UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #86

“The Fractured Earth #3”

The Rockscape Series

 (Watercolour with collage on watercolour paper) 

Size:  83x98cm (framed)

THE IDEAS  and TECHNIQUES USED IN THIS PAINTING:

This is a photo of our beautiful coastline on the Sunshine Coast, Australia.  It looks so beautiful that it is hard to imagine that there is something very wrong with it.  WRONG - Yes!  Scientific studies confirm that the Pacific Ocean is in peril due to pollution and over fishing.  “Populations of marine animals – fish, mammals, reptiles and birds – have declined by an average of 89 percent from their historical highs.”  (from “Frankenstein’s Cat” p.105 by Emily Anthes ).  Also “global warming is raising water temperatures and levels, and changing its acidity and salinity.  Experts are also predicting long-term changes in precipitation, storm frequency and ocean currents and circulation.  These shifts are already having profound effects on marine life. “(p.115).  These concerns are addressed in my Rockscape Series where I have painted ten watercolour paintings. 

This painting #3 addresses pollution.  I picked this drink can off the beach at Pt. Cartwright.  I photocopied the object directly and used the photocopy as the collage.

The subject of the watercolour is taken from my photograph of the rockscape on Pt. Cartwright, seen below.

I have discussed the concept behind this Rockscape Series in Posts Nos. 9, 67, 69, 72, 78 and 81, so dear reader, go to these past posts if you are interested in more about this series.  Each painting addresses a different concern.

The composition of this watercolour is simple and flat.  This is consistent with my style even though I have portrayed the photo realistically.  It is balanced with the viewer’s eye being drawn to where the coke can (the pollution) is, which is the focal point. 

Watercolour paint gives a very soft effect and the colours are clear and unambiguous.  An artist cannot “fudge” a watercolour painting because of its transparent quality.  The style is contemporary.  The form is two dimensional and the concept is abstract.

The title gives the meaning of the art work and this title is used for the whole series.  Each painting in the series is numbered. 

I am a colourist.  I go to great care to create colours in my painting that are unique and I spend endless time planning and mixing these colours.  Watercolour paint is celebrated for the unique way that light is represented through this medium.  However over the past few years, since the advent of PCs, paintings have increasingly been selected and often judged from computer photographs.  As a painter, I find this practice very limited. A painting in reality and a painting produced digitally are not  the same thing.  Moreover size does matters!  When paintings are judged for an exhibition they are all viewed in the “same size” format from a computer and/or projected onto a screen.  Size is an element in the planning and production of a painting, and should not be reduced to one size fits all mentality. 

According to the computer scientist, futurist and author Jaron Lanier, “A digital image of a painting is forever a representation, not a real thing...A digital image, or any other kind of digital fragment is a useful compromise.  It captures a certain limited measurement of reality within a standardized system that removes any of the original source’s unique qualities.  No digital image is really distinct from any other; they can be morphed and mashed up.  That doesn’t mean that digital culture is doomed to be anaemic.  It just means that digital media have to be used with special caution.” (my emphasis)  (from “You are not a Gadget” p.133-4).  In other words a painting loses its inherent integrity when it is copied.  Lanier is very concerned with the way the arts and creativity are being compromised by the way computer programming industry has evolved which, in his view, has rendered the present generation culturally impotent.

Lanier goes on to state, “A real painting is a bottomless mystery, like any other real thing.  A painting changes with time.  It has texture, odour and a sense of presence and history.” (from “You are not a Gadget” p,133-4) Expanding on what Lanier says, I would stress that it also is a form of human expression – no other creature communicates in graphic form nor do they think creatively. 

Once a week over the last 86 weeks, I have prepared and published a post about one of my paintings with an emphasis on Understanding Abstract Art.  However from this week onwards I will be writing on a less regular basis.  I will however notify readers in the same way, through Facebook and LinkedIn.  Therefore expect the next post from me in about a fortnight’s time.

http://www.buderimartstudio.com 

UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #81

“The Fractured Earth” #7

Rockscape Series

Watercolour, Ink and Silver Ink on handmade paper

83x98cm  (framed)

ABOUT THIS PAINTING and the artistic techniques used in this painting:

I believe the process of painting is a bit like the process of living.  We do not have a say in who our parents are.  Nor do we have any say in the country into which we are born.  The era in which we live also is out of our control.  We do however have control over the way we respond to the circumstances of our life.  Therefore when I paint I often do not take too much effort in controlling the subject matter.  So when I took the photos that became the basis for my rockscape series, I aimed the camera at interesting rock formations, with little thought to the composition of the picture.  This is the photo I used for this painting.

When I selected the ten photos from the 60 or more photographs I took, again I was looking for unusual rock formations.  I believe that if one is given a subject that stimulates, then one should be able to accomplish a well balanced and pleasing painting.  It is the process of painting (like the process of living) that interests me as much as the finished product.  I believe that given my painting experience I should be able to create a beautiful picture using whatever means as are available to me.  A bit like creating order out of chaos.

I have discussed the concept behind this Rockscape Series in Posts Nos. 9, 67, 69, 72 and 78, so dear reader, go to these if you are interested.  However in the past I have not discussed the process involved in any particular one of this series.  I will do this here.

The photo image was faithfully reproduced in watercolour paints and inks.  When I had completed this I felt that the composition was not balanced.  I therefore used a device (seen as a ghost net) to balance the painting.  A ghost net is a discarded fishing net which is a major polluter of our oceans.  It floats in the tides and drowns all marine life that gets caught in it.  Some of these nets are miles long. So in this painting I used the net as a visual device to balance my composition.  It also fitted well with the concept behind the series which is concerned with the degradation of the natural environment – particularly the oceans and their coastal regions.

Nets are very difficult to draw because our eye tends to know if the net is not correct.  I obtained some old netting from of the fisheries at Mooloolaba.   I had a few attempts before I was satisfied with the end result.  This was then inked in with a bamboo pen.  The sea shells also were drawn with inks. The fish image is a collage made from silver ink on transparent plastic and fixed within the ghost net.  The dead fish is to remind the viewer of the destructive nature of these discarded nets and their toll on marine life.

I always find it a challenge to create a pleasing picture from something which poses a technical problem.  It is the sense of accomplishment that is at the base of creativity.  What do you think?   I would welcome your comments.

http://www.buderimartstudio.com 

UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #75

Title    “Fractured Earth – the drawing” 

(Drawing - Ink and Watercolour on watercolour paper on board)

Size:  90x65cm (Exterior dimensions)

ABOUT THIS PAINTING:

This drawing stands alone and is not part of the Rockscape Series that I have discussed in earlier posts. It is however like the Rockscape Series in that it is inspired by the volcanic rocks on the foreshore of the coastline on the Sunshine Coast.  The photograph of the rock used for my drawing was taken at Mooloolaba Beach.

As you can see, my drawing is rendered in a realistic way and the natural formations of the actual rock provide the abstract look which I prefer for my art.   Rockscapes fascinate me. These rocks are volcanic and have become fractured by the natural cooling process thousands of years ago.  The patterning is thought to be the result of the surface drying before it consolidated.  They have weathered the ravages of time.

Symbolically these rocks tell of the Earth’s early beginnings, and represent for me the qualities of endurance and strength.  These qualities are traditionally seen as masculine. Ink and watercolour are the main mediums used and they represent qualities associated with the feminine.  Water (as in the ocean) symbolically suggests fluidity, softness and spirituality which are also linked to the feminine. 

This drawing brings masculine and feminine qualities together and serves to symbolically provide balance and harmony to an imbalance that is occurring in the natural environment on this planet at this time.  It is no secret that our beautiful blue Pacific Ocean is beset by pollution.  Scientific reports show that the magical and bountiful deep blue is turning into a barren desert.   My drawing here (and also the Rockscape Series) serve to draw attention to the fact that although the coastline along the Sunshine Coast is still beautiful, our ocean and coastline may not be the same for future generations to enjoy.  What we now take for granted is under threat and we all need to be aware and responsible for our Earth’s care.

Artistic techniques used in the painting:

The drawing is on four sheets of watercolour paper adhered to board.   I randomly applied black ink over four discarded watercolour paintings.  When dried I arranged the sheets to form a single surface.  I wanted to experiment with black and this process yielded a surface which was weathered by circumstance over time, just like the rock in the photo.

I then used white ink and a bamboo pen to draw a realistic copy of the fractures and fissures of the rock face.  I applied fluoro ink in parts of this drawing to create interesting effects and highlights on the white ink.

The entire surface was then covered with a matt gel to create a consistent cover and unify the four original surfaces. 

This drawing is experimental and I stress that every artist should explore the different affects created by the application and mixing of unrelated media.  In this case there are elements of randomness but also quite a high degree of control.

Why don’t you try an experimental painting – it can lead to a very rewarding conclusion and is fun.  Just let go of the ego and of control and let it just happen.  It’s very freeing.

http://www.buderimartstudio.com

UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #59

“Boardwalk – Maroochy Wetlands” 

(Acrylic) 

Size: 51x76 cm

ABOUT THIS PAINTING:

This painting was inspired by a walk along the boardwalk through the Maroochy Wetlands at Bli Bli on the Sunshine Coast.  It alludes to the life force and the inner core of the wetlands where the mysteries of time are concealed.  It brings into focus things that should be treasured and preserved.

Artistic techniques used in the painting:

Abstract art is a wonderful vehicle for expressing the subjective feelings of the painter which then might be visually and viscerally conveyed to the viewer if they are open and receptive.

These wetlands have been neigh on impregnable to the general population (the public) until recently when the Sunshine Coast Regional Council built a boardwalk through them.  They are ever changing from season to season and particularly from wet to dry.

The painting’s dark background (which is not Black) alludes to the mystery of this private natural space.  The wetlands are in actuality the nursery and birthing areas for numerous wild creatures and if one is sensitive to the surroundings you will get a feeling of this seclusion.

The structure of the boardwalk is depicted on canvas by the horizontal band of orange.  I have given the colour a patina to convey an organic feel to the structure because although the boardwalk is new and well maintained, it is also made of timber and is subject to natural weathering.

There is a biological mystery to all wetlands.  They team with life though the public walking along the boardwalk will be hard pressed to see any of it.  The vertical straight lines of the boardwalk are contrasted by the irregular shapes that pulsate and emerge from the darkness of the background.  These shapes represent the life that resides within this region.

The warm colours against the dark background create drama also represent the life force.  A cooler green is central to the whole composition, adds contrast and balance.  This suggests the watery world of the wetlands.

I hope you can appreciate this painting more after it being explained.  It’s a complex painting about a deceptively complex environment which should be treated with differential respect.

http://www.buderimartstudio.com