Dame Elizabeth Blackadder,Painting and Printing Techniques and Ideas

Dame Elizabeth Blackadder: Painting and Printmaking Techniques and Ideas

Elizabeth Blackadder (born 1931)

Elizabeth Blackadder is both a painter and printmaker. She was inspired at a young age by reading, flowers, plants and botanical studies and these interests are reflected in her works. While studying Fine Art she studied early Byzantine art, which is noted for its abstract, flat, decorative anti-naturalistic style and I think that this influence is especially evident in her still lifes, where she uses space in an inventive way. Whilst at University her Dissertation was on William McTaggart who is known for his Impressionist style of loose brushwork. In some of the examples of Blackadder’s work there is evidence of loose, expressive brushwork. Her early travels to Europe were a great influence, and in France she became more aware of Henri Matisse. As a result, seems to have lightened her palette. In the 1980s she made a number of trips to Japan. Her use of space may have been further inspired and influenced by the principles of Zen, as characterised in many of her works.

I watched a clip of Blackadder Elizabeth Blackadder uploaded by the National Galleries of Scotland, which features their Senior Curator, Philip Long in conversation with her.

https://vimeo.com/25711526

This video followed Blackadder at work in her studio and garden. It was interesting to see how she worked. We saw her in the garden developing a water colour painting from a pencil drawing and in her studio standing at the easel painting from objects around her. At one point she was holding a small object in her hand and painting from it. She surrounds herself by mementos from her life which she incorporates into her work. Often, they are from her travels and include a number of oriental items from which she draws inspiration. We learned something of her background, her love of flowers and plants and what drives her. For example, we saw oriental figures, boxes with designs, a kimono, fans, and a Chinese lantern. Blackadder is interested in drawing and painting objects and is stimulated by the world around her. She prefers her paintings to speak for her. She does not over-conceptualise her work and is reticent to talk about her practice. However, her paintings can be unusual in a number of respects. It is clear the she pushes compositional boundaries and exploits emotional aspects of souvenirs and memories in her still lifes. Her landscapes are usually more conventional in composition.

Elizabeth Blackadder, Venice window, 1950s, oil on canvas, University of Sterling

I chose this image because of the fascinating contrast between the external view of Venice as seen through the window and the still life collection of objects on the left. The “still life” overlaps the window to the right and drops below the window line above. This concept provides a complex use of space. The shapes outside are architectural features one would see in Venice, such as domes, whilst below there is a panel of multi-coloured triangular shaped stained glass. To the left, and on a light background we see an array of objects, perhaps on a table in the room. The theme is constant, including a Roman style vase.

In the two examples below, we see Bladder’s fascination with flowers and plants. The use of plants can give a real sense of place to a painting or a print.

Lilies and Poppies, 2003, coloured etching, The Scottish Gallery

Orchidaceae Taeniophyllum Latipetalum, 1992, coloured etching, The Scottish Gallery

The etching, Japanese Garden, Kyoto, is an example of how Blackadder has used her travels to produce imaginative works, evocative of the location, by employing distinctive line, shapes, and colour.

Japanese Garden, Kyoto, etching, 1992, Hayletts Gallery

In Rome, she has really captured the feeling of the imposing architecture, which dominates the landscape. Below we see Tempio dei Castori, an etching version which maximises the use of line, and a print using carborundum, which exploits the painterly nature of the medium.

Tempio dei Castori, Rome, 2002, etching and aquatint, The Scottish Gallery

Tempio dei Castori, Romw, 1999-2000, carborundum

In contrast, in her etching, Venice Crane, High Tide, we see a less glamorous view of the City. The views of Rome and Venice are quite sketchy, unrefined and there is evidence of “foul Biting” (when the acid eats into the metal plate and produces what is generally regarded as a “flaw”). Blackadder, does not seem to mind such results and I have noticed it in many of the prints I have looked at. There is the view that foul biting adds to the authenticity of the print and can provide background texture and atmosphere – something which I think works better in some situations than others, such as here in this “industrial” view.

Venice Crane, High Tide, 2000, etching, The Scottish Gallery

 Relevance to my work

I can see how some aspects of Blackadder’s work may jar with some viewers. She has been criticised for her “flat” compositions which have very little depth, and what some have described as a naïve or simple style. However, I admire Blackadder’s creativity, and the vitality which her work exhibits. As the above examples show, looking at her paintings and prints is evidence as to how scenes and places can be enhanced by the introduction of flower/plants, mementos, memories, use of space and techniques. I will be able to try out some of her ideas in my own work to evoke the sense of place. In particular, I have learned the following:

Foul biting/flaw: Blackadder’s prints often have foul biting, where the acid has accidentally bitten into the metal ground and made marks. Also, sometimes Blackadder works over old prints or uses the back of previous prints. Doing this inherently incurs certain flaws in the finished work. This adds to the texture, atmosphere and “aged” look of some her prints. This made me realise that such results should not necessarily concern me too much in my own work as it is part of the process and can add to the uniqueness and charm of a print.

Colour applied “á la poupée”: it is more authentic to add colour to a print using the print making process (i.e. as opposed to adding colour later e.g. with water colour). There are two methods of adding colour while inking the plate up. The first is to add different areas of colour and to blend them where they abut. The second method, known as “á la poupée” (from the French, meaning using a “dolly”) entails carefully applying ink to certain confined areas and keeping the colours separate – we see Blackadder use this method a lot in her flower studies. Although I have tried both methods in the past, I do need more practice and  I shall experiment with some future prints, trying different effects.

Carborundum: As can be seen from Blackadder’s print Tempio dei Castori (above), she has used carborundum to add texture and drama to the print in a painterly way. Although I have added carborundum grit to a collagraph to create texture and to hold the ink for more tone, I have not used it on its own in this way to create a whole image. This is something which I could explore further.

References:
https://vimeo.com/25711526
Allan C. (2003) Elizabeth Blackadder Prints. Lund Humphries, Aldershot.

Prunella Clough - Approach to Industry and Techniques

Prunella Clough (1919 – 1999) – Research: Techniques, Painting/Printmaking

 Prunella Clough was a major UK artist for over fifty years and had an acute sense of place. Paul Nash was a major influence, along with Graham Sutherland and Henry Moore. Her early works display elements of neo -romanticism, surrealism and cubism as seen below. During the 1950s Clough concentrated on men at work in manual roles, reflecting the post-war industrial recovery. She has been associated with the movement known as “social realism” as promoted by her influential friend John Berger. However, works across her whole career are wide ranging, displaying an ability to observe and translate thought into images. She continuously experimented with subject matter and technique. From the 1960s her work became more abstract and the figure disappeared. She focussed on the industrial landscape, scrap and then the post-industrial decline. She liked to say small things “edgily”. Later in her career, Clough turned her attention to commodities and the consumer society, providing her own take on the society she lived in. Clough was not only a painter, but also a proficient print maker, and worked with collage and “found” objects. Clough displayed a deep understanding of her surroundings and the times she lived through, using sight, words and memory. She left a rich legacy of works and evidence of her techniques and working practices which can be accessed through the Tate archives.

Style(s)

Clough’s early works portray her frequent visits to the Suffolk coast. She liked the somewhat grey and cloudy light and the quiet shoreline. In Sea Composition, 1940, Clough uses a subdued palette for an almost surreal still life on the sea shore. There is a ghostly light falling on the scene, which is reminiscent of the neo-romantic style of the period, personified by Paul Nash and others. The work is very atmospheric.

 

Sea Composition, 1940

Clough then went on to study the port of Lowestoft, further along the coast, and the working practices of the fishermen there. She made detailed notes as to what she saw to aid her memory and she also bought postcards to use in her studio. She rarely made sketches on site. In Fishermen with Sprats, 1948 the men’s solid forms dominate the scene. Clough continued with her theme of the industrial society, but now turned her attention to factories, the shop floor, the print workshop, lorries and other scenes where the figure still dominated.

Fishermen with Sprats,1948

Gradually however, the figure disappears from Clough’s work and she turns more to industrial landscape, gradually moving towards “scrap” and abstraction. In an etching, Corrugated Fence, 1955 Clough takes up a third of the space with the fence, depicted with textured wavy lines, above which pop up dark shapes of industrial buildings, sheds, chimneys, funnels and towers. Electrical Area, 1961 is a lithograph, using a few marks, like a charcoal sketch. Industrial Interior V, 1960 moves in close on the subject matter of heavy industrial machinery. The space being filled with dark, geometric, mechanical shapes, with rods, lines, levers and pulleys, the composition cropped for emphasis.

Corrugated Fence, 1955, etching

 

Electrical Area, 1961, lithograph

 

Industrial  Interior V, 1960

Another example of Clough’s interest in industry is By the Canal, 1976. In response to a letter from the Tate, Clough refused to define the painting and generally had a dislike of words attempting to explain or interpret her art, preferring the eye to do the work. However, By the Canal, with its dreary colours, concrete looking block and watery, weeping paintwork conjures up direct imaginings of walks on grey days by derelict, abandoned canals. The Tate received a similar response when they enquired about the location of the cooling tower featured in Cooling Tower II, 1978, which is similarly flat with a scratchy surface. However, we do know that Clough took photographs of such towers to work from, which she left with her archives.

By the Canal, 1976

 

Cooling Tower II, 1978

 

Clough once found an abandoned working man’s glove on an industrial site she visited, which she used in some images. We see this in Mesh with Glove, 1980s  in combination with the grid effect that fascinated her. Gates were also a recurrent theme, sometimes in geometric shapes, such as Broken Gates, 1982 depicted in jagged broken, spindly lines.

Mesh with Gloves, 1980s

 

Broken Gates, 1982

 

Working methods (Tate Archives)

Clough very rarely made on-site sketches, although there are a few examples. Her works are based on photographs, notes, some physical props and memory.

Photographs/Postcards

There are numerous examples of postcards she bought to remind herself of views and situations, such as the fishermen at Lowestoft Harbour. Photographs which she took herself, disclose her interests, and sometimes unusual ways of looking at things. Clough’s photographs also include a number recording light effects, shadow patterns on the street or the light streaming in through a window, which would give her inspiration for a painting. She did not slavishly copy these pictures as her paintings show. For example, her painting Cooling Tower II, 1978 is very different from her photograph of the same subject. The figure has been removed and only one tower appears. She used her judgment to create the best composition she could relating to the particular theme in question.

Postcard, Lowestoft Harbour

Photograph, Cooling Towers

 

Cropping/Re-working

Sometimes she took a photograph which she framed herself from a cropped point of view, see for example her photograph of the legs on the ladder. Otherwise she would take a photograph which she would later manipulate by cropping and re-imagining. Sometimes she would re-work an old postcard, re-cycling both materials and sometimes earlier ideas.

Photograph -  Cropped Point of View

Notes and letters

In Fishermen with Sprats, 1948 she relied heavily on a very detailed and vivid account of the men and the lively fish which she saw and described in her original notes. Her notes on factories and industry are thoughtful and make links with what she is trying to say – “Consider final intention…..”. Sometimes, and often with David Carr, we see her discussing thoughts and ideas, and often they would bounce ideas off each other, such as their mutual admiration of the works of L.S. Lowry and their views on the industrial landscape. She also made colour notes using her own descriptions to aid her memory. Mostly her colours were dull and murky, within a narrow tonal range but in later life, particularly during the phase when she was interested in cheap plastic goods, her colours were very vibrant.

Colour Notes

 Print-making/ Sculpture/Collage

From her early days Clough was good at practicalities which enhanced her working methods. She enjoyed her sculpture classes and this must have helped her to create form as well as to manipulate materials. Throughout her life she practiced print making and was very accomplished at it. Some of these techniques must have transferred to her painting techniques, as we see a number of works where heavy scratching is in use, such as By the Canal, 1976.  She would also sometimes add matter to her paint to get the required result, such as cellulose wadding, in the same picture. Clough would also sometimes incorporate collage or grids which she would also use to create paintings or incorporate into other works. Stencils were also a useful tool. In Mesh with Glove, 1980s we see an example of her use of a grid and the image of a found object.

In her own words

In 1949 Prunella Clough wrote: ‘Whatever the theme it is the nature and structure of an object—that, and seeing it as if it were strange and unfamiliar, which is my chief concern.’ She liked the dilapidated and the scruffy and called her views of industrial and barren land “urbscapes”. She summarised her approach as “saying a small thing edgily”. In a 1982 interview with Bryan Robertson, she said: "Living rooms are not exactly enough. I enjoyed the drama of the exotic, which was what factories or industrial areas offered me." Put together in combination, these key elements make the outcome of her work always interesting and thought provoking.

Relevance to my own practice

Her concept of approaching small things as topics resonates with me. It is often the small things which denote the character of a place and give it individuality and character. As a result, I am starting my practical work by choosing some objects on the outer approach to the South Ferriby locks to find and depict objects which have been used, but which are now abandoned, such as old jetties, mooring ropes, chains and driftwood. I also think that I can learn much from her working methods, such as colour notes, photography and cropping. I think that Clough had a great sense of place, and in particular, she really captures the post-war era with her concentration in the 1950s and 60s of everyday scenes and objects.

References:

Spalding F., Prunella Clough: regions unmapped, 2012, Lund Humphries, Surrey, UK

https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/prunella-clough-921

[Accessed 19th November, 2018]

 

 

Käthe Kollwitz - Exhibition and Print Making Techniques

Research: Print Making Techniques

Käthe Kollwitz (1867- 1945)

During the summer I went to see an exhibition at the Ferens Art Gallery, Hull -  Portrait of the Artist: Käthe Kollwitz – A British Museum and Ikon Gallery Partnership Exhibition.

Käthe Kollwitz was a German artist who worked with painting, printmaking (including etching, lithography and woodcuts) and sculpture. Her most famous art cycles, including The Weavers and The Peasant War, depict the effects of poverty, hunger, and war on the working class. She also made many honest, and soul-searching self-portraits. She had a great interest in the lives of women, their role and love of their children. Her early works were realistic, but her art is now more closely associated with Expressionism and exhibit great power. They are mainly in black and white, but she uses some coloured washes and makes use of coloured paper. Kollwitz lost her son Peter in the First World War and her grandson in the Second World War and she was a life-long socialist and pacifist. During the Second World War she was banned from exhibiting in Germany and fled Berlin. Eventually Kollwitz was the first woman elected to the Prussian Academy of Arts.

The Exhibition was divided into categories, some of which I show below and I include some of my own photographs by way of illustration. I have selected a number of examples to help me with my own techniques – and there are some new ideas too, such as the use of sandpaper. The exhibition was really interesting, because not only did it illustrate Expressionism as a movement, but also the particular role of women as source material and, of course, the artist was a woman as well.

A Weavers Revolt 1893-97

Plate 5, Etching and sandpaper

The series of prints, A Weavers’ Revolt was prompted by a play by Gerhart Hauptmann “Die Weber” (The Weavers), first shown in 1893.

The play concerned riots in 1844 among the impoverished handloom weavers in Silesia, but Kollwitz made contemporary parallels.

 

Plate 5 (detail) illustrating the techniques and use of sandpaper

Peasants’ War 1902-08

The subject was the peasant uprisings from 1524-26n the wake of the protestant Reformation, but Kollwitz’s interest lay with contemporary resonances.

Kollwitz gave particular emphasis to women in the narrative, not just as victims (such as the Plate “Raped”) but as active participants.

Charge, 1902-03

Plate 5 of Peasants’ War (detail)

Etching, drypoint, aquatint, lift ground and soft ground, with the imprint of two fabrics.

The female figure is “Black Anna”, a peasant woman from the Black Forest who was hailed in the nineteenth century as the first German revolutionary.

Woodcuts, War and Remembrance

Kollwitz’s personal tragedies and the wider human tragedy of war, profoundly affected her outlook.

The Widow 1 (Die Witwe) 1921-beginning of 1922

Plate 4 of War, portfolio of seven woodcuts (detail), MoMA

Kollwit focused on the experiences of mothers and widows of the young men whose lives had been sacrificed. The Widow 1 shows a pregnant, grief-stricken woman.

I think that the work of Käthe Kollwitz is very relevant to me from a number of points of view, but particularly mood and technique. As a result, I did some experimentation with her methods to see if I could learn how to create drama in an “expressionistic” way. Although my experiments involved printmaking, I can transfer the concepts into other media.

Dry Point and Carborundum

I made some quick sketches at the exhibition of works which particularly interested me. I took two of these sketches as inspiration and used aluminium plates into which I drew with an etching tool. I then very loosely and expressively painted on the plate using PVA glue and a brush. I then scattered carborundum over the plate and blew the residue off. The carborundum grit stuck to the painted marks I had made. I then inked up the plates and rolled them through the printing press (see images below). The technique created textured movements within the inked surface, which can be seen more easily in the second image, and even more so in reality.

Above: Experiment 1, inspired by a Käthe Kollwitz Self-Portrait of 1924 (hers is a woodcut, but mine (above) is dry point, PVA glue (loosely painted) and carborundum)

Above: Experiment 2, dry point and carborundum, inspired by a Käthe Kollwitz print “Charge” – see above p. 128 for detail of the original.

Relevance to my own practice

I really feel that I have been inspired by Käthe Kollwitz – both in subject matter and techniques. Her deep soul-searching for self-awareness, as shown in her self-portraits, is profound. Her studies of women, and the woman/child relationship, are very moving, as are her historical works which have social themes which are timeless. Although I concentrated on a particular type of experimentation concerning print making, I think that the feelings the images evoke can be transcribed to other mediums which can be adapted to obtain similar moods and effects – perhaps tonal works in oil or acrylic, with use of impasto. The use of carborundum and sandpaper are techniques which I can develop further.

Carey F. and Egremont M. (2017) Portrait of the Artist Käthe  Kollwitz Birmingham, England: Ikon Gallery in collaboration with the British Museum.

Screen Printing and Research - Andy Warhol

Screen Printing - Practice

This week I have been practising my screen printing techniques. Over the previous year I have made screen prints from a collagraph and an ink drawing, both of which were successful. However, the technician had prepared the screen with the stencil from which I worked. I now want to be able to do this process myself. I decided to experiment with a photograph of the Cement Works at South Ferriby which will form part of my Research area. I went to the Graphics Department and got some assistance in highlighting the contrasts by using Photoshop. A clear black and white image produces a better stencil. I, and a colleague, were then shown how to go through the full process and afterwards we made notes. This will enable me to be more self-sufficient in the future. We then proceeded to print our images on our own. Although the outcome was not perfect at the first attempt I felt that I had learned a lot about the process.

Research - Andy Warhol (1928-1987)

I have chosen Andy Warhol as one of the postmodern artists to investigate further. As well as his use of screen printing, I feel that his work can give me insights as to how to use colour to create impact. I like to work in series, and silkscreens provide the opportunity to do this and to experiment with and create different effects, including how colours inter-relate.  I also feel that his use of icons, whether they be film stars or well-known commercial products, resonate with my work. Icons can be anything you want them to be. I can treat a person, an object or a scene in ways similar to Warhol to add power and impact to a work.

Working as a commercial artist appealed to Warhol, “The process of doing work in commercial art was machine-like, but the attitude had feeling to it” (Warhol quoted in Anfam et al,.1985, p. 512). I like the way that Warhol took his subject matter from the category of mass communication, which made his own art “less exclusive, less unique and more accessible” (Anfam et al,1985, p.512). This does not mean to say that this is the same type of motif which I would want to emulate, as I would want to create something different from my own areas of interest and personal to me. However, his approach is something which appeals to me – the strong line, readily identifiable subjects, colour and repetition.

As an example, I am analysing Warhol’s Diptych, Marilyn, from 1962, which is acrylic and silkscreen on canvas. I saw a number of his works at the American Dream, Pop to the Present Exhibition last year at the British Museum. Taking inspiration from the world around them – billboard advertising, global politics, Hollywood and household objects – American artists over the past six decades created highly original prints to rival their paintings and sculptures. Printmaking brought their work to a much wider and more diverse audience.

Analysis - Content

Marilyn Monroe died in 1962, allegedly from an overdose. In the following months, Warhol made more than twenty silkscreen paintings of her, all based on the same publicity photograph from the 1953 film Niagara. The image provides an example of two themes which fascinated Warhol, that of death and the cult of celebrity. The repeating of the image, replicates the fact that she was always in the media spotlight. The contrast of vivid colour on the left, with black and white on the right-hand side, which blurs and fades, may suggest Monroe’s mortality.

 

Andy Warhol, Marilyn Diptych, 1962, acrylic and silkscreen on canvas

Form and Process

Materials and viewpoint: The work would have been screen printed and hand painted with acrylic paint before being stretched. We are looking up at many images, all the same basic black print, but each image is individual in colour application and indiscriminate in the way that the paint is forced through the screen with a squeegee. The bottom is left bare, helping to give an unplanned air. The process fits in with Warhol’s ideas of creating art like a machine and using commercial techniques.

Composition: Repetition of the brightly coloured left-hand side exudes glamour. The monochrome, messy, fading right-hand side balances the left symmetrically, but gives off a totally different atmosphere. The repetition emphasises the difference and creates power and impact. The composition was very unusual for this era.

Colour: Six separate vibrant colours have been applied – pink for the face, yellow for the hair, turquoise for the eye-shadow and collar, red for the lips, white for the teeth and orange for the background. The colours abut, but sometimes they overlap – this is inherent in the process as it is in many ways unpredictable. The colour makes Marilyn’s face shine out from the image, and coupled with the slight variations, makes for absorbing study and impact. In contrast the monochrome side is drab, messy and with the ink poorly applied – overloaded in some areas which almost obliterates some of the images, and poorly charged in the last column where the image fades away. This inconsistency adds to the uniqueness of the piece and makes it more  accessible and less  élitist.

Process: The silkscreen process creates a black image from a “ready-made” photograph. Then a stencil is made onto which the individual areas of acrylic paint are applied to a mesh screen.  This is placed over the black print and the paint applied by pressing on a squeegee and pulling down a number of times for each separate colour application over the basic black print. The application of the coloured paint can be varied, and the way that the pulling down of the squeegee works creates discrepancies in each individual image. The monochrome version would be done in a similar way, but some of the images are so poor, that the effects must have been purposeful to create effect. Some images are nearly completely obliterated by the overload of paint, while in other areas the paint is so thin that weave of the fabric shows through.

Context: The work typifies the “Pop Art” culture of the time, at which Warhol was at the centre. With his background in the commercial field he was ideally placed to exploit ideas of commercialism through his choice of subject matter and take up their ways of working on a mass production scale. This enabled his works to appeal to the population as a whole as they could readily identify with baked beans etc. and made art more accessible.

Energy: The images themselves are static, but they are created in an energetic way. The process, as described above, by being un-prescriptive, creates its own energy and anomalies. There is movement from left to right, from colour to monochrome. There is energy in the application of colour across the whole and within each individual image. The swiping of the paint is apparent, loose and uncontrolled. Space is left at the bottom, to allow the whole to breathe. It has a slightly unfinished air. On a wall it has much power and impact. The atmosphere and colour on the left provides a brazen setting for a film icon known for her beauty and feminine allure. Yet the right-hand side is pitiful in its execution and drab in its colour. The image fades away and the artist has not bothered to rectify the obvious technical shortcomings. This mirror’s Monroe’s tragic life – brightly shining star to the public, but haunted in private and destined for a tragic and untimely end.

Culture: Warhol introduced a new era of “portraiture” with this work. He took a very traditional genre – portraiture – and stamped it with his own skills and personality. He introduced new materials, and techniques to produce works of immediacy and power. He was extremely influential in the Pop Art movement, and became an icon himself. His subject matter from the category of mass communication – newspapers, comic strips and advertisements – produced paintings which were creative and original, but have been much copied since.

Relevance to my own practice: There are so many aspects to this work that it is very clever on many levels. I am sure that I will be able to work up some of Warhol’s techniques and ideas to enhance my own practice, particularly, the use of series, colour, mood and impact. 

References:
  
Andy Warhol, Marilyn Diptych, 1962  

https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/warhol-marilyn-diptych-t03093

Anfam D. A. et al. (1985) Techniques of the Great Masters of Art. New Jersey: Chartwell Books Inc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

October 2018

Introduction, October, 2018

About

Over the previous few weeks I have been gathering my thoughts together about my artistic practice.

I have completed a number of courses with Hull College and the Open College of the Arts in drawing, painting, printmaking. and the history of art. I feel that I now need to review and consolidate my work and define where it sits in a wider context.

I am a member of the Ropewalk, Barton, a centre for the arts sponsored by the Arts Council and also a member of the Hull Print Collective, a group of local printmakers who hold regular exhibitions. I have also exhibited in my own right and my works have been successful in being chosen both for national and regional exhibitions.

I am currently undertaking a course at Hull School of Art and Design which requires me to develop a topic to research about issues my practice explores and how it sits within the current field.

This blog is a working document where I will post my current thoughts and development. It is not designed to showcase finished work, but ideas, reflections and work in progress.

Above: The Magic Tree, Hard Ground Etching with Aquatint, selected for the Exhibition, "From the Humber to the Wash", the Ropewalk, June, 2018

Development Plan, Progress and Research Methodology

Development Plan

Following on from a review of where my skills lie at the moment, I have made a plan for self-development based on my strengths and areas for improvement, which I summarise below.

Strengths (Summary)

- Competent at drawing, painting and a number of areas of printmaking (including dry point, etching, aquatint, collagraph).
-  Sound study and research skills (Hull College Access Course and five years with the Open College of the Arts/University for the Creative Arts - drawing, painting and History of Art).
- My work makes connections/synthesises with academic research, visits to galleries etc.
- Imagination and strong vision of what I want to achieve.
- Not afraid to experiment.
- Good sense of the role of the viewer.

Areas for Growth and Development Plan (Summary)

- Experiment further with all print making techniques, combinations and mixed media.
- Learn "Photoshop" to enhance my practice and the source material for screen prints.
- Experiment further with colour and coloured prints using different methods.
- Continue to play with light/tone/texture and alternative materials in my paintings.
- Widen my expertise in abstraction, and relate to both organic and man-made forms.
- Tackle big themes such as memory and time relating to my research area.
- Improve IT and Social media Skills.

How?

- Research painters and printmakers who use innovative methods and approaches - and experiment
- Explore different painting/mixed media approaches which synthesise with my research area and adapt from other practitioners in the field - including use of abstraction and colour
- Research artists with a strong sense of place, landscape artists, industrial landscapes, and seascapes, putting works into context and apply concepts and methods
- Research light, tone, and form in relation to my research area - use to create mood/atmosphere
- Learn and practice "Photoshop" (Hull College/internet/and other research/assistance/self-help)
- Upskill on IT and Social Media (Hull College/internet and other research/assistance/self-help)

Illustration of use of different media within a painting:

Anselm Kiefer, Margarethe, 1981, oil, straw, emulsion and gelatin, silver print on linen
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
https://www.sfmoma.org/artwork/FC.595

Progress - IT etc.

Photoshop

I made big headway this week when I had a three hour training session with Dave Eccles (Hull College) on "Illustrator" and "Photoshop." We went through the basics and this has given me the foundation to move forward. Simultaneously, my home computer broke down and cannot be repaired. So this is a good opportunity to buy a new one and get Illustrator and Photoshop installed. This will enable me to learn as I go along and practice at home at my own pace.

Blogger

I have not held a blog before, so this is a new step. I looked at most of the other options available. Blogger seemed to me to be the simplest, so I  went through the process online to set it up. So far so good! I am enjoying making my entries and keeping the blog helps me focus.

Power Point

I have given Power Point Presentations previously, but not for some time. I have ploughed straight in and am currently working on my Presentation on my Research Topic. I am hoping to include a small video clip which I have not done before, so I hope that it goes well.

Research Methodology - Overview

- Primary Research: exhibitions and galleries, records of interviews with and videos of artists, site visits, photography, on-site sketches
- Secondary Research: books, journals, articles, television programmes, internet, videos
- Objective analysis: standard questions about key artistic elements including, content, form, colour, materials, viewpoint, composition, process, energy, context, culture
- Harvard Referencing throughout: citation, bibliography, consistency

Illustration of use of different methods of print making and of incorporating colour

 

Howard Hodgkin, Autumn, 2014, Carborundum relief from three plates printed sequentially

 



https://howard-hodgkin.com/artwork/autumn-2