Maureen Walker's blog: An Artist's Journey

Assignment 3: Waterloo Sunset

After doing this drawing I realise how short a two hour period can be. This piece requires further work but as the assignment was to work no more than two hours on the finished piece I felt I could blog it after that time had lapsed.

However, I shall work on it some more tomorrow afternoon. I feel it could benefit from a bit more contrast to give it a certain dynamism and gravitas.

I used slate blue mountboard and drew straight onto the surface with black white pink orange and brown pencil crayon.

Thinking about it about an hour on, I feel it could benefit from a little purple shading in the background to define it as seperate from the mid ground and foreground. Also, I wish I’d added a gull or some such coming into land on (the reinstated) Waterloo Bridge parapet in order to lend credence to the look of unexplained surprise on the woman’s face. Although, thinking again, she has the look of the persecuted about her – hinting at a less than salubrious underbelly to the pretty London scene.

Waterloo Sunset (a little over two hours work)

Assignment 3: More Preparation

I haven’t blogged in so long I have almost forgotten how. Almost, but not quite.

.. as simplified from the following…

I changed my mind about the subject for assignment 3. I decided to save the “Lovers Entwined” for the next unit in the module to do with figurative work. Instead I noticed this chance view, and photographed it from a moving car, passing over Waterloo Bridge. I didn’t like the solid concrete balustrade of Waterloo Bridge, so I substituted it with the much more ornate one from Blackfriars Bridge.

The view has been compressed horizontally somewhat, due to this wide expanse not readily fitting into my square sketchbook. But I like the effect of focusing all of the interesting bits more closely together. The eye doesn’t need to wander too far to find something to rest upon. The view of Big Ben in the background, seen here clad in scaffolding, thus rendering it unrecognisable, is an indistinct grey. The London Eye is only slightly more detailed, being that bit closer to my point of view. The lamp posts on the left appear to march into view. They are enlarged from their true size as they are such a good feature. I think that I will make the one furthest away that bit smaller, in contrast to the nearest, in order to emphasise distance in the finished assignment piece.

I’m going to play around with simplifying this image a little further to see what joy I can get out of it before embarking upon the process of drawing a finished piece.

Assignment 3: Preparation

I did these two sketches today. I like the potential of contrasting colour and light effect between the front of the West facing houses on the right to the dark purple/grey foreboding of the sky.

Both drawings are in my sketchbook, which is – somewhat awkwardly – square rather than “A” series aspect ratio. This does mean that, when it comes to laying the foundations of the final piece, I shall have that little bit of extra space necessary to add interest to the bottom right hand corner in the form of a subtle (I hope) hint at a pair of lovers entwined created by the sinewy branches of the hedge.

I went to see the Leon Spilliaert exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts last weekend and came away inspired by his seamless use of mixed media. Although I do not wish to mimic his work too faithfully, I do feel it would be no bad thing to be able to name him as an influence.

Before embarking upon this course, my work leant more on the side of the erotic and sensual in content and style. When it comes to this subject I find myself rather hesitant to discuss it openly outside my inner circle. In this picture I feel the inclination to allow myself a somewhat looser rein having seen this couple naturally formed in a hedge in St Albans. At once at home and at odds with their suburban environment, they appeared to beg to become immortalised as such.

A rough preliminary sketch of “lovers entwined”

Summary: Tutor Feedback from Assignment 2

I received positive comments on this blog having successfully transferred from weebly.com to wordpress.com which is more easily navigable.

Positive feedback on my potential for further development as well as the likelihood of passing the end of course assignment should this potential be realised.

In order to achieve this I need to focus more on the following:

Push the boundaries of experimentation further. Be more “ambitious and exploratory” with unexpected mixed media combinations.

Daily sketching from direct observation of my immediate environment.

Encourage play and experimentation.

“Blend material in a more holistic manner” ( note to self: Leon Spilliaert is a good example of someone who achieves this with his mixed media drawings. Discuss further in this blog)

Research the following artists:

Gordon Cheung

Graham little

Susan Turcot

Michaël Borromans

Charles Avery

Lucian Freud

David Hockney

Paul Noble

Dryden Goodwin

Reflect back on the work of other artists in relation to my own. Express a “reflective and critical” response to observations. Show more of why I understand and appreciate artists’ work.

Leon Spilliaert

Just back from the Royal Academy where I saw the sombre toned drawings of Leon Spilliaert. It was a timely exhibition for me as a drawing student as this artist specialised in drawing with ink, conte sticks and pencil rather than painting in oils. I was impressed by the expressive use of ink washes and how he’d achieved a consistent texture using this method.

Later, I went onto the Wellcome Institute opposite Euston station to see the ‘Play Well’ exhibition (24/10/2019-13/04/2020). I like this venue. It is possible to see unique articles on display and then peruse Blackwell’s well stocked book shop and have a cup of tea.

References:

‘Play Well’ exhibition. The Wellcome Institute. London (24/10/2019-13/04/2020)

Leon Spilliaert exhibition. Royal Academy. London. (23/02/2020-25/05/2020)

Vija Celmins

Vija Celmins is (Wikipedia) “a Latvian–American visual artist best known for photo-realistic paintings and drawings of natural environments and phenomena such as the ocean, spider webs, star fields, and rocks”.

Born 1938, she fled from Soviet occupation of Latvia with her parents in 1940 to Germany where she lived in a refugee camp until 1948, then was relocated to the USA (aged 10). Speaking no English, she focused on – and was encouraged by her teachers in – drawing, painting and other creative pursuits. In 1955, aged 17, she went to art school in Indianapolis, graduating in 1962, then on to UCLA, obtaining her Masters in 1965. Thereafter she has lived in Venice and finally New York, pursuing her practice and teaching.

Celmins’ repertory includes drawing (mainly in pencil), painting, sculpture and, latterly, woodcuts and charcoal. Since the 1960s, she has focused on work that balances abstract with photorealism, often with no reference point (no horizon, depth of field, edge nor landmarks), thus stripping them of context. Recent work includes prints and mezzotints of her trademark subjects such as night skies and ocean waves. Her work has been extensively shown internationally and commands pries in excess of $1m.

I started my exploration of Celmins’ work by watching, several times, the course-recommended video “Vija Celmins / Desert, Sea and Stars”. I was unimpressed; I immediately suspected phoneyism: “I don’t really call it drawing….I was using a pencil and paper as my medium”. ?!!! She then goes on to talk about meticulously painting found objects, saying her work is “redescribing what I see”. I tried to maintain an open mind as I heard her say (admit?) “I’m not an idea artist”.

Next, I watched the Tate’s video “Explore the art of Vija Celmins”. This features the artist in her sparse, tidy, clinical studio, working from a photograph of the night-sky, picking out individual stars as tiny spots on a copper plate – a task she has been working at for three years, so far. She is clearly process obsessed – indeed, toward the end of the video she concedes that the pitted plate itself as much a work of art as the image itself. To me, her painstaking dedication and repetition, border on pointlessness. Why is she wasting her life away like this? Is it a product of – perhaps even an excuse for – lack of ideas? Is it driven – ironically – by the stellar prices her work will realise?

Anyone who risks calling themselves a creative artist also puts their head high above the parapet. I dislike the thought of being the one to ”shoot” that head off, lest one day someone should take pot shots at me (would chance be a fine thing?). But I am also aware that, in the scheme of things, my ammunition will have little effect. Vija Celmins’s art will continue to sell for extreme sums (regardless of those opinions of ”philistines”such as my humble self). At the end of the day, who am I to argue with that fact? But at the same time, I feel a little sorry that this artist appears not to have reached her full creative potential – self-actualisation, in my view – being more than just pounds, shillings and pence.

I have been listening to ‘My Life as a Work of Art’ by Katya Tylevich and Ben Eastham read to me by my friendly elf in an attempt to understand better the world of contemporary art. So far we are on the subject of Martin Creed’s work.

Watch this space.

References:

http://www.vimeo.com/22299024

Tate. Vija Celmins. ”Painting takes just a second to go in”. https://youtu.be/SsbkzSrCdlg

Part 3: Project 5: Exercise 2: Study of a townscape using line

Continuing on in playful mood, I find that early on in a drawing, I rapidly find myself reluctant to finish. This distrust of completion – or just plain laziness, if you prefer – ever plagues my creative output. I have several incomplete pieces inspired by the exercises in this Part 3 of the course. I shall have to set aside time just to finish off these projects in order to be able to send a selection to my tutor for assessment. At least they should feel like ‘easy wins’ compared with starting afresh with a blank sheet.

I decided to ‘dirty up’this pic using a black conte stick to rough up the areas of grass in the shade of the buildings. It added a bit of gravitas and made it a lot more fun to draw. Pictures that are fun to produce can (but not necessarily) be more interesting to view. Certainly, for me at least, if I’ve been bored by drawing it is communicated clearly into the resulting outcome.

Once I’d added bright yellow highlighter pen to the sun kissed houses to the right, the white of the paper took on a faintly lavender tinge. I will use this effect again in the near future I think.

Lesson learned: if I’m not having fun, change things up a little in order to turn a ‘task of work’ into a game to be played.

Part 3: Project 1: Exercise 3: Study of several trees

I did the following preliminary sketches before embarking upon the above drawing. I was working from a photograph as Storm Dennis was in full sway thus preventing direct observational drawing.

As I drew these sketches, I thought about my influences for landscape drawing. David Hockney came to mind. I’d seen his exhibition at the Royal Academy a few years back. It left a lasting impression. I recall having left the building thinking that his art is immediately accessible. Not to everyone’s taste, of course. But I like it. It made me feel as though the only thing standing in the way of my having a regular artistic practice was my own attitude to self. If David Hockney can paint purple roads and pink trees than why couldn’t I? Really, it comes down to having the time, the space, the ability and the inclination. But as well as this, there is the need for self-promotion. Marketing oneself as an artist is an art in itself. It’s one that I do not relish but perhaps must deal with effectively should I wish to make a living from my own creative output.

Time Out

Things I wish I had known when I was younger

I took time out today to finish off this gift for my great niece. I’m very pleased with how the words (my own) stand out just enough from my niece’s drawing. I printed them on an acetate transparency (which is extremely expensive, by the way – hadn’t realised) and placed that on top of a lightly enhanced copy of my niece’s original handiwork. Then I put the mount over the top and framed it.

I look forward to gifting it soon.

Jumping ahead: Part 3: Project 5: Exercise 4: Statues

Project 5: Exercise 4: Statues

I realise I’m meant to do the exercises in sequence but I saw this statue and felt the urge to make my own impression from it.

Sketch of ”*Ad Astra” (1938) by Lady Kathleen Scott*

I drew the following sketch of a statue from life at the Wallace Collection in London. It was a foretaste of the above which is done from photographs.

Sketch of ”Hercules overcoming Achelous in the form of a bull” by Fernando Tacca (1619-1686)

I have to confess that these photographs of my work look so much better on the blog than in cold stark reality. But shrinking things down always seems to improve them. I like the colours I’ve used and soft pastels on kraft paper are a good combination as the buff coloured kraft paper negates the absolute necessity for colouring every last inch of the paper.

References:

”Ad Astra” (1938) bronze with patina by Lady Kathleen Scott. Welwyn Garden City Campus roundabout

”Hercules overcoming Achelous in the form of a bull” (1619-1686) gilded bronze. Fernando Tacca. The Wallace Collection. London