creativeenquirylynnbowers

[creativeenquirylynnbowers]

I managed to get a full photograph of my final degree show piece. The edges still have a wonky cut but I’m planning on trimming them down somehow, evening them out. I’m not sure if there’s a guillotine big enough for this job but I’ll ask around when I get the chance. For now, this is the final outcome before installing it in the degree show space!

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My development set up, ready for assessment!

[creativeenquirylynnbowers]

How it’s going. My drawing is basically done. Since tomorrow is the deadline for this module, I am planning on setting up all of my physical development work in my studio space for assessment. I am unsure as to whether I need to set up this final piece and I’m not sure if I’ll be able to due to it’s size. I think my origami cubes are going to take up a lot of desk space so I can’t lay this drawing out flat... I suppose I’ll figure it out as I go. In my last post I said that I would sort out my degree show piece in the studio and get a better photograph of it. I wasn’t able to make it into the studio once again. I think my mental health is worse than it’s been in a long time. It’s unusual for this time of year too. Communication has been really difficult; even though texts and emails so that has made engaging with my tutors almost non-existant and I'm really hoping it doesn't affect my final grade. If an opportunity for a Teams meeting came up, I took it. Other than that, I've been really isolated for this module and I truly had to trust that I was making the right decisions as I went along.

[creativeenquirylynnbowers]

Progress! It’s difficult to get a proper photograph because of the scale. Hopefully will get the paper all flattened out properly in the studio tomorrow.

[creativeenquirylynnbowers]

Degree Show Proposal

For the Degree Show, the artwork I am going to showcase will be based on the concepts of routine and repetition of which I have created a substantial amount of development work over the course of the Creative Enquiry module and I will continue this leading up to the exhibition in order to broaden my options and allow myself a plan to fall back on in case my original plan does not work out. My intention is to create a large scale 2D drawing on Fabriano paper which will incorporate many different shapes and patterns. In order to create this artwork I will be using markers, paint pens and fine liners. The idea is that I will draw the outlines of the large shapes with the broad nib of the marker, then, I will draw shapes and patterns within those shapes with the smaller nib of the same marker. Lastly, I will fill those shapes with more patterns using a fine liner to top it off. It should look very busy and repetitive with regard to the shapes and patterns I use. Due to the scale of the artwork, as well as keeping the focus on the notion of repetition, my colour palette will simply be black with the white paper showing through. This artwork is ambitious for me in terms of scale because my work tends to be on the smaller side which is why the media I am using will be scaled up to match at the beginning of the process and scaled down towards the end. My backup plan would be to create multiple smaller drawings in the same or similar style as the large scale drawing that would make up one large creation; each drawing would be on A4 or A3 paper using the same materials.

Regarding the showcasing of my artwork within my allocated 4 board space, I envision the drawing to be landscape in format and I intend for it to be mounted across two of the 4 boards - my drawing will be approximately 53” x 38”. If I have room and it is appropriate, I have the option to add a few more smaller artworks on the remaining boards, however, this will be something I decide on closer to the event.

As I do not wish to alter my artwork with pins or nails, I plan on using command strips to adhere the drawing to the boards. I used this method to mount my artwork on the gallery wall for the Divergent Practice exhibition and found that it was very effective - I also enjoy how neat it looks and the visual of the paper appearing to slightly hover away from the wall. My only concern would be whether the command strips would be as effective as my experience with them previously; considering that my artwork will be a lot bigger and heavier than the A3 paper I used. As for physically mounting my drawing, I will not be able to complete this task by myself because of the size of the paper. I will need support with this, including making sure that my artwork is sitting straight.

Alongside my artwork, I would like to display the title of the drawing and a short statement giving my thoughts behind it so that the viewers have some context as to the purpose of the artwork. I would also like to display a QR code which, when scanned, would direct the viewers to my website and my social media platforms.

[creativeenquirylynnbowers]

I’ve made a huge start to my final outcome. I’m using black alcohol markers, the broad nib for the outlines of the shapes and the fine nib for the patterns inside those shapes. To take it further, I hope to use fine liner to fill in those patterns further. I’m using fabriano paper which is approximately 53in x 38in. This will change as I will need to trim, the top to make it more even. Due to the paper being so large, it was an ordeal cutting it from the roll and then finding space to work on it because I am, once again, full of anxiety and finding it difficult to make my way into the studio. The paper is full of creases already from wrangling with it to try and straighten it out and then rolling it back up in order to prepare for travel with it. The composition has changed from my initial mock up purely because I was so keen to get started, I forgot I actually had a plan. It’s turning out really well, I think, despite this. This is a very ambitious artwork for me as I have never worked on this scale before but I’m feeling more and more confident as it gets closer to completion. The image above is the scan I took using the Adobe scanner app on my phone. I’ll be able to take better photos once it is complete and mounted on a wall, probably in my studio space. I’m a bit worried about the weight of the paper and using command strips for mounting for the degree show but I think if I use enough, it should work out.

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A mock up of a potential composition for the degree show. Starting with simple geometric shapes and then filling those shapes with patterns.

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I was exploring repetitive action and routine in relation to autistic artists' art practice as part of my Creative Research Project and decided to develop one of my images where I covered my knuckles in black acrylic paint and punched some paper. I took it into a digital drawing format and simplified the shapes which inevitably led to filling in those shapes with straight and curvy lines. I think that's how I'm going to move forward into my degree show artwork - full of shapes and patterns within those shapes and so on.

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Piggybacking off of the idea of drawing on wrappers, I painted and drew on sheets of tin foil to incorporate some of the texture that the wrappers had and it leaves room for them to be more easily manipulated in to potential 3D sculptures.

Here are some digitally layered versions as well, using my go-to process.

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Since I was having so much fun with my digital layering process, I decided to take aspects of my envelopes and go through the process again. Changing the hue of the photos was really helpful with creating a varied set of images.

[creativeenquirylynnbowers]

When I was visiting the Repeat Pattern exhibition at Glasgow GOMA, I took some photos of the inside of the lift and the ceiling because they tie in nicely with my theme of repetitive pattern.

[creativeenquirylynnbowers]

I created a couple more felt tip drawings because I was really enjoying the brush nib. I tested out how they look layered again, experimenting with the colours and opacity.

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Finally back in the studio and sorted my space out with my new work.

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Dot pattern inspired my Damien Hirst's Ethidium Bromid Aqueous Solution, 2005:

Part of his Controlled Substances series, known as "spot" paintings, each coloured spot represents a chemical and it is based on the concept of pattern and repetition which is relevant to my topic. It is my topic. My versions are based on my digitally manipulated felt tip pen patterns which I added to this post for reference. I chose the colours that appear in each image, working horizontally throughout the drawings.

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Last time repeating my digital layering process with my felt tip drawings!

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Repeating the digital layering process with my other felt tip drawings.

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Mixing up my felt tip drawings, testing to see how they look digitally layered on top of one another.