Kathryn Raffell, The Birds, 2015, Mixed medium on Canvas,50cmx40cm.
This idea was about adding layers to a base canvas. I added paint, tissue paper, wallpaper and selotape strips (these I peeled away to leave the white strips across the surface). Using sandpaper to scrub away at the top surface it revealed the under-layers. There was no planning but a random decision as to which pieces of the surface I removed. This was a peel and see process, stopping and thinking about the aesthetics of the remaining image. It may be finished but it may not.
The artist Patrick Kramer’s work is very interesting. A fellow student mentioned him. He makes hyper-realistic paintings, his work depicts various images and all subject matter particularly like this one. It appears to be a pile of papers and images wrapped with string (which is very similar to my theme of wrapping) but, in fact, it is an oil painting and more a tromp l’loeil (trick of the eye).
Patrick Kramer, Letters II, oil on panel, 16x12inches.
Check out his work on his homepage http://www.patrickkramerart.com/still-life-and-portrait.html
I am thinking that perhaps this is something that I might explore as part of my theme.
I am still not sure how to finish my large painting so I am “wrapping” it. Just the process of laying out the paper and moving the painting onto it is very thought provoking. All sorts of ideas are bubbling around.
- Find other things to continue layering the wrapping process, like material, wallpaper.
- Maybe even painting on the new surfaces with more paint.
- Leave the paper as one layer but add more parcel tape to it so that only small pieces can be removed at a time.
For now I am only adding the one layer of paper and string. The following photographs that I took, show the stages of the wrapping process.
Kathryn Raffell, Wrapped large canvas, 2015, Acrylic on canvas and paper, tape, string, 180cmx120cm.
I have found a roll of thick stencil acrylic sheets and want to experiment by painting the surface with dark paint and then scratch away and sand a little and see what is revealed. It seems to have evolved into an abstract, cubist face.
Kathryn Raffell, Untitled, 2015, Acrylic sheet, Acrylic paint, 40cmx30cm.
The cover of my sketch book was the next “victim” of this process.
Kathryn Raffell, Front Cover of Sketchbook,, 2015, Acrylic sheet, acrylic paint over sketchbook, 40cmx30cm.
Another piece of work that I made last year was investigating covering or wrapping a small stone angel with a piece of chamois leather and it was probably the first step of the journey to where I find my working practice now.
Kathryn Raffell, 2014, Angel Face, Chamois Leather, 50cmx40cm approx.
What I am coming to realise, as I am reviewing and thinking about my last three years work, is that I have always been interested in exploring the human form. At first it was more 3D inspired but I seem to be moving towards 2D painting but still, by layering, showing that the forms I paint are still the base of my work, but now have been given extra over-layers to them. They have hidden depths that can be covered to obscure but can also be revealed for viewers to see. This is exactly how I see human beings, everyone has hidden layers and experiences that are not immediately obvious by looking. It is by sharing and relating to a person that these hidden depths may be revealed. With the hidden layers to my work it is the process of literally relating to the piece of work and feeling the surface and reacting to that by sanding and tearing.
I am always searching for new ideas and processes to move the work forward. I look to historical artists, contemporary artists, other students, also to books, magazines and exhibitions. I have found that you can never tell where the next idea will spring from.
