It’s Sunday. I’ve been thinking all week about some creative adventures I can have with my theme. On Thursday, my gallery had an opening event for the next exhibition staged by the artist-led group I am a part of – DIG! More about that at some other time.
The point is, it’s been a ridiculously busy week, and every time I’m at uni, I don’t get the things done that I’d like to. I used to get these things done in my spare time, but I don’t have any of that now – so I have to work hard to make things happen whenever I can. Yesterday, I was at the gallery all day, and it was particularly well attended, which was obviously good; I dreamt of being somewhere quiet, making art.
So, it’s Sunday and I’ve been busy multitasking again; but I did get a chance to work artistically. I awoke this morning thinking about a new addition to my paintings.
I have long enjoyed punching through canvasses to create holes through the picture plane, and I’ve also got into film-making in the last 3 years. So, I thought, I can make films that will show through these punched holes in my canvasses.
Today, I took a canvas I’d been working on and mildly dislike (not unusual!) outside, and used my propane blowtorch to scorch & burn it – oh, and I cut and slashed a hole through it in a place that will give balance to the composition.
The blowtorch gave me some control; too much at times. I’ve always enjoyed chance in art – my recent dissertation was on that very subject. Once you let things catch fire, you have less control, and so this is what I did at times. As a result, holes were burnt through the surface in places that the fire decided to burn completely through.
It’s been a cold, windy day, and a difficult one to work on. I doused the canvas in water and left it outside overnight to ensure I don’t end-up burning down my house.
Tomorrow, I shall take it to university if it’s dry enough and begin the next stage – making a wire frame for the back to hold a tablet pc. The tablet pc will show my films of smouldering fires and flames through one of the holes, such that the viewer will see what seems to be a canvas that is burning.
Once that is done, I shall set about fine tuning the painting to make the composition work.
Why do all this? Because my degree show piece will include 4 canvasses representing 4 different lives ending. I am still working on how exactly I will do that. This then, is a sketch.
Images relating to this artwork to follow sometime this week. It was too dark & cold outside to hang around recording my madness on camera (this time) ..!
