University Campus Suffolk

I am currently still experimenting with colour and texture. I have been using acrylic paint to see how I can build layers of texture and the different ways of applying the paint, so that when it comes to painting on a larger scale I will have some idea of how I will paint.

The images on the right are from experiments in my sketch book, where I have been using paintbrushes and palette knives as a way of applying the acrylic paint.

Paul Bennett

This is an artist that I have been looking at recently. Paul Bennett specialises in semi-abstract paintings and unique portraiture, Bennett relys on drawing from memory to create his abstract works and this is something I can relate to as a lot of the work I create is made from memory rather than copying directly from an image. His abstract landscape paintings are what I am most interested in as I find his use of colour and texture most interesting.

Bennett’s seascape artist statement:

‘Oil paint is the medium that plays a big part in capturing the essence of a faded memory and lends itself nicely to the way I paint. It works well when applied thickly and can create great depth when worked into the surface sparingly, which leaves previous layers partially exposed. The paint is applied in this way to give the artwork itself a narrative and history, where the process of its creation can be glimpsed at in places – not dissimilar to the way in which the memory deals with the hazy recollection of a place once visited.’

So far I have only been working with acrylic paint, however I want to start experimenting with oil paint to try get more texture within my paintings.

http://www.paul-bennett.co.uk/

After my last post I have spent some more time in the studio and thinking about what project I would enjoy more and I am definitely going with the second idea I have previously mentioned. I thought about what work I could create for my other idea and I really didn’t feel excited by it, however, with this second idea I am looking forward to getting in the studio and painting.

So, I should probably explain this second idea. As I said in my last post, nature and colour have always interested me. I have started painting semi abstract seascapes and want to try and bring across a sense of atmosphere and uniqueness within my paintings. As the sea is always changing I think having this as the subject within my work will allow me to create a real mixture of atmospheric paintings.

In my project proposal presentation I said that I had two ideas of projects that I wanted to do this year. After spending some time in the studio painting I think I am starting to sway towards the idea I havent mentioned on here yet.

The second idea I had was different to the first one however since going into the studio and starting to paint again I think I will enjoy this project a lot more than the other one.

I enjoy working with paint and showing texture and colour and with the second idea I can show this in an abstract form exploring nature and the colours found in seascapes. Nature and colour have been an interest of mine within my work for a long time even though I have worked on other projects that would not of shown this I have always wanted to go back to this within my work and I think that I will enjoy creating work for my degree show that features these aspects.

In a previous project I looked at old photos and the journey through time of the people in these photos and how things evolved and changed. With this previous project i made screen prints and mono prints using the old photos.

This year I would like to expand that project, still using prints from old photos but maybe on a larger scale and using a wider range of images. Still using old family photos as well as possibly adding the images from old postcards.

An early idea I have had is as a lot of the photos that I have got are black and white I would like to add colour to these by screen printing and mono printing or to exaggerate any colour already in the images. This project will explore memory, when people view the images they can relate to a time in their life or a memory like in the image.