Painting with powders...

Close up of Powder Painting.

So this week........Ive gone back to the board. (partly because Im planning a big piece over the next few weeks and I need to save my money for binder etc)
Last week there was debate about if I should pull back and mute my colours. This was said because the actions/reactions of the paint itself were said to be interesting in themselves without the distraction of bright colours.....
I personally think that the bright colours contribute hugely to my work..and by abstracting the colour, your missing the point really.
But anyway, taking some of these points onboard, I thought it could be interesting to do an experimental piece by taking all of the bright/fluorescent pigments I have been using and layer them together to become more muted by themselves.
The point of this exercise is also to explore the ideas of layering...
I began by painting a large wooden board white. I then place dry pigment powder on top of this and paint over it with a light wash of white..trapping the colour inside.
This is repeated over and over with different colours.

Base: Starting Point....

Layer 1 (Florescent yellow)

Layer 10

Layer 20

Layer 30

Layer 40

Layer 50

Layer 55

Layer 65

Layer 79

Layer 87

Layer 93

Layer 100.

The plan for the weeks before christmas...

Got some new materials today, fluorescent colours and brand new binder that Im very excited to get mixing!
I want to expand massively on scale. by both increasing the size and quantity of my work.
with this I want to make my colours bolder and brighter, almost sickly sweet. I will also explore the opposite end of this possibly blacks and whites to see if they have any impact upon/or spark anything of interest within my work.

Much much Bigger and Brighter things to come!

More Collage!

From the smaller collages, I wanted to try a few different approaches.
Firstly, I wanted to go bigger and also I wanted to incorporate the duller and muted colours into the collaging as I thought the colours could play off one another, add ing more depth within the pieces themselves..
I began to simply pile the strips of paint on top of one another.
Each piece placed in a systematic layering approach (up-down-left-right)
I used a system in order to place the pieces, controlling certain elements, adding to their structure. I Used PVA glue to stick them all together.
The result gives off a kind of 'patch work quilting' affect.
Im not overly sure about these results, but personally I like to play and explore my different possibilities so I can move on with something better!

Close up of layered collage.

Larger scale layered collage.

Collage!

Examples of mini-collages.

From experimenting with structure, I went back to look at all the other painting pieces which I felt didnt work on their own. I decided to take a scissors to them and cut them into strips. All different kinds, think, thick, long, short etc.
With all of these strips laid out I instinctively began constructing shapes with them. They were like mini- collages. I like how they turned out. There are simple and small, which is what I like about them. They arent too fussy or meaningful...they just are what they are.

Structure?

As my proces involves pouring paint and manipulating the enviorment/conditions which the paint encounters...these elements introduce a kind of organic effect. As the different colours come incontact with  each other they move and flow together.

Example of organic elements.

So, taking these organic shapes into consideration, I want to give them a form of controlled structure. I began with using vinal which I cut into sharp shapes, almost of a graphic nature. Using these shapes I layered the paint as I normally would, however this time I removed the vinal pieces from the paint, this is to isolate the shape giving the organic paint some solid structure.

Example of vinal painting piece.

To Frame or Not to Frame?

Colour, Colour, Colour!

Example of some of the colours being used.

There is a very pronounced 'child-like' quality within my work.
This is sparked mostly by the colour palette and art making process.
Colour is a huge factor within my work. I mainly use bright, bold, almost florescent colours.
My colour choice is approached almost like a child, I use bright colours/pigments that capture and hold my attention.
I take influence from confectionery....(skittles and other bright pick-a-mix sweets and candies).
The reason for this is because my work has a playful element as well as an inquisitive nature, which (to me) are both 'child-like' qualities.

Who to Look at.

Relevant and influential artists to me and my practice (at the moment) are:

• Jackson Pollock
• Alexis Harding
• Lynda  Benglis
• Emma Roche
• Jane Fogarty
• Frank Stella
• Barnett Newman
• Jessica Stockholder
• Monika Grzymala
• Gene Davis
• Marianne Glick

To name a few...more to come!

What its made of...The Materials

Example, action and reaction of colours, pattern. Materials, pigment and binder.

The nature of paint is also important, by this I mean how different paints act and react with each other. 

• Colour
• Texture
• Pattern. 

I began with using acrylic paints, moving onto gloss and matt household paints.
I am currently making my own paints from multiple pigments and binders to achieve flexibility, originality and colour depth.
I plan to explore this much more extensively in the upcoming weeks.

Layers, Layers, Layers!

Example: layer 1

Example: layer 2

Example: layer 3

Traditionally paintings are constructed by accumulating layers of paint, however, the viewer is only aware of what they can see, what the artist allows them to see, the top layer.
I am interested in what is behind this...
all the tiny in-signification layers that have become hidden in the painting process.

The beginnings- an insight into my studio practice.

Example of process September '10

My studio practice is focused on the mechanics of paint and the artistic process.
How an art work is made and viewed.
My main objective is the materiality of paint itself, focusing on elements such as:

•  manipulation
•  spontaneity
•  action
•  reaction
•  chance 
•  play.

'The unseen' is also an important factor in my practice. I am interested in de-constructing paintings, bringing the viewer into the mechanical workings that take place (like a behind the scenes view) in the process of painting.