During my last summer break (2016), I have been travelling around Suffolk, visiting to places, taken pictures, and after having thoughts about what I should do in my next project, I have decide to recreate scenes by drawing them out, and for this the locations that I have chosen to draw and study are places from Paris, London and all around Suffolk; especially after watching an art film that really make me want to do and continue with this opportunity.
- My “Travels of Sketches” Series
For my second project, I have fully committed to drawing, and I have focus on recreating scenes by looking at the photos that I have took, which feature the locations I have been to; after being influenced by the places that I have visit over my summer break (2016), and my interest in photography, which I took pictures, for memories to look back to in the future. For the locations over the break that I have chosen, I have use pictures from my visit to Bury St. Edmunds, Covehithe, Ipswich and London (one day trip before the break). The reasons are because, based on the photos, I wanted to focus on the different composition; with its nature and buildings, and wanted to use more than one location to show my travelling influences, to give me the opportunity to explore with different areas to create new art. An another place that I wanted to explore is Paris (5th – 7th August, 2013), and exploring this would be perfect for my project, especially comparing to my local areas of Suffolk. Visiting to Paris feels like going into a different world, as it has some beautiful and breath-taking architects and scenes, and my visit to Paris has been a major influence to my art and myself as an artist.
- Left: Covehithe (photo taken: 21st June, 2016). Right: Covehithe (Church), 2017
The idea of sketching and recreating these landscape pictures, was inspired and pinched after watching the 1956 film “Lust for Life” which tells the life of the tortured artist, Vincent van Gogh (1853 -1890), and seeing his drawings, while watching him travelling throughout the film, has inspired me to expand my ideas and helped me take a new direction with my project. I want it to make this opportunity a reality, because I love exploring different locations while travelling; gives me a clear view to see and expand my interests in art and gives me the chance to use my photography skills as primary sources, and travelling has been an art tradition, so it would be perfect for my art.
In my journey of sketches, I have completed ten A3 (42.0 x 29.7 cm) sized drawings of locations, using charcoal, and when I was drawing them one by one, I was working on different and similar styles, to show my influences, as I was going for the same direction as the Post-Impressionists does in their drawings. It’s also important to explore the “time period” of the age of the buildings that I’m appealing in my drawings, because of the different point of views and the perceptions that I and the audience sees.
- Left: Athena Hall (photo taken: 17th December, 2015). Right: Athena Hall Car Park, 2017.
To explain why I was using that medium and the drawing style that I was going for, because of the similarity of the medium and the style that Van Gogh has focus on his drawings; even know he uses black chalk, I have gone for charcoal to challenge and learn myself to use it, since I rarely use this medium for my art. I have gone for those sizes of my drawings, because it’s the similar sizes as Van Gogh’s sketches; bigger than normal size papers (29.7 x 21.0 cm) and also I want it to challenge myself to work on bigger size drawings (when it comes to drawing, not painting).
The artists from the Post-Impressionism era that has helped to become my inspirations toward this project are Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cezanne, Paul Gauguin and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, as (all for their drawings, style, colours and subjects). Also inspired my projects are modern/contemporary artists Bonnie Griffith (style, colours, and subjects) and Sergio Lopez (landscape, style, and teaching). Those two have helped me to make my drawings appeal to modernism, and it made my drawings look fresh and contemporary.
Illustrations:
Steve Taylor – Covehithe (Church), 2017
Steve Taylor – Athena Hall Car Park, 2017
