Practice means PRACTICE

I’ve set my self the goal of making something in the studio every day, based on a list of starting points to further my practice.

One of my current concerns is collecting and arranging collage off-cuts and I’m experimenting with different ways to display and incorporate into new work. I began photographing them on different backgrounds which I wanted to do before turning into new work.

Once I’d finished I realised that I liked the way they looked when they were  linked together with only the background changing. I decided to put together a simple animation using the pictures I’d taken. I used a Tropicalia song as I felt like the beats and vibrancy of the movement fitted the colours and shapes of the collage off-cuts.

Collage offcuts experiments to the sounds of Tropicalia (watch the animation here)

I like the way that the textures and colours of the backgrounds change while the pieces stay the same. I’m not sure if the music distracts from the movement, though I do really like it. I’ve also tried a version without sound and looped.

I definitely enjoy the way this has turned out. I’m not sure if and how it furthers the project according to my original aims although I’d perhaps like to try some more moving image along the same lines.

Experiments with mixed media and collage.

Black and white texture

Colour on brown board

Collage offcuts on white card

The collection is growing and visual themes are emerging.

Collage

Line neutral larger board

Line colour larger board

Line neutral/ collections on board

Line B&W mini board

Line colour plus B&W mini

Line Neutral + colour + shape and words

Colour on rectangular board

Mixed media

Pen and collage on board

Water colour, coloured pencil, pen on board

Collage and pencil on board

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking recently about my work and it’s left me feeling stuck. I am at a point now where I have started to pick apart my practice and really begin to understand what my artistic concerns are and where I want to take my work, but I’m struggling with moving it forward.

I have a couple of projects that I’m keen to develop to see where they lead, and I also want to expand my studio practice, to experiment and examine the connecting themes of my work. Over the next few months I’m going to test materials and to explore what it is about certain things that draw me in, experimenting with texture, line and materials, perhaps incorporating more sculptural elements into my work. Yesterday I began; I’m looking at ‘line’ this week and playing with collage and different compositions.

I’m going to be using this blog to document and examine the work I produce and I will be sharing what I do, wherever I can, with whoever I can, in the hope that it will expose me to critique to help me to move my work forward, and by risking criticism, it will hopefully help me to flex my ‘I don’t care’ muscle and keep doing the work.

I’ll also be sharing more of my thoughts on this process over on my own blog. And posting daily images on my Instagram feed so follow me over there if that’s your thing.