jcarstairs97-blog

[jcarstairs97-blog]

Life drawing form last Wednesdays session. Really pleased with this drawing, I feel like I have made a lot of progress in the past couple of life drawing sessions which is really exciting! . . . #life #drawing #lifedrawing #fineart #art #artstudent #plymouth #plymouthuni #plymouthart #brsitol #bristolart #painting #oil #oilpainting #portrait #portraitpainting #artist #artistoninstagram #youngartist #youngartisthelp

[jcarstairs97-blog]

Still blocking in, going to try and get everything blocked in by the end of today so that I can spend a couple days begining to refine and add details before heading home for Christmas. It's going to be an intense week and a bit when I get back from my break but hopefully I will pull it off! . . . #fineart #art #artstudent #plymouth #plymouthuni #plymouthart #brsitol #bristolart #painting #oil #oilpainting #portrait #portraitpainting #artist #artistoninstagram #youngartist #youngartisthelp (at Plymouth University)

[jcarstairs97-blog]

Preparatory tonal studies for my painting. Some of my reference images are a little off and so studies like this are going to be key! . . . #fineart #art #artstudent #plymouth #plymouthuni #plymouthart #brsitol #bristolart #painting #oil #oilpainting #portrait #portraitpainting #artist #artistoninstagram #youngartist #youngartisthelp

[jcarstairs97-blog]

Starting something very big for an upcoming show, the deadline is going to be very tight as will be away from the studio over Christmas so won't be able to work on this painting.... I am going to have to blitz it over the next week and with a bit of luck and a few sleepless nights I am sure I will make the deadline. . . . #fineart #art #artstudent #plymouth #plymouthuni #plymouthart #brsitol #bristolart #painting #oil #oilpainting #portrait #portraitpainting #artist #artistoninstagram #youngartist #youngartisthelp (at Plymouth University)

[jcarstairs97-blog]

How to properly disassemble and pack a sculpture. I feel like this piece has been holding back my exploration recently, so I decided today it was time for it to come down. . . . . #presentation #video #film #artphotographer #fineart #art #artstudent #plymouth #plymouthuni #plymouthart #brsitol #bristolart #sculpture #recycle #recycled #paper

[jcarstairs97-blog]

I had my clay head fired and I think it's really cool. I'm really curious about the differences in the cast version though, presumably created through mistakes in my first attempt at the casting process. . . . #art #artstudent #artitst #cast #sculpture #bristolart #bristol #plymouthuni #plymouth #plymouthart #devon #devonart #igart #igartist #artistoninstagram #studio #sketch #sketching #fineart #finearts #artstudio #artschool #fineartist

[jcarstairs97-blog]

Archway | James Carstairs . Video presentation of my piece 'Archway', which explores physical boundaries through sculpture. The piece was inspired by the work of Richard Serra, but I tried to create similarly grand and imposing structures through paper. . . . #presentation #video #film #artphotographer #fineart #art #artstudent #plymouth #plymouthuni #plymouthart #brsitol #bristolart #sculpture #recycle #recycled #paper

[jcarstairs97-blog]

Have been really excited to share this portrait. I have been itching to get back to painting for ages and am really pleased I have, because this has came out great! @plymouthuniversityfineart . . . #fineart #art #artstudent #plymouth #plymouthuni #plymouthart #brsitol #bristolart #painting #oil #oilpainting #portrait #portraitpainting #artist #artistoninstagram #youngartist #youngartisthelp

[jcarstairs97-blog]

Here is my final print. I actually really enjoyed the process and am pleased with the final image. I want to rework the prints though so that the globe at the end of the string is more accurate. I didn't consider the fact the print would be flipped and also struggled to get accurate detail with the tools. . . . #fineart #art #artstudent #plymouth #plymouthuni #plymouthart #brsitol #bristolart #painting #oil #oilpainting #portrait #portraitpainting #artist #artistoninstagram #youngartist #youngartisthelp #print #printer #linocut

[jcarstairs97-blog]

Here is the first cast from the mould of my head sculpture. I think it has been really interesting to see the translation from clay to plaster and how different the two pieces look. I am really pleased with the plaster though and am excited to start working on more portraits to mould and cast. . . . #art #artstudent #artitst #cast #sculpture #bristolart #bristol #plymouthuni #plymouth #plymouthart #devon #devonart #igart #igartist #artistoninstagram #studio #sketch #sketching #fineart #finearts #artstudio #artschool #fineartist

[jcarstairs97-blog]

Over the past few days I've been working on a clay sculpture of a head again, trying to learn the fundamentals of figurative sculpture. I'm not yet happy with this piece but it's definitely a step in the right direction and it is very nice to feel like I am learning constantly. Tomorrow I am going to plaster cast this head as a way of creating a record of this stage of my development and to explore casting as a process. . . . #art #artstudent #artitst #cast #sculpture #bristolart #bristol #plymouthuni #plymouth #plymouthart #devon #devonart #igart #igartist #artistoninstagram #studio #sketch #sketching #fineart #finearts #artstudio #artschool #fineartist

[jcarstairs97-blog]

I have started to try and create an arch into the studio space, expanding of the sculpture I finished yesterday. I want the sculpture to be more intrusive into the space and more immersive for the audience. . . . #fineart #art #artstudent #plymouth #plymouthuni #plymouthart #brsitol #bristolart #sculpture #recycle #recycled #paper

[jcarstairs97-blog]

Today I made a video presentation of my piece "Shut Up and Fucking Drink". I have also posted it to YouTube which you can view via the link in my bio. . . . #fineart #art #artstudent #plymouth #plymouthuni #plymouthart #brsitol #bristolart #painting #oil #oilpainting #portrait #portraitpainting #family #ual #foundation #diploma #degree #pencil #drawing #sketch #sketching #casting #beer #uni #freshers

[jcarstairs97-blog]

WIP- underdrawing for an oil painting. I think I am happy to leave this here, fix the graphite drawing and start adding some paint! Feeling a nervous excitement about this piece. It's been a while since painting a portrait and so it is always scary starting to paint over a drawing that could easily develop into a nice study.... . . . #fineart #art #artstudent #plymouth #plymouthuni #plymouthart #brsitol #bristolart #painting #oil #oilpainting #portrait #portraitpainting #artist #artistoninstagram #youngartist #youngartisthelp

[jcarstairs97-blog]

Yesterday in the casting workshop we also did a group hand cast which we finished today. I think the results are really interesting and could be a nice starting point to expand on. While photographing the sculpture we began talking about doing a similar sculpture but with 50 hands, all emerging out and creating incredibly interesting and intricate forms. I was working with; @daniadunn, @elishacox_art, @painted__blue. Check out their work! . @jcarstairs_art

@jcarstairs_streetportraits

[jcarstairs97-blog]

Rear view of my final presentation of my bottle casts. I have been exploring peer pressure and the alcohol culture of university and have produced this piece for my end of unit assessment and open studio exhibition. I started my exploration with a quote from one of my flatmates, “shut up and fucking drink”. The quote is very confrontational and represents the peer pressure of university that begins with Freshers week.  Alcohol is glorified and getting drunk to the point of excess is expected. There are 14 bottles in total, 7 broken and 7 complete as a way of representing the 7 members of my flat in two different states.

  I still wanted to include the quote but I thought it would be interesting to remove its significance and power by hiding or obstructing it. The quotes power comes from its confrontational nature and so obstructing that removed its power. I therefore decided to write it on the back of the plinths which I was using to present the casts.  

I am pleased with my piece for the exhibition and I think it is a nice reflection on my concept.  I think the objects I have produced are visually very interesting and this is aided by well considered presentation. I also think my concept is interesting and I have explored a lot of different things which I think are worth exploring further. 

@jcarstairs_art

@jcarstairs_streetportraits

[jcarstairs97-blog]

Over the summer I started an Instagram dedicated to my street photography (@jcarstairs_streetportraits). Street photography is something I got into as a way of exploring the human condition as part of my final major project for my Foundation Diploma. Since moving to Plymouth I have been using my camera constantly capturing the things I see and experience. I have then been sharing my photographs through my Instagram page.