isabelleplowmanart-blog

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Free range planning

 As a group we have decided to go to Free range an exhibition at The Old Truman Brewery on Bricklane. The cost of the space was upwards of £3000 so we have had to fundraise a chunk of the money. Myself and Emma did a bootsale recently which raise £140 for the pot. Myself and Clare also set up a crowdfunding page which raised £530. I found this frustrating because a lot of the group weren’t pushing the page, most of my family donated within the first day which was upsetting as I felt we were all responsible for a chunk of the fundraising money (£300-ish).

Freerange will be a good opportunity to network, have our work seen by a huge audience and a good addition to our artists CV so it is important that we all pull our weight and are not relying on a certain group of people to carry us through. In hindsight I wish I had never agreed to being a part of Freerange, it is a lot of money that I can’t particularly afford (train fares to London etc). I have paid my chunk of the money and am in deliberation whether to drop out. I know it will be a good opportunity in terms of my work but I have other priorities. 

When we first did a count up of the money we were over our target which meant we could pay for amenities such as a Zine and refreshments out of it, but now we are in a position where we have had to pay more money. It has left us and the department with nothing which is a massive shame. 

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I hate planning

One Year plan;

·         June 18 – Feb 19 – Save money to pay for makeup school due Feb 4th 2019- NHS Work + festivals

·         Make a website and start selling current work

·         Any money made put back into buying materials / prints

·         Push commissions and complete current ones.

·         Have completed makeup course and be in a job practising makeup full time.

·         Move in with partner in Wivenhoe

·         Build a shed in new house to become studio

·         Bali in Sept.

Three year plan;

·         Be working as a freelance makeup artist

·         Selling commissions regularly

·         Saving for a mortgage

·         Regular travelling

Five year plan;

·         Have a house

·         (With a studio)

·         Freelance makeup artist working big jobs e.g Bafta’s, LFW

·         Portrait exhibited in NPG :)

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Why am I going to makeup school?

I have done a lot of research around having a successful career as a makeup artist. Attending a makeup course and having a professional qualification is something that is essential in the industry. It is possible to do it without, it would take a lot longer and would be a struggle. I’m not saying that with this qualification it will be easy to walk into a successful career as a makeup artist but the benefits of attending an industry recognised course are endless;

·         Certified makeup artist at the end of the course

·         Makeup kit (worth over £1000)

·         Job offers from the school

·         Signed to an agency

Money has been an issue when considering which school to go to and when I can afford to do it. In an ideal world I would like to do it straight after University, but after ringing the admissions line I found out that the total of the course is £4,500. On the DFMA website there is an option for ‘student finance’ when I enquired about what this was and whether I would be eligible for it, I was told that it worked like a regular loan provider. Since I have just attended three years’ worth of University and therefore racked up a total of three years tuition fees I don’t particularly want to fall into the trap of paying back a loan provider. The benefit of working through University and still having responsibilities such as rent, car insurance, paying for petrol to get to work , paying for a car to get to work and University, is that it has taught me about money. I would rather save the money myself working in a job I hate for longer and pay it out-right than be paying back a loan provider over a few years.

I was in conversation with a member of the admissions team recently debating about which course to do and when to do it. She sprung a discount of 15% on me a few weeks ago on the condition that I paid the deposit (£500) on the same day. I don’t have £500 and neither do my parents, whilst talking to my partner about her offer, which would save me £700 overall, he offered to pay the deposit for me so I didn’t miss out on a place on the course. So now I have a place on the course beginning 4th March 2019. I am very excited about starting the course and it will provide me with many opportunities and capacity to meet people practicing within the industry. I have considered this decision very thoroughly because I’m going to skint myself out for the next 9 months to be able to save the money and still pay my rent etc.  I think it will be worth it in the long run and will save me getting into any debt. I chose to be put on the March course as opposed to any later ones to give me a bit of pressure to save the money. £3,350 to save in 8 months, good luck me..

£3,350 ÷ 8 ₌ £418 to put by a month, plus £300 rent etc – it will be hard (need to rob a bank). 

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Network list

List of people that could be beneficial in life after University ;

Uni lot;

Peers, tutors

OneSelf anOther book project collaborators.

Unfamiliars exhibitions and collective

4rt4u

Artists;

·         Brad Kenny- London

·         Antony Micallef -London

·         Richard James –Wales

·         Ella Bell -Devon

Gallery owners;

·         Jonny Burt – Unit London

·         Joe Kennedy-Unit London

Customers;

·         Instagram following

·         Attendants of exhibitions

·         Friends of friends and family

 ·         Sophie Sprittles –Designer for Fred Perry

 ·         Rhiannon Griffiths – Recruiter

 ·         Scarlett Allen- makeup artist

 ·         Alice Wotton- makeup artist

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How an exhibition helped with curation of my own show

Sentinel Gallery

Changing faces exhibition

 I am really lucky to be moving to Wivenhoe later this year in which this really lovely little gallery lives. I had never been before this trip and always walked past thinking it was a jewellery shop. I first became aware of the change that was happening at the gallery only recently and realised it was also home to a few artist studios. Now owned by Debra Weiss and James Johnston, the gallery is moving in new directions, a home for art of all kinds ....and periods, which actually relates to the way in which my work is moving.

Debra Weiss is a painting conservator, specialising in 16th/C17th North European oil paintings which is the period that I based my essay in year two on. It’s interesting because at this time a change in painting happened and I intend to research more into this to apply it to my work.

The exhibition didn’t have much information in the way of a statement or context which I found frustrating so instead I wanted to document images and apply it to ideas in my own work that relates to the curation, presentation and technical aspects of the work.

This was a really interesting series, I think the people were locals and painted in a manner that would suggest tradition. Why would I link this tradition and what are the connotations that led me to this assumption?

·         Traditional clothes

·         Gold

·         Pose

·         Composition of works.

All of the paintings had a prop in them that could be related to them in some way, I liked the fact that all of the backgrounds were the same, the colour palette used in the painting of the subjects links them all together to fit as a coherent series also. I didn’t like the way the work was hung. Clearly the wall that it is placed on is tricky to hang work upon but I think it makes the curation of the series quite amateurish, it doesn’t look professional to me. In a gallery I want the hanging of a work to be quite slick even if what’s painted in it doesn’t match. I will make sure when hanging my own work that I make sure it looks professional.

How will I ensure this?

·         All works at same height and distance between

·         Flat to the wall to avoid tilting of work

·         Framing to match throughout series

Paintings that depicted tradition in a contemporary manner, maybe as a result of the colours used were displayed on plinths and then on easels. I don’t think this is a particularly effective nor traditional way of displaying work. Perhaps it is best to keep it simple when working with work that depicts traditionalist connotations, otherwise you face looking like you’re either trying to hard or running out of ideas about how to curate an exhibition.

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Exhibition presentation (Part 3)

As a group we made the decision to produce a show that was a collaborative. I think we managed to achieve this as a result of carefully selecting whose work would go where in relation to the space and other artist work that surround it, addition of colour that is balanced throughout and team work to produce a clean gallery space. In previous years it has been clear that students have been selfish with their work and did what was right for them without considering the fact that it was supposed to be a ‘group’ show. This is why we as a collective made the decision to do a good job at making it a successful collaboration of works.

There are many links that can be made through our works from themes, colours, styles and aesthetics, which has given us the advantage to producing a cohesive show. As a group we wanted to add colour to our exhibition we thought this would make for an interesting change and a memorable addition. I initially had the idea of adding a red wall to my work to mimic that of the National gallery, however after deciding to embrace the idea of a white gallery space, Emma decided to continue with the idea, considering Emma’s work will be involving portraiture in a traditional style it would be completely appropriate for her to use the red.

Another colour that will be in the show is a few grey tones, they are across from the gallery space providing a sense of balance and avoiding areas being too saturated with colour. We used paint from Autentico which was donated through a student who has started taking classes there, avoiding an extra expense on our part.

Part of producing a effective group show was considering how work would be hung and how it would related to one another. Abbie’s work for instance when displayed next to Tracey’s huge installation would have to be large to avoid getting lost next to it which it is and it works really well next to it. I think if anyone else had gone in that space it wouldn’t have complimented so well.

It was nice to see this year that a lot of people are displaying depictions of people, which automatically links quite a lot of the work together. 

I think one of the most successful areas of the show is Nathan and Kates conversation between pieces. Kates bird house is a camouflage in amongst the gallery space, to be able to be visible over the bird hut from a distance it was important for Nathan’s work to be hung higher than gallery height. He created a wave of blue circle paintings that almost acts as a horizon behind the bird house and I think it works really effectively; a narrative has been created effortlessly.

Overall I think we as a group have succeeded in producing a good group show that flows really nicely from one artist to another.  I’m especially pleased with the transition from Emma’s traditional take on portraiture to mine, I’m glad I didn’t go for the red wall as I think hers works perfectly to separate the works from each other.

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Exhibition presentation (Part 2)

Part two - Install 

Here is an image that shows the plan of where we will all be installing our work. We have thought about it as a group and considered each other’s final works to ensure that we produce an exhibition that involves many conversations between artists. I am in between Emma and Nathan. Nathan’s final works will be paintings that will be displayed opposite Tracey’s installation. The paintings are similar in that they are abstract musings of colour and will work nicely when placed across from one another. Nathan also wants his work to be at a height. As one walks in the wall his work will be displayed on would be covered by Kates bird house if hung at a contemporary gallery height of 59 inches. By placing the work at a height the work not only is in conversation with Tracey’s ceiling height work but also can be seen behind the bird house, drawing in an audience to go around it.

My work will be next door, it is smaller than I have worked up until this point and could get lost next to artists whose work is bold and larger than mine. Perhaps it will be down to the tape frame I intend to put around my work that will ensure my work stays in view. I am glad to be next to Emma, I think our work runs along a similar vein exploring traditional practices around painting. Although hers is executed through the medium of photography and digital works there is something to be said about our concepts when hung next to one another. I came up with the idea a few weeks ago, inspired by our tutors shirt colour, that we could paint some of our wall red in essence of the National Gallery. It would be a nice change to shows we have seen in the space before to be presented with some colour and would create a separate narrative for those who used it. I decided recently that I would embrace my white gallery space in light of a change in works as a result of having to present in this setting. Emma chose to incorporate the red into her display and I think it works really well next to my minimalist white wall. The splash of red between two white walls is an interesting and innovative use of colour in a strangely laid out studio space and I think it is utilised perfectly. It not only will draw the attention of an audience but considering the work of other students such as Roseanna who is creating a red themed installation, a nice balance will be met. 

On the eve of the first day of install I finished off fiddling around with my last painting which didn’t leave enough time to be able to varnish it with the appropriate amount of drying time in between layers or between the paint drying. I brought all pieces in anyway to plan how they would all be hung and in which order etc. Worst case scenario I would have to wait for it to dry, then to varnish, then dry again before hanging, ideally I would have given the acrylic mixed with the medium around a week to dry fully then a thin layer of varnish and 24 hours between the next layer and 24 hours after that.

I started my install by lining all of my pieces up to determine which should be placed next to eachother based on size, colour, gaze etc. Having six pieces made it easier for me to play around and create a balance because there are three of one size and three of another. Initially I wanted to break up the larger ones with the smaller ones, but soon realised that actually the colours when layed out in this way wouldn’t create a sense of balance. Two out of six were significantly darker than the rest and needed to be spread through the group. I liked the image with the yellow in the middle since this was the only one as light and would have looked odd if displayed on an end, placing it in the middle leads the viewers eye in to be framed by softer and then darker backgrounds.

The order that I went for in the end after swapping them all around multiple times was ‘light, dark, light, light, dark, light’, it seemed nicely balanced in terms of colour but it left three of the larger pieces in a row followed by the smaller pieces. Initially this bothered me and I wanted it to be balanced but I realised that with the tape it would be invisible to the viewer.

After experimenting a few weeks ago with some tape and one of my first larger paintings, I realised that the tape alone would not hold the weight of the board and would need reinforcing. I intended to do this with very small pins that would sit underneath and on top of the board wedging it into position, this way I wouldn’t have to use a drill to make any holes in the work and it could be covered with a thicker tape.

I chose a panel pin after some research for this job, it was the thinnest of everything I could find and would be virtually undetectable as opposed to an upholstery pin or a nail.

  I measured the wall to be 20ft in length, the larger paintings to be 29.5x 32.5cm and the smaller 23x30cm. Since there were 6 paintings I measured roughly that they would need about 2ft in between and 2ft from each end of the wall. I say roughly only because the tape would have an effect on the look of the distance in between each work. In my research I found that the typical hanging height of hanging work in a contemporary gallery is 58 inches from the floor, traditional works are hung a little higher. To reference this I hung my work at 61 inches from the floor.

With the help from my neighbour Emma, I hammered in the work using the panel pins, which were reallt effective at supporting the weight of the board.  In the image you can see where I made a few mistakes hammering the pins in, this is where the tape would work in my favour and hide my shoddy work! I made the decision to keep the edges of the boards I was using rough in keepining with the overall aesthetic I was after. I wanted to highlight these areas with the placement of my tape, so it was important that I had all the works hammered into the wall to begin with to be able to play around with the positioning of the frames. 

I bought lots of different tapes to play around with but leaned towards keeping the colours quite minimal –parcel tape, black, white and grey. I thought with the addition of a coloured tape this might affect the context of the work and give a new narrative without meaning to which is why I opted for the more minimalist colours.  Through my research in the journal I came to the conclusion that the tape was purely for the aesthetic rather than taking the connotations of its uses to seriously. It all does the same job and I could afford to be a bit general at this point rather.

The white tape wasn’t effective as an addition. I used the brown parcel tape as a thicker base to frame the works and added the thinner electrical tape to try it out. I didn’t like it possibly because it was lost in the white background. I didn’t want the tape to be subtle, it is almost as much of a feature in my context as much as the paintings are. I was happy with the way the brown tape was looking on the white wall, the transparency allows the viewer to see where it has been layered which I think is a nice touch.

I started to use a strong, thick, black gaffa tape as an addition to the parcel tape. Not only does this tape ensure that the painting is well supported but also breaks up the brown whilst not being lost against the white background.

The tape is so strong that when I was playing around with it, I peeled some off the parcel tape and it came with the black tape. I decided to keep this in my final presentation and really like the aesthetic that adds to the framing of the work. 

I think a lot of the works had quite a lot of tape around them and it would be a nice challenge for myself to be able to keep it quite brutally bare.  I did this by leaving the rough edges visible and using two different tapes to cover the bulk of the panel pins. I like the fact that none of the tape is cut neatly and it bows and bubbles in areas, it just works so well with the tight, refined style of the painting.

 Considering the context of my work I think this is a successful way of displaying traditional and contemporary practice.

Traditional references;

·         Painting style – aim for realism in 17th century Dutch movement style

·         Hanging height – 61 inches higher than that of contemporary  curatorial practice

·         Prep and finish of work – primed and varnished

·         Character over likness- Dutch vanity painting

Contemporary and temporary references;

·         Homeless men depicted as nobles

·         Rough unfinished edges of hardb oard

·         Tape used as frame

·         Hardboard as painting surface over canvas

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Exhibition presentation (Part 1)

Part one - prep of walls and floors

To be able to produce a good exhibition first we needed to take care of the space as a collective. It was frustrating this week just because a lot of people weren’t around to help. There was a lot of work to be done, I started by clearing out my old studio space of all work. I had used a lot of blue-tac so I scraped it off and painted over the grease marks. Throughout the year I had used some small pins that when removed, left tiny holes. I filled these in with poly filler to create a smooth surface for Tracey who was going to be occupying the space. Myself and Emma began to go around the studio in the areas that had been cleared touching up the walls with paint and filler to save little jobs for people for the week after.

When I started preparing my wall for work I was quite disheartened at the state of it and felt like I had the most work to do. I had considered painting my wall red to mimic the walls in the National Gallery but came to the conclusion that I changed my work in order to embrace the idea of a white gallery space so I stuck with white. The walls were very uneven as a result of being boarded together, there were areas that had been filled previously, areas with tape and lots of holes to be filled to I tried my best to get as flat surface that I could and it took me the best part of two days to get it to a standard I was happy with. I didn’t want people coming to the show and being distracted by how bad the walls were, although my aesthetic is going to aim to be a bit rough around the edges I still wanted to appear professional and not like I had used the aesthetic I was going for in my work as an excuse to be lazy.

To be honest I didn’t quite anticipate the work that needed to be put into the studio to get it to a professional looking standard. 

My wall was made up of five panels all joined together. Over time the panels had obviously moved creating massive dip between each other. This groove in the image was by far the worst and unfortunately it was on the end of my wall closer to the window, the light made it look a lot worse. 

To be able to get my wall how I wanted it to look (flat, smooth, no holes, even) I started by sanding the entire span of it. I found previously that the filler took to the wall better and I could create a smoother application. I started on the holes as they were an easy fix and then waited for them to dry before sanding. The wall panel lines were a lot harder to fix and it took several layers of filler, drying and sanding in between to get close to a finish that I was happy with. I found that I could get a smoother look by taking the filler out further than the span of the gap to raise each side so that it was eventually level with itself.

Using stepladders safely

Things to look for

Check the locking bars

Do not use the stepladder if locking bars are bent or the fixings are worn or damaged as the ladder could collapse.

Check the feet

Do not use the stepladder if feet are missing, worn or damaged as the ladder could slip.

Check the stepladder platform

Do not use the stepladder if the platform is split or buckled, the stepladder could become unstable or collapse.

Check the steps/treads

Do not use the stepladder if the steps/treads are contaminated as they could be slippery.

Check the steps for strength and stability

Do not use the stepladder if the fixings are loose as they could collapse.

Check the stiles

Do not use the stepladder if stiles are bent or damaged as the ladder could buckle or collapse.

 I used a ladder to reach the higher level of my wall where I also sanded the top half and filled in gaps. At the end of this process I was happy with the wall, it looked a lot better to when I had started and it was ready to be painted the following day to make sure it was completely even. I painted the wall with a white emulsion that is provided by the University and in keeping with the colour of the rest of the walls. I placed a layer of newspaper on the floor and used a tray and roller to cover the wall. I only gave it one coat, as after all of the work I had done to make it even and various smaller touch ups, it was already pretty white!

The floors around the studio were completely filthy, we knew that a professional cleaner was coming in to help us out with them but we tried to get the worse off. I started with the area in front of my wall, it needed to be swept before because of all the dust that I’d created when sanding filler to get my wall surface smooth. I began by wetting the floor with a mop and bucket before getting on my hands and knees with a scourer and floor cleaner to get the areas that were the worst looking a bit better. This process took a long time, the floor was in a terrible state and covered in paint that was tough to get off. Throughout the week we went over the floor a few times. The floor in front of mine and Emma’s area looks quite clean now and we decided as a group not to have the professionals in to go over it. We concluded that the mess they make on the walls would mean we’d have to cover the lower part prior and that we were able to do quite a good job ourselves.

It is a shame that a few people from the group did not bother with their floor, I got a little disheartened towards the end and started in the worse areas of the studio, reminding myself that it was a group show/effort. In the end I gave up, no-one will be bothered about the floor anyway!

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Degree show proposal

Reflecting upon my proposal for this module in my journal it is clear that my work has taken a new turn. When considering my work in a white gallery space and seeing it displayed at the Minories I realised that the concept was not strong enough and neither was the painting itself. I stripped my work back through a series of artist studies that allowed me to explore the use of different techniques used by artists in the same field. Then through the exercise of curatorial practices I came to a discovery about the way my work should be hung in the degree show that would display all the aspects of my context as well as a new understanding about technical painting and professionalism that I have learnt through altering my style of painting.

For my degree show I am going to produce a concise and considered series of works that reference Dutch realism painting in their size and ideas that favoured character over likeness, making the subject appear more attractive than in reality. This leads on from the essay I wrote in year two and my dissertation I wrote a few months ago. I am going to aim to have over 5 paintings that are primed in keeping with professional practices and painted in a style that reflects realism again referencing work of the 17th century movement. The paintings will be finished with a varnish, as this prolongs the life of the painting in an archival sense but also enhances the quality of colour.

The paintings will be hung in the studio with tape. I may paint the wall red to reference the walls of the National Gallery or rather to just embrace the white gallery space. The paintings may need extra reinforcement to ensure they don’t fall down during the exhibition or install so I will look into drilling into them or hammering them with screws, which will then be covered with the tape. I hope that my series will demonstrate my dedication to painting more professionally and show that I have considered all aspects of how it affects my context and will be executed to demonstrate all of the technical findings of my research.

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Risk assessment form

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Priming painting surfaces

https://www.thoughtco.com/hardboard-or-wood-painting-guide-2578682

This website came in handy when I was researching how to prime hardboard for painting. I cut the board into seven pieces, four of a smaller size and three larger square pieces. I began prepping them by sanding the smoother surface of the board to give it a bit of a rougher feel so I could then seal it. the benefit of doing this would allow the gesso to sink into the material rather than sitting on top of the surface. I sealed the board with a white acrylic, mostly so that it gave me a blank canvas that I would eventually paint onto as my gesso dried clear.

Some artists use PVA glue to seal hardboard, as acrylic is a plastic I thought this would work just as well and would give me the white surface I was after.

Process of priming the board;

1.       Sand

2.       Titanium white acrylic to seal

3.       Dry then sand

4.       First layer of gesso

5.       Dry then sand

6.       Second layer of gesso

7.       Dry then sand

8.       Third layer of gesso

9.       Dry then sand

I was really pleased with the outcome of the surfaces of my boards. I wanted them to be really smooth as I have always preferred this to the texture of a canvas for instance. Having to go through this process on each of my seven boards took a really long time but I am glad I did because they were really nice to paint onto.

As I have never bothered to prime any surface in the past before painting here are some of the benefits I have found through research. I am so glad I have finally learnt about how to prime, it makes such a difference to the quality of the paint and also from an archival point of view.

·         Unfinished wood should always be primed prior to painting. Primer, having high-solids content, helps fill in the wood grain and creates a smooth surface for the finish coat.

·         Unfinished woods tend to really soak up paint, and primer helps seal the surface to prevent this from happening.

·         Gives you an opportunity to create a surface you prefer working on, rough, glassy smooth etc

·         Paintings last longer when the wood or surface is primed

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PDP Presentation – What was all that about?

Today we gave our PDP presentations which lasted 15 minutes. I usually do quite well in my presentations and find that there is always a lot to talk about. Every year I write a full script and this year it was a goal of mine to be able to get up in front of everyone without one. I wrote a few pointers for the first few slides so I had something to rely on if I had a blank moment. I did my presentation about a week before the date at the Minories and rehearsed it many times with and without my pointers. Obviously rehearsing on my own compared to in front of a room of people is very different and because I was so confident in what I wanted to say I wasn’t worried. On the day I became increasingly nervous as I had to wait until the end, I’d have preferred to go towards the beginning and get it over with. By my turn I was so nervous that I muddled everything I wanted to say, I left out a lot and actually ended up finishing a bit early- something that in my rehearsals never happened.

The only goal I wanted to put into action with this presentation was to do it without a full script and I achieved it so the fact that my presentation was a lot worse than they have been in previous years is kind of irrelevant because I made a conscious decision this year to push myself out of my comfort zone. Every year I have done the same thing in the knowledge that I will get a good mark for it but in reality anyone can write a good script and reel it off in front of a crowd and I wanted to get away from it this year. I am glad I did it even though my nerves got the best of me on the day. 

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PDP presentation slides & pointers

PDP Presentation pointers

SLIDE ONE:

·         To write this presentation I looked back onto past presentations from the years that I’ve been here and its really amazing to see the progression that I’ve made not only in terms of quality and professionalism of work but of state and clarity of mind about what it is I want to do. Only now do I feel like I know where I’m going.

SLIDE TWO:

·         For me I think it’s important to look back to be able to see where I’m going and I hope by taking you all back to the beginning, the future will seem like it makes sense a little more. This is something that I’ve also done with my research to be able to find a context for my work

·         Talk about Foundation- Fashion influences that fed into first and second year, always an interest in portraiture.

·         Explain photos.

SLIDE THREE:

·         In my second year I started to play around with portraiture and really it was at the end that I really was able to solidify a context to my work.

·         Started to mould and change with realisations from research and dissertation but With degree show in mind its changed drastically.

·         Talk about concept around identity/ background/ historical aspects of portraiture.

·         Extract from my dissertation proposal

SLIDE FOUR:

The fact that plastic relates to ‘throw away’ culture in today’s modern society links to the theory of the ‘Other’ that I have been researching into. For me a portrait is born from a connection to another human being and should show the viewer something about that person that only I have noticed, a fairly noble and intimate thing- to have painted the portrait onto plastic gives a nod to today’s view on homeless stereotypes. The juxtaposition of portrait and plastic, one inherently honorable and has connotations of luxury, the other is quite the opposite- by pairing these together gives a hidden meaning about the stereotypes of the people I have painted without having painted them in the setting that I took their photo- without having to actually mention

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Curation session

In the lead up to the degree show we’re beginning to group together and curate pieces to form a group show that relates to one another. Although many of our practices vary hugely there is some degree of cross over between much of our work that will hopefully form a cohesive ‘group’ show. The general consensus from last year’s show was that everyone involved focused on their own work and didn’t consider the relationship between their peers which resulted in it being quite fragmented. This year we wanted the show to not only be a showcase of our work as individuals but show some degree of considered curation that will enable it to be viewed as a group exhibition. This would only be a benefit to all of us as whether we are practicing artists or putting on our own shows some degree of knowledge of how some pieces work with each other and hold a conversation that could actually change how the work is viewed by a wider audience in a gallery space.

We found this task quite frustrating as there are lots of pieces to only fit in a very small space, we realised at the end that a lot of it ended up in the corners or on the wall as a result of being restricted by the space we had.  However the space that we’re going to be occupying for the degree show is a lot larger which will make the process of hanging work and deciding who should go where a lot easier. Each of us brought down one piece of work to the Hay gallery and the point was that we would see what we could do with what we had in a restrictive space.

We began with Natasha’s fabric portrait piece. Generally we associate portraits with being displayed on a wall so we tried different ways of displaying it. First we placed it on a plinth, since it is fabric it draped nicely over it, something that a painting on a traditional material such as canvas or board wouldn’t do. Perhaps it changes the narrative of the work completely by placing it in a way that is not traditional to portraiture so we settled on placing it on the wall.

   We placed the work at the height of 60 inches so that it could be viewed by its audience. The piece that we decided would work well next to this was Tracey’s set of canvasses. The colours used were very similar and worked well next to each-other.

  The images here show how we were experimenting with different ways of displaying the works. By altering the height of the work it might draw the viewer in to bend to look at it, creating a new narrative between the conversation of the work.  We decided that the work would be better facing one another rather than on the same wall. It breaks up the similar colours, providing a sense of balance within the space to work around.

When it came to putting up my own work we decided that;

·         It should go on a wall referencing traditional portraiture

·         It should be hung at gallery height 58-60 inches (viewers eye height)

Placed next to Tracey’s work brought out the colours in the background which were quite similar and created a conversation between the works. I bought some tape as a way of quickly putting it up and something happened that completely changed the context of the work.

 Up until now I have been deliberating between the idea of more than one series keeping the notion of traditionalist painting and contemporary/temporary aspects of my concept separate. Something seemed to click when I saw the work up with tape. It created a very rough ‘frame’ around the work  that provided a function as well as an aesthetic.

The act of taping up my work combines all aspects of my context, the traditional style paintings suddenly mixed with the temporary nature of putting something up in the street referencing the nature of lifestyle of my subjects.  I will consider this idea for my final degree show exhibition, not only does it create a conversation between the other people who are working with portraiture but also between works such as the palettes by Clare, as a result of the almost industrial feel.

Hanging the rest of the work became increasingly difficult. We were torn between the contemporary ideas of displaying work that we see in galleries all the time, on a white wall, on a plinth etc and experimenting with different ways such as on the floor. It all became a bit of a mess and looked like we were trying too hard to be different with our methods of display. The mixture of different heights and display methods created too many conversations between the works and it wasn’t a coherent show. Perhaps it would have worked better if we all had a separate idea about what we wanted our work to look like and were able to work around each other. The notion of being ‘radical’ with ways of displaying can look quite odd if there’s too much of it, when paired with traditional styles of hanging I think it can work quite well.

As a group we learnt a lot from this exercise that we can apply to the install of our show. The most important thing when putting up a group show in my opinion is considering the conversations that can be said between the works of your peers. 

I am lucky in that a lot of my peers have work that can be linked to my own, so placing ourselves opposite or next to one another in the final install might create a new narrative to our work that we hadn’t realised. For instance myself and Emma have a strong link to our work; we are both experimenting with traditionalist practices and although in different practices there is something that could be said if we displayed our works near one another.

I’ve had a breakthrough today as a result of this session in the discovery of the tape/frame idea. If I were to display my work using tape in the final degree show it might create enough of a question for the viewer rather than giving it away in terms of a title.

[isabelleplowmanart-blog]

How I’ve made a change to my painting

Since the beginning of this semester I made a conscious decision to teach myself about painting in a more technical way, using techniques and processes that are commonly used by artists in a painting capacity. I stripped back my colour palette to the three primary colours, black and white in order to challenge myself to colour match and teach myself about colour theory. The benefit of painting with a limited palette is that all my paintings in my series will look coherent with each-other and will be nicely balanced as a result.

  Although this image is just a brief over view of learning about colour theory, I found that by actually experimenting myself in my sketch book it was more beneficial, it became almost like my own guide. As a result of this change in colour palette I was much more conscious about mixing the colours that reflect accuracy to real life whilst also subtly referencing traditional painting practices by doing so. It didn’t come without its challenges as with a limited palette I struggled to find a way to create a colour that matched certain skin tones. I favoured a palette with a deeper red and yellow hue to compliment the subjects with darker tanned skin, this made it difficult to mix colours that were softer and I think these paintings were my weakest of the series as a result.

The addition of a slow-drying medium has been the key for me this semester.  Working with the paint for a lot longer allowed me to create a sense of depth and realism by blending the colours into each other, something that without the medium would not be achievable as it dries so quickly. I much prefer working in this way and was able to make conscious decisions that related to my concept, I worked back into some of the portraits to capture a sense of ‘character’ rather than favouring an exact likeness in the style of Dutch vanity portraiture of the 17th century. Although traditionally artists would work in oils to favour their slow drying characteristics, at the point in the year I was at when making these changes I thought it would be better to change the way I work with my current medium rather than changing it entirely. I don’t believe that painting in oils is any less ‘professional’ than painting in acrylics, however the limited colour palette will make it easier and more cost effective if I ever wanted to experiment with oil painting.

[isabelleplowmanart-blog]

Study of Andy from the shelter

·         Primary colour palette

·         Slow-drying medium

·         Dry-brushing

·         Varnish

 I felt I had gained a lot of knowledge from the experimentation from my artist studies and was ready to get back into working with my own reference photos. I think I needed a bit of time out from my body of work to be able to reflect on what it was that I needed to learn to be able to refine and become more professional in my way of working. Taking what I had learnt from my last two studies using a limited colour palette and a slow drying medium I decided I would take a more refined approach to my painting in the next study. I would consciously try hard to colour match and therefore accurately depict my reference image and attempt to make a ‘realistic’ portrait for the first time since I began painting on this degree. The slow-drying medium is key for me to maintain an approach to realism as it allows me to work into the colour and blend for a lot longer.

I chose Andy from the shelter to paint for this next study because I feel like I have an unresolved relationship with painting him. I painted a plastic piece last year to be hung in the street and felt like I had done such a bad job on the painting that it didn’t make it in to my final images.

I think that the effort of trying to make the piece as realistic as possible has paid off here. I tried hard to blend all of the colours together and used a technique called dry-brushing which gives a nice textural finish for the work. I’m trying hard to not rely on ‘mark-making’ as I have done in the past but actually consider the reference photo and whether the stroke I am about to make is correct or not.

 ·         Drybrush is a painting technique in which a paint brush that is relatively dry, but still holds paint, is used. Load is applied to a dry support such as paper or primed canvas. The resulting brush strokes have a characteristic scratchy look that lacks the smooth appearance that washes or blended paint commonly have.

I felt that this study was a good opportunity to use some varnish. In my journal my research has lead me to the idea of incorporating traditional practices into my own work. Varnishing is used to ‘finish’ a painting, it protects the paint, enhances the colour if they appear a little dull as well as giving it a matte or gloss texture. I opted for a gloss as traditional paintings often have this kind of finish.

  http://www.winsornewton.com/uk/discover/tips-and-techniques/other-tips-and-techniques/all-you-need-to-know-about-varnishing-paintings

I bought a varnish from Winsor and Newton. The varnish I used to finish this piece gives it a really nice glossy texture. I think this is important not only in terms of making the colours more intense and ‘finishing’ the painting, but also from an archival point of view that references traditional practices. I have found that I need to work quickly with the varnish; I have watched videos of paintings being varnished. The artists pour on the varnish in the middle of the work and use a brush to spread it about the surface of the painting. I did this as well but I found that if I went over the varnish it would start to dry and congeal on the surface creating little lumps that would come off entirely. I need to practice this a few more times before I varnish anything for my end of year exhibition, to avoid ruining any work that I have done. Perhaps I could be using another tool to spread the varnish.

[isabelleplowmanart-blog]

Tai Shan Schierenberg study

Following on from my Ellie Kammer study I decided to continue with artist studies as a way of practicing with a new colour palette and experimenting with styles and tecnhiques that will help push professionalism and ability into my work. The addition with this painting is that I added a slow drying medium to my acrylic paints in the hope that it would change how I could use them. I find that by adding in each chosen technique in one painting at a time it gives me a chance to experiment with them on their own first rather than all at once.  I am continuing to limit myself to the primary colour palette as an exercise to help me with colour theory and colour matching, I hope this will enhance my technical ability and knowledge about working in the medium of painting.

The addition of the slow drying medium changes the behaviour of the acrylics. Before, I would paint quickly and the fact that the acrylics would dry fast suited this way of working. To produce more considered work I need the medium to allow me to work into it more and for a longer period of time.

I opted for Windsor and Newton slow drying medium, I always buy products from this brand as I believe they are reasonably priced and high quality opposed to others such as Daler and Rowney. It maintained the promise that there would be no colour shift in the paint and it stayed dry for a long time. I left some on my palette to see how quickly it would set and it is still wet after being left for days.

The slow drying medium allowed me to actually blend my colours into eachother creating a seamless and more realistic look through areas of the skin tones. I still have a lot of practice to do to be able to master using the medium as part of my process to produce a more realistic depiction of my subjects but I am enjoying the process of experimenting.