need to keep up to
date. I need to ensure that I am consistent in my use of citation.
Abstract (Tree Bark), hard ground etching on zinc, with
aquatint
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