Rebecca Process Portfolio

← autumn leaves

Test for a landscape drawing or painting Claude Monet (1840-1926) was an impressionist painter. I chose his paintings because his work contains a lot of water and plants, which is helpful for the work I am currently doing.

Water tests

Impression: soleil levant, 1872, oil painting.

on the ground: leaves aren’t always green.

Plant tests, acrylic paint grass

Acrylic paint Titanium white Phryne’s grey Dark ultramarine blue Primary cyan Cadmium green hue

Arrivée à la gare St-Lazare 1872, oil painting.

I tried different techniques and mixes ← this one looks more like the sea, with bigger waves and darker colours.

The greener ones look more like river water.

I did not manage to make grass detailed enough, so I need to paint it from far away.

FInal drawing, Orion

While taking pictures, I noticed the contrast between buildings and nature was interesting, so I practiced painting both.

I think the middle left one is the most successful, as it captures light reflections on the water, while being visually interesting.

Gare St-Lazare, Google Images

Gare St-Lazare, watered down acrylic.

Sources: Britannica and Google images

This picture I took had water, architecture, and plants in it, and gave me the idea of putting all three together in a piece.

Ceramic sculpture - initial design ideas

Movement is more interesting than a static pose

No limbs - might break

Looks less “alive than the others → pose is important.

Flowers and leaves growing out of her

Maybe a bluish hue to her skin?

Daphne, a dryad turned into a tree

Woman’s body in water?

Contrast skin tone with tree bark

Or melting

Better version of the three drawings, but long pieces of clay Might break during making

roots

Song of the wandering Aengus, Arthur Rackham.1897

Melting would be hard to make: it’s already hard with ink, with clay it would be even more complicated.

Mouths as leaves?

Ovid’s metamorphosis: Daphne?

Life drawing Half human torso/half tree with leaves and branches

Interpreting the figure (continued): developing ideas for a sculpture

Giuseppe Agnello “Memories”

bark

Necks are very interesting to draw, and muscles could be interesting to model

bark

In the book “L’Écume des Jours” by Boris Vian, one of the characters has cancer, but in the universe of the book, cancers are flowers

I finalized my idea on my digital tablet Back of the sculpture I drew a man and a woman’s torso

bark

Around 30 cm

Bark, sap

The posture should be more dynamic

I think that modeling is a more interesting technique for this project.

Virginia Lee - Tree Better pose than simply static

I added bark texture to their right side

Apollo and Daphne, Bernini

My final idea is a woman turning into a tree (inspired by the greek myth of Daphne), like shown on the left side of the scree, with a dynamic pose, for example with an arm up.

Refining ideas: final sculpture

inspiration

Arm is raised → more dynamic

Bark detail from the final sculpture, Daphne

Plus size Victoria’s Secret model Viktoria Manas

Maquette (around 10cm smaller) Detail of Daphne, bark and roots.

Full body Around 30cm

Reference →

Limbs look “cut off” to look cleaner

Approx. area of bark

Bark made of small slabs of clay placed next to each other Back of the sculpture

Trying to make her plus-size → different from the usual skinny model Trees and bark

Shoulder blades and spine

Investigating the use of the human form and religious figures in Michelangelo’s work “History - Michelangelo.” BBC, BBC, www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/michelangelo.shtml.

Introduction I chose to study Michelangelo and his work for this artist research because his work is culturally important, but also because his use of the human figure and mythological themes was an inspiration The Renaissance (meaning literally “rebirth” in for my own work.

Analysis of the artwork French) was a period and an art movement. It What Is the Renaissance?” RMN - Grand Palais, https://www.grandpalais.fr/en/article/what-renaissance

Content: I chose Michelangelo’s David because I believe it is a beautiful sculpture that is relevant started during the 14th century in Italy, ended in to my work . This artwork is a statue portraying the biblical hero David before he goes to kill the the 17th century. While it started in Italy, it giant Goliath. The statue was commissioned by the Vestry Board for the cathedral in Florence. It quickly influenced the rest of Europe. It was a was supposed at the top of the Cathedral, but when Michelangelo revealed it to the Vestry Board revolutionary period for the arts and European and the gonfaloniere, they were fascinated by its beauty. They decided to bring together a societies. It is often considered a bridge linking committee of artists to decide where the statue should be displayed. They agreed that it should be the Middle Ages to Modern times. People in the political center of Florence, because it would be a waste to put it where no one could see all rediscovered Greek and Roman art. Many were of its incredible details. inspired by it. A recurring theme in Renaissance Michelangelo, David. 1501-1504. Marble. Google art was religion, as well as the human form and Images Apart from its beauty, David is memorable because of how he is represented. beauty. Artists developed a sense of Before this, all the interpretations of the hero were after he defeated Goliath. perspective, which showed in their Michelangelo did not follow the traditions: he represented him before his two-dimensional pieces. This progress was due victory, before he becomes a hero. to the evolution of other disciplines, such as the Even though it is very possible that Michelangelo used a model to base his sciences.

David on, no one has been identified. He was also known to exaggerate features on his sculptures, so it is probable that the final result is completely Michelangelo learned draftsmanship (drawings different from what it was based on. For example, the head and hands are plans and sketches) and fresco making. All his slightly too big for the rest of the body. This might be so that they would be works were inspired by mythological and biblical David, detail. noticeable from afar, as it was supposed to be on top of the cathedral, but a stories.

Google Michelangelo. The Images theory says that the size of the head shows the concentration of the hero as His patrons were the Medicis, but he also did ceiling of the Sistine he decides to kill Goliath. His hands represent his determination and the commissions for the Vatican and the city of Chapel, 1508-1512. reflection behind his action. David’s anatomy, such as the veins and tendons Florence. Some of his most famous works are Fresco. Google of his hands, and the muscles in his legs and torso, is highly accurate. This Images. the ceiling of the Sistine chapel, Pieta, and illustrates the common desire of Renaissance artists to create anatomically David.

Kaushik, Nimisha. “Difference Between.” Difference Between Similar Terms accurate artworks and Objects, 22 Michelangelo, La Pietà. 1498-1499. Marble. Google Images.

Apr.2011,http://www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/culture-miscella neous/difference-between-renaissance-and-middle-ages/

“Marble Sculpture (C.600 BCE - Present).” Marble Sculpture: Characteristics,

Form Types, History, www.visual-arts-cork.com/sculpture/marble.htm.

David is not in movement, but the casual position of his legs (one which supports the weight of the body, the other slightly forward) adds to the feeling of confidence. The imbalance of weight created by the posture gives his torso a slight s-shape. The resulting asymmetry is uncommon during the Renaissance era.

Comparisons/connections

“Michelangelo, His Paintings, and Sculptures.” Moses, by Michelangelo, Mood https://www.michelangelo.org His biblical origin along with his beauty quickly made David become an effigy of Florence, a symbolic warning to the enemies of the city. He defeated Goliath to protect his people; he would do the same for Florence.

He is intimidating. He emanates a feeling of calm determination and confidence: his posture is relaxed, but his hand rests on his sling. He is looking at something in the distance with a slight frown, he is concentrating.

Of course, his height has certainly a considerable part to play in his intimidating effect, but it would not be as remarkable without those details.

This artwork may represent the moment when destiny is set in motion.

“Michelangelo's David: Admire World's Greatest Sculpture at Accademia Gallery.”

David, detail. Google Images Guide to Accademia Gallery, Process http://www.accademia.org/explore-museum/artworks/michelangelos-david/ The statue, despite its size, was sculpted out of a single block of marble. The block Michelangelo used was considered unusable by two different artists before him, because it had too many imperfections. He sculpted David in over two years, Michelangelo. The ceiling of Michelangelo, La Pietà. 1498-1499. the Sistine Chapel, 1508-1512. using varying tools. Marble was rarer and therefore more expensive than other Marble. Google Images.

Fresco. Google Images. materials, but also more prestigious. It also took much longer to sculpt marble than other materials. Michelangelo spent three years sculpting David.

David, La Pietà, and the Sistine Chapel ceiling have Impact on my own work similarities, due to being created by the same artist, but My work is inspired mostly thematically by Michelangelo’s they also have a few significant differences. work, but I am also interested in the format of his art. I am All three artworks represent the human figure, very interested in sculpture, the human figure, and specifically biblical figures. religious and mythological themes.

However, the three artworks tell different stories. David My work, Daphne, shows a moment of becoming, like shows David before he becomes a hero while La Pietà David. My other work, Medusa, shows a mythological represents Mary as she mourns the death of her son. woman who was, similarly, transformed.

The ceiling of the chapel shows biblical stories from the The posture of the two figures, although expressing two garden of Eden to Noah’s ark. completely different emotions, have a similar s-shape.

David and the ceiling show similar human figures.

I also aspire to make my figure anatomically accurate.

My work. Daphne 2019. Ceramic.

Representing reality: women’s body image and body shaming

Endometriosis

People, especially girls, are made to be ashamed of acne and often Acne feel like they need to cover it with makeup.

Women’s bodies

Stretch marks Mastectomy scar, never shown

Calligraphy test for future piece

All images from Google Images or Twitter

Not thin women Often ignored and takes years to diagnose In fashion, films, etc, all these “is sues” are either ignored, hid, or treated as some thing shameful.

Girls grow up wi th unreasonable and unrealistic expectations for their bodies wh ich can lead to depression, anxie ty, eating disorde rs, and generally lower self-esteem.

“Imperfections” → stretch marks → fat → disabilities → scars → acne (no makeup) → getting old → hairs

Body shaming is very common and is especially strong for fat people

Studying different body types

Life drawing

Developing ideas fo a piece on body image and how women’s body are under constant scrutiny “Too thin”

Skin tone tests.

Colours easy to contrast

“Too fat”

“fake”

“Trying too hard

“Eat more”

“Exercise more”

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“attention -seeking”

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Instagram

Four identical figures + different media and techniques

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Jenny Saville, Propped. 1992. Google Images

Setup for my triptych: develloping composition ideas and materials Four panels of different sizes

Works better. Fits all body types

Doesn’t work as well ● ●

All pictures mine.

Too small for some bodies To big for others

Decided to go with this colour scheme because the colours contrast but still work well together.

“National Gallery of Art.” French Paintings of the 19th Century, 2019,

Camille Claudel. Femme Accroupie. 1884-1885. patinated plaster. 37,5 cm x 37,5 cm x 24,5 cm

www.nga.gov/collection/paintings/french-19th-century.html.

Cultural significance Camille Claudel (1864-1943) was a French sculptor. She was always interested in sculpting, and joined the Académie Colarossi to study art, one of the only art schools that allowed women. After, she studied with the sculptor Alfred Boucher, who became her mentor and recommended her to Auguste Rodin.

She started working with Rodin in 1884, and became his assistant, model, and lover. In 1905 she was diagnosed with schizophrenia and was later committed to a mental hospital. She feared that Rodin was stealing her work, and stopped modeling. Her illness led her to destroy most of her work.

Even though critics praised her work, Camille Claudel never got the recognition she deserved during her life because she was a woman.

She never got public commissions, which meant she was poor and did not have many people in her life.

Camille Claudel both influenced and was influenced by Rodin’s work, so the two artists’ works belonged in impressionist, and realist art movements. Impressionism was a movement that was mostly seen in paintings, but some sculptures such as Camille Claudel’s have characteristics that are very similar. Indeed, the representation of movement was very important, along with the representation of common subjects.

Claudel sculpted people either in busts or sculptures representing couples or groups of people. Like many artists at the time, Claudel tried to show different emotions and feelings, and very much succeeded. The busts she sculpted usually have a very calm quality to them. La petite châtelaine is a very good example of that.

The group sculptures, such as L’âge mûr, are more chaotic. There is a lot of movement portrayed in the folds on the clothing, and the posture of the characters.

Analysis of function and purpose Femme accroupie by Camille Claudel represents a crouching woman. Her arms cover her head, which is tilted to the side. At first glance, she seems to be protecting herself from something but, after a closer look, she appears quite relaxed. Indeed, her head is resting on the side of one of her arms, so the side of her head is not protected, and her face is hidden by her other arm. She might be falling asleep.

Camille Claudel never had public commissions, which means that most of her work was for either herself or private commissions. It is hard to say which one it is for this piece.

The proportions of the figure are very accurate, which suggests that Claudel had a model pose for this sculpture.

Femme accroupie looks at first like the woman is in distress, but the viewer then sees that it is not the case, and that this sculpture has a very calm feeling to it due to the woman’s body language and posture.

Pigeolet, Valentine, and Élise Gilles. “Edgar Degas Et Camille Claudel, Une Influence Dès Les Années 1880 ? .” Koregos, 25 Sept. 2018, www.koregos.org/fr/valentine-pigeolet-edgar-degas-camille-claudel-influence-annees-1880/.

Camille Claudel. L’âge mûr. Bronze.

1894–1900. 114 cm × 163 cm × 72 cm Camille Claudel. L’âge mûr. Bronze.

1894–1900. 114 cm × 163 cm × 72 cm

Artist research: Camille Claudel

Analysis of formal qualities Femme accroupie measures 37.5 cm x 37.5 cm x 24.5 cm. Like many of her sculptures, it is rather small. The figure is placed on a rectangular base, although this base and the figure are not separated. The woman fits almost perfectly on the base and only her forearms protrude. This creates the impression that the woman is in a small space.

The line of her back and the movement it creates leads the eye to her head. This line also curves back into itself, which reinforces the fact that the woman is curled up on herself, and adds vulnerability to her relaxed pose.

Material significance Femme accroupie is made of patinated plaster. It took Claudel around a year to complete (from 1884 to 1885) to complete.

The body of the woman is very smooth and seems quite detailed, whereas the based appears rougher than the rest. For example, the area where she is sitting contrasts very much in texture with her body, which helps the viewer recognize the separation.

Digital or traditionalanimation Animation → Hug or dance New Project: Representing relationships in a painting or sculpture

My photo

Sappho and Erinna in a garden in Mytilene.

Simeon Solomon, 1864.

33x38 cm. Watercolour.

Google Images.

Eye contact

My photo

Google images

Frame-by-frame Slight changes in the postures to create fluid movement when animated

Google images

Anne Lister and Ann Walker, Gentleman Jack

My photo

My photo

Attempt at black/colour contrast

Sunset. Good for contrast with black.

Abstract background/ dress textures Different textures or places as background

I wanted to make something that showed a couple.

I was inspired by my visit to the Louvre, along with the tv show Gentleman Jack.

I also used Solomon’s Sappho and Erinna as inspiration

I want to use flowers and wire in this next sculpture

I abandoned for the moment the idea of representing two people because it would be too difficult to make them using wire.

← tool a photo of a rose bush.

Could be interesting to use different materials for the background and the figure

wire Could be interesting to

I started working on the idea of using flowers and nature in my piece, like I had done before with my Daphne piece.

play with textures and paint

Wire + papier mâché/clay

My own images

Ceramic + pink glaze

Too simple

or painting on canvas

Figure + flowers My work. Daphne. Clay. 2018

I was thinking of using the flowers to express femininity and the wire to show an idea of prison, meaning that femininity is sometimes used to control and restrain women.

The Swing, Jean-Honoré Fragonard.

1767. Oil. Google Images Pink, almost like a rose in shape and colour.

Nature, woman, and colour → inspiration

or wire

Google images

Inspired by my “interpreting the figure” work

At first, I wanted to make a wire sculpture, but it did not work as I planned. I decided to make a clay sculpture.

Medusa

Nice hair

Snakes

Performing femininity Pretty roses

Medusa,my work. Ceramics and oxides. 2019

Thorns and stems restraining her

Long dress warrior ?

Medusa with Perseus’ head, Luciano Garbati. Google Images

Hands covering her face, especially her mouth → lack of choice and of a voice

Tonal painting/drawing: possible media Different possibilities: Stylised black and white portrait (left)

Stylised tonal + colour painting

Stylised tonal + colour portrait Chalk and charcoal life drawing Process of a digital piece

Portrait of Sylvia Von Harden, Otto Dix, 1926.

I want to use a limited colour scheme, preferably using black, white, and greys because they make a very striking picture.

Tonal painting/portrait Portrait of woman

Colour tests

Possible background or setting

I would like to mix life drawing with portrait, instead of simply showing a body Life drawing without a face, I based would like to painting show a person.

Blond Girl, Lucian Freud. 1985

limited colour scheme

Visible brush strokes

Slightly ‘cartoonish’ look

gradient Painting in progress

Thick black pen

Inspired by my life drawing Test black and

Contrast dark/light

Background and atmosphere studies for black and white piece + new painting Nighthawks, Edward Hopper, oil on canvas 84 x 152cm. 1942

Colour palette and sketch for Nighthawks to understand how space and colour affect the mood of a painting.

When the figure is small compared to the background, the feeling of isolation or vulnerability can be enhanced.

However, making the figure very big compared to the background can have the same effect.

Making the figures very small →

Backgrounds for an exterior. Dark colours contribute to a feeling of loneliness/isolation

Pasolini. Ernest Pignon, 2015.

Utagawa Hiroshige, Suijin Shrine and Massaki on the Sumidagawa River.

Woodblock print on paper, 36 x 23.5 cm. 1856

Putting the piece in context in the world around it can help express emotions that the piece alone would not have had alone.

Study of the use of composition in Hiroshige’s work

Utagawa Hiroshige Biography, Life & Quotes.” The Art Story,

Introduction www.theartstory.org/artist/hiroshige-utagawa/life-and-legacy/.

I decided to research Hiroshige because I most of his work shows landscapes with people. His work generally a very calm and poetic atmosphere, which is why his art inspires my current work, in which I focus on composition to express different feelings.

Content Suijin Shrine and Massaki on the Sumidagawa River is part of Hiroshige’s “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo” series. It shows the mouth of the Sumida river and the shrine dedicated to it. In the background, there is a sleeping or extinct volcano, surrounded by fog. Then, we see the river and boats. In the middle ground, we can see the river banks with trees and the shrine on the right. There is a path and people are walking. In the foreground, there is a cherry tree. Its flowers and trunk frame the scene.

The colours are at places either faded or very strong. For example, the water near the banks of the river is deep blue, while the rest is very light; the sky is also light blue — nearly grey. The flowers are also very pale. The figures or the people walking are very small, and so they are stylised. Some of them are barely more than stick figures, but we can see the women’s clothes and their umbrellas.

Form and mood The scene is viewed from a high point. The tree trunk on the right gives the impression that the artist is sitting in the tree. The colours of the painting, faded and with a low contrast, give a dream-like and peaceful quality to the scene. The tree both frames the picture and guides the viewer’s eye to the different details, such as the people or the shrine. The river also gives the viewer’s eye. A Japanese viewer would be used to reading and looking at artworks right-to-left, and the river guides the eye from the volcano in the background to the shrine and the people in the foreground.

Context Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) was a Japanese woodblock print artist.

Hiroshige was one of the last master of the ukiyo-e art movement, which consisted of paintings and prints showing women, actors, folk tales, or landscapes. Hiroshige’s work was not only famous in Japan, but also in Europe where Impressionists took inspiration of his depiction of landscapes, and Japonism (Western art movement taking inspiration from Japanese art) was starting to grow.

He was influenced by the works of two other ukiyo-e artists, Toyokuni and Toyohiro. He applied to the former’s art school but was rejected.

He became the latter’s pupil.

Utagawa Hiroshige, Suijin Shrine and Massaki on the Sumidagawa River.

Woodblock print on paper, 36 x 23.5 cm. 1856

The sky takes up most of the piece, which adds to the sensation that the artist is on a high place, but also makes the other features of the picture seem even smaller than they already are. However, this does not affect the peaceful feeling of the piece, but add a meditative atmosphere.

Lane, Richard. “Hiroshige.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 31 Jan. 2020, www.britannica.com/biography/Hiroshige.

“Utagawa Hiroshige: Last Great Master of Ukiyo-e.” The Public Domain Review,

publicdomainreview.org/collection/utagawa-hiroshige-last-great-master-of-ukiyo-e.

Process Woodblock print originates from China and consist of carving a reversed image on a block of wood. Then, the artist applies ink on the wood and prints the result onto cloth or paper.

It is difficult to say how long Hiroshige took to make one print, but as he was a very prolific artist, it is safe to assume that it was a relatively quick process.

This technique gives the piece its faded colours, which are an important part of the mood it creates.

Personal opinion I like this piece’s atmosphere; peaceful and meditative. I think it is a good source of inspiration for my future work, as I want to focus on the use of composition and framing to create different emotions.

Comparaisons/connections Like many of his other pieces, Hiroshige shows a river in View of Konodai and the Tone River. This river, like in Suijin Shrine and Massaki on the Sumidagawa River, is both a landscape feature, and a guiding line for the viewer. It leads the eye from a point to another, crossing the piece.

Hiroshige’s use of colour is similar in the two pieces. Overall, they are faded, but the water near the river bank is a deep blue. There is the same dream-like quality in both the pieces.

The time of day depicted is different In the first piece, it seems to be in the middle of the day, while the second seems to depict the start of the sunset.

In Sujin Shrine, the boats on the river seem stationary, while the ones in View of Konodai are moving towards the horizon, adding a sense of hope and a look towards the future to the piece.

Impact on my own work Like Hopper, Hiroshige’s use of space, composition and framing inspire my own work. They create emotions such as loneliness or peace by making the space around the people they depict very big compared to the figures. Their use of colour also create a dream-like quality to their work. Hiroshige uses pale, faded colours, while Hopper uses light and dark.

My future piece will show a figure surrounded by either a detailed background, similarly to Hiroshige’s, or a high light/dark contrast like Hopper’s work.

Edward Hopper, The Sheridan Theater. 1937. Oil on canvas, 64.13 x 43.56 cm

Utagawa Hiroshige, Suijin Shrine and Massaki on the Sumidagawa River.

Woodblock print on paper, 36 x 23.5 cm.

1856

Utagawa Hiroshige, View of Konodai and the Tone River.1856. Woodblock print on paper 36.4 x 25.5 cm

Ideas for a watercolour piece

Calm Peaceful

memory ly ho nc

ela m

Blue Nude, Pablo Picasso. 1902 Diluted looks dream-like or like a memory

Blue: sad, calm, dream