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.
