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 #78

“The Fractured Earth #6”

The Rockscape Series

 (Mixed water media with collage on watercolour paper) 

Size:  83x98cm (framed)

THE IDEA BEHIND THE PAINTING:

This painting is one of ten paintings in the Rockscape Series. This series deals with environmental issues and in particular the degradation of the oceans and their shores.  I used water media for this series to emphasise the watery theme.  All in this series are based on photographs of the rock formations seen at Point Cartwright near where I live in Australia.   Other posts about this series are found in Post No.19, 67, 69, and 72.  They discuss the paintings in “The Fractured Earth – Rockscape Series” #2, #4, #5 and #1 respectively. 

This particular one in the series deals with the pollution caused by oil spillage which is a real danger to the state of Queensland which relies on tourism for a major part of its revenue.

The photograph below is of one of these intriguing rock formations.  You must admit that it looks more like a moonscape than a rock on a coastal headland.

ART TECHNIQUES USED IN THIS PAINTING:

This paint was initially painted in watercolour and as true to the photograph as possible.  The green images in the painting represent the indentations in the rock’s surface.  Originally the background colour of the rock was a mauve violet in watercolour, but later I changed it to a bright yellow orange in acrylic.  I took this artistic licence because the painting was looking drab and needed to be lifted.  The indentations remained untouched and still in watercolour.  To achieve this I applied contact adhesive plastic to the entire paper surface and then outlined the green images.  I then cut around them and peeled the surrounding plastic off thus leaving the green images protected by the contact plastic.  I was then able to use a roller to apply the yellow orange acrylic evenly over the entire surface without damaging the green images which represent the indentations in the surface of the rock formation.  You will note that the yellow varies from a yellow orange in the centre to a yellow green at the edges.

I used two photos of crabs (different sizes) and placed them into the composition.  I then randomly poured a blue violet acrylic around the entire image in an anti-clockwise direction.  This final spontaneous action represents the disruption that oil spills have on the natural ocean environment. 

I would place this painting in the category of a documentary-history genre.  I would be interested to hear your comments on this.

http://www.buderimartstudio.com 

UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #67

“The Fractured Earth #4”  Rockscape Series 

(Watercolour, Acrylic and Silver Ink on Handmade Paper) 

Size:  83x98cm (framed)

THE IDEA BEHIND THE PAINTING:

I am working on a series of ten watermedia paintings on paper. They were inspired by the rocks along the coastline near where I live at Point Cartwright.  The rocks are volcanic and have been formed by the cooling of lava eons ago.  I took many photos of these formations because, to my eye, they are very beautiful.  I attach here one of the photos of these natural volcanic formations.

As you can see I have painted the composition in a realistic way but have taken liberties from that point, in that I have then used creative techniques to further develop the painting a contemporary way.  Therefore the viewer can see that the photo is the same in the painting, but that is all. 

This series of paintings open for discussion questions such as sustainability and environmental awareness in this modern environment.  It is no secret that our beautiful Earth is beset by pollution and the magical blue planet is becoming degraded.  My paintings in this series serve to draw attention to the fact the beauty which we enjoy may not be the same for future generations to enjoy.  What we now take for granted is under threat.  We all need to be aware and

responsible for our Earth’s care which includes the oceans and coastlines.

Art Techniques used to achieve this:

Each painting in this series is done on a full size sheet watercolour paper.  Initially I used a wash of watercolour - Windsor Blue+ Indian Red to represent the water-hole in the rock surface.  I wet the centre of the sheet and let it stand so that it has is fairly saturated before applying the watercolour wash.  I kept the surrounding paper dry.  The crack in the rock face is created by indenting the paper with the wooden end of my brush while the paper is still wet so that the watercolour runs into it.  I then let it dry. 

The surrounding area was painted with acrylic paint and applied with a roller.  I used stylized images of fish to represent the alarming number of dead fish I see washed up on the Mooloolaba beach when I go walking.  I borrowed these images from ancient Japanese pottery and rendered them in silver ink. 

The overall colour palette consists of subtle variations on blue.  Blue is symbolic for our Earth - it being the blue planet.   The only deviation from blue is the yellow ochre splash in the upper segment of the circle and the ochre that I used around the perimeter of the circle which depicted the waterhole in the rock formation.  A circle is a universal symbol of wholeness and wellbeing.  I was prompted to paint this image when I saw the perfect circular water-hole in the rock formation.    The tone of the overall painting is high which means not too much light/dark contrast.  There is not attempt at perspective but it is rather stylized and flat with a static composition.  This type of composition is called a medallion because the subject takes up most of the painting surface and is positioned in the centre.

All ten of the Rockscape Series deal with some aspect of the degradation of the Earth’s oceans.  This particular one (#4) deals with the depletion of the fish population in the oceans.  It is estimated that the oceans’ fish populations will be reduced by the year 2050 to an alarming low number.  I will present more from the Rockscape Series over the next year.  Do you think that this painting conveys my message?

http://www.buderimartstudio.com 

UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #19

“The Fractured Earth #2 – Rockscape Series

(Watercolour on paper) - 57x76cm (Framed 83x98cm)

ABOUT THIS PAINTING:

I have nearly finished a series of large abstract watercolour paintings. The concept for this series of 10 paintings addresses pollution of the coastal shoreline and oceans. I take my inspiration from the rocky coast line at Point Cartwright near where I live on the east coast of Australia on the Sunshine Coast.

The small photo (seen above) is one of a number of photos I have taken of the rock formations. These natural formations provide the semi-abstract look which I prefer for my art practice. The topic of Rockscapes fascinates me. These rocks are volcanic and have become fractured by the natural cooling process thousands of years ago. They have weathered with the ravages of time.

Rock formations like these tell of this Earth’s early beginnings and have the symbolic qualities of endurance and strength - masculine qualities.

I have predominantly chosen watercolour for this series because water reflects feminine qualities of fluidity, softness and spirituality. By bringing masculine and feminine qualities together in harmony serves to provide balance to the imbalance that is occurring in the environment at this time

Watercolour is , more often than not, used in a representational way. This medium also has the reputation of being very difficult to master. Therefore I decided to paint abstract rock formations in a semi-abstract way using full sheets (57x76cm) of watercolour paper.

Artistic techniques used in the painting:

Watercolour painting is very different to that of acrylic or oils. The purity of the colours depends on knowledge of three types of colour groups – transparent, opaque and staining. These are mixed according to the effect that is desired. Blacks are achieved by mixing the strong staining colours i.e. alizarin crimson and windsor green or alizarin crimson and windsor blue. White is not generally used in watercolour painting. The light from the white paper serves to give the transparent glow for which watercolours are renowned. The white of the paper is also used to depict light.

The quality of the watercolour paper is also important. Heavy paper (at least 300 gsm) prevents buckling when wet. Paper comes in different textures also. The type of brushes you use is also another important factor in watercolour painting. In my opinion genuine sable brushes give the best results - although they are rather expensive they are worth it.

The colours used in “The Fractured Earth” #2 are not representative of the subject but were chosen for their beauty and harmony. The composition is true to the photo and because I took the photo, I suppose my eye for composition instinctively came into play because the overall composition is balanced with the vertical line dividing the rectangle of the paper into a square – the proportions of which are roughly reminiscent of either a Georgian Section (1:1.141) or a Golden Mean (1:1.62). These proportions both give any composition inherent qualities of harmony and balance.

The paint Is applied in washes and glazes. There are many “do’s” and “don’ts” in watercolour painting and it is up to each individual to decide the extent they which to go with regard to rules. I believe that rules are there as guidelines. If an effect is desired then the rules should not stand in the way of achieving that effect. Each person has to make up their own mind on what they want to get out of the painting experience – for myself, I like to experiment and push the paint as far as it can go to achieve a desired effect. I feel that there are no mistakes in paint, only different experiences… a bit like life, don’t you think?