Assessment Post (semester 2 ART271)

Currently, my artists practice has been concerned with use unconventional tools to create abstract expressionist inspired paintings. I have relied on wallpaper pasting tools, large paint brushes, and my hands. I have experimented with acrylic mediums in my work. They have become an essential part of my practice and have provided me with more opportunities to experiment with texture and colour. I have relied heavily on smooth surfaces for my paintings recently. I think this is so I can create a contrasting texture using my skill set and knowledge of paint. I find that the materials and colours that I use are influenced by the artists that I research. Hodgkin influenced my use of blues and greens, Rothko introduced me to the importance of texture to create to tranquility, and Gillian Ayres taught me that something that looks chaotic just needs to be studied to understand its calmness. My practice is fluid and is ever changing so it is hard to truly define it and discuss it.

The subject of my work isnt really something that is easily visible and I think that Hodgkin put it best when he said 'I paint representational pictures of emotional situations'. My interests lie within the field of abstract art as I find that this truly allows me to paint emotion better than any other field of artistic study. I find my interest in the spiritual to come through my work through various ideas. This may come through the idea exploring the feel of the paint as I move it around the board, or it may come through the need for my art to help me feel at peace with myself and the world.

My paintings are created in a spontaneous manner and never really have any kind of planning behind them. I constantly have my art materials around me so that when I need to I can quickly get to work. The quickness of creation is aided by the fact I have made my own studio space at home. This means that wherever inspiration strikes me I can get to work as quick as possible. I like to work in layers with my pieces, so although they make a start from a spontaneous thought, there is a few hours for a partial area of planning. This planning is only me making sure that my next layer compliments or nicely contrast the previous layer, and does not take away from the painting.

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