As I am coming to the end of my degree course and writing the blog about my work I thought it would be a relevant time to reflect on how both have enabled me to grow as an artist.
It has been a challenging course and the modules have really pushed me and my work forward in new exciting directions, moving away from the traditional painting that I was comfortable with towards an exciting mix of contemporary ideas and different ways to express myself through painting.
Printing, etching, sculpting, making and painting large canvases, I have tried them all and found, that if you push yourself, and “go for it” you can really achieve surprising results. This has given me more confidence to ask for help or advice and if you are keen to learn new skills there will always be someone to help and encourage you through the process and it is a safe environment to try different things with no judgements for “fruitful failures” as Michael Landy described it!
Adopting this ethos I am now experimenting with different processes and mediums and by using the blog to make reflective observations, I am able to work through each stage in a more logical manner.
I already have ideas for making and expanding my figurative work.
- Painting different viewpoints of figurative forms, not just straight on but maybe upwards or downwards on the subject.
- Mounting the painted canvas in a 3D way with a raised, folded and creased surface.
- Making a conscious decision to paint a narrative into my work and not only representing a visual likeness of the subject.
All of these ideas I have discovered are possible for me because of the things I have learnt whilst studying for my Fine Art Degree.
