Degree Show: Final Display: Images

My Degree Show is up. I have taken some good quality pictures of my exhibition space and am really pleased with the outcome. The works, really stand out against the white background of both the paper and the wall. They are attractive, and the vibrant colours against the white definitely attracts the eye. The viewer will be attracted to the work and then exposed to the realities of today’s landscape. My practice is successful in this way.

The actual display of the work is also successful. They are all carefully measured about and precisely displayed onto the three surfaces. I have deliberately put which piece I think is the most attractive, eye catching and successful so that the viewer will be drawn to walk closer to the centre of the work. When doing so they will be surrounded by my work, highlighting that the worlds they are viewing is a reality they are part of. This is the landscape, landscape beauty is used here to highlight environmental harm but also as a symbol of what could be lost if the causes of depletion are not acknowledged and acted upon.

Final Touch ups, Thinking about Degree Show Display

I have now done final touch ups and painted all the backgrounds white, in a textural cross hatched pattern using a flat brush. I am incredibly proud of all the hard work I have put in to complete all 10 paintings, last week I spent every evening in the studio working until midnight to get them finished to a high standard for the show. I definitely feel as if I am putting my best work into the Degree Show. I am now thinking about the degree show, I thought after I had created 10, I would critically reflect and maybe not show them all. However, I spent some time evaluating them and critically reflecting on them and I have decided that I want to show all 10 in the Degree show. There isn’t one that I think is particularly weaker than others and they all encompass different painting techniques and are successful in different ways. They show a journey of exploration and I don’t think the work would feel complete without them being all exhibited. Visually as a set of 10, I think they are strong.

Degree Show Space Allocated: Thinking about how to Display my Work in the Space

I have been allocated my Degree Show Space and I now have to think about how I am going to display my 10 paintings within that space. I have 4 walls set out as in the diagram below, after thinking about possibilities, I will display 6 pieces on the back wall and two either side. So that the viewer is almost lead around them but also kind of surrounding them while they are in the space, relating to the fact that they are part of the world they are looking at.

I am going to use magnets to hang the work as shown below. I am going to reinforce the adhesive on the back of the magnetic tape I am using, just to be extra sure they aren’t going to fall off the wall, using super glue for the back of my work and glue for the wall. I have to prepare my space now and my plan is ready for hanging.

10th Painting Completed

I have completed my 10th and final painting. The series of works I have been working hard on over the past few months for my degree show is finished! The vertical mark making is definitely successful and breaks the piece out of being a copy of a collage and to a well thought out painting. My whole body of work is visually attractive, which is a successful element because it initially draws the viewer in through attraction and then exposes them to the realities of our landscape.

I now need to go back, touch up and paint all of the white textured backgrounds that need painting on each piece before they are left to dry and boxed up while the exhibition space is built.

Starting my 10th and Final Piece: Realism and Vertical Mark Making

My 10th Painting incorporates the use of vertical lines/mark making and combines it with painterly areas and parts with higher realism. I am incorporating many different shades of similar colours into the vertical mark making and spending time working on my shading and tonal variations in other areas. The colour palette of this piece is quite neutral in comparison to previous works.

This is the last painting that I will produce before painting all the backgrounds with a white textural mark and thinking about starting to prepare for my Degree Show.

9th Piece Completed: Ideas for 10th Painting

My 9th Painting is finished! Which means I will be starting my 10th and final work tomorrow. I really let my instincts take hold with this painting and kept applying the paint with no real image of how I wanted it to look. The variety of different elements make this piece attractive to the eye. I find myself looking into this one the most so far. These pieces are definitely first attractive before they reveal the negative imagery associated with environmental harm that is within them.

 I was never sure that I would get this far, I am incredibly proud of all the work I have put into my degree show outcomes and am very happy with how they are looking all together. I have produced a few complex works now, for my 10th final painting I think I am going to make it a bit simpler and just combine realistic elements with vertical mark making.

Progress 9th Painting: Diagonal Marks, Stripes, Coloured Outlines

There are a variety of different painting techniques included in my 9th Painting. I am Incorporating diagonal mark making, coloured stripes and outlining areas with colour. This piece is a highly complex image and so there is a lot of scope for experimenting with different approaches to painting. The diagonal mark making is highly successful and the patterned affect that is emerging when it is contrasted with the striped elements makes this work differ from the others in the series.

I am confident that my work is still looking fresh, each piece is different and I haven’t got tired of exploring a variety of methods, they are all individual in their own right but also are really coming together as a set.

8th Painting Complete: Ideas for 9th Piece

I have completed my 8th Painting. The sky is a particularly successful element, I have worked impressionist marks in a variety of different directions into the work, inspired by a variety of impressionist painters but initially influenced by looking at Van Gogh’s Starry sky. I think the mark making is definitely something I want to continue with in my work, it adds a textural element and gives the work more complexity.

For my 9th piece, I will experiment with diagonal impressionist marks, revisit outlining sections but this time with coloured outlines. I would also like to try adding striped elements after looking at some of David Hockney’s Landscape works.

Progress 8th Painting

The 8th piece is progressing, I am working in the studios until midnight most days at the moment, determined to get 10 works done with plenty of time to hang them successfully and produce a great exhibition. This piece combines monochrome elements, with realism and impressionist marks. The monochrome elements against the rest of the work aren’t as prominent as I thought they would be.

The impressionist marks also blend well with the rest of the piece. The piece feels like more of a whole painting rather than split up into different elements. To contrast with this, maybe in the next piece I could explore outlining areas with a colour.

Starting 8th Piece: Monochrome and Impressionist Marks

My paintings recently have focussed a lot on colour and the last few outcomes are becoming more vibrant which work really well with the four previous works I have, but I want to keep experimenting and exploring in every piece, I have to decided to do the opposite of the bright colours in this piece and paint sections of the work in a monochrome palette.

The black and white elements are a successful development and look like old photographs, I am interested to see how they respond alongside the rest of the piece when it’s complete. I have experimented with using impressionist marks also, moving forward and progressing from the under colour with dashed marks on top in my previous piece.