DRAWING FOLIO Su Gu 815638 Tutor Emma Rickards
Painting Folio a. Interpretive actylic painting
Figure 1 River 347 (Kopania, 2013).
Figure 2 Interpretive acrylic painting.
a. Interpretive actylic painting
Figure 3 River reflection of Original painting.
Figure 4 My reinterpretation of river.
Figure 3&4 Instead of picking up the same colours and applying them on the exact positions as in Kopania’s painting, I also selected the most dominant colours and tried to project forward and reduce sections in the way that I believe will contribute to creating the similar anima like the original work.
b. Negotiated Student Painting
Figure 5 Splendid sunset of Cains and tiny me (Wang, 2017. )
Figure 6 Pulsations.
b. Negotiated Student Painting
Figure 6.1 Apply dark and bright colour background and grids as guidance.
Figure 6.2 Applying layers of colours and tones.
Figure 6.3 Practicing using the end of painting knife at the botton of the page.
Figure 6.4 First player of huamn figure was painted at last.
Figure 6.5 Final refinements.
b. Negotiated Student Painting
Figure 8 Dry brushes also used for the falling leaves. FIgure 8 & 9 &10 Impressionists especially Monet and Van Gogh are those important figures that I admired since I was quite young. Their eternal lights and shadows, energetic broken strokes, exciting colours and tones showed such a passion for life-----that I was heavily influenced and showed unconsciously in my paintings. Figure 9 Figure 7
Figure 10
Written Analysis
Bibliography
Preble says: “Art, like life itself, need not be defined or understood to be enjoyed. It must simply be experienced” (1989, p1). I just could not agree more on this. For me, the most valuable moments when I believe my true art exists is in the process of creating. These are the moments that I totally forget about the world, the time and even my presence. The painting sessions during the last few weeks of this semester provided me with great opportunities to create those enjoyable memories. From the interpretive acrylic painting to the negotiated painting, I gradually build up my own way of painting through learning and experimenting.
Eisner, E. (2004) ‘What can education learn from the arts about the practice of education?’ International Journal of Education and the Arts. 5 (4), 1-12. (Theory – purposes of art and approaches to art making)
The first painting that I finished is based on Polish Artist Justyna Kopania’s “River 347” (figure 1). Its colour and brushstrokes of leaves are astir and dramatic. While, the composition, dark background and horizontal strokes of the river are calm and tranquil. I was so fascinated by it so decided to study on it. Trying to mimic how Kopania paint was my intention at first. Nevertheless, I found it has been a challenge to paint in the way she did (she is so skilful and brilliant!) especially when dealing with the reflection of the river. Accidently, I used the dry brush technique that I learnt from Harrison (2001, p. 30) to work on the reflection. I was not confident about it at first. However, as noted by Smith, “referring to an artist’s work does not mean to make an exact copy. It is a process of learning but also a journey of reinterpretation” (2010, p. 29), I suddenly realized that although the technique used, and textures of my dry brushes were far away from Kopania’s, the broken effect they created was pleasant and also showed the quality of the vivid reflections on a calm river (figure 2). That could be the ultimate effect Kopania intended to achieve, and I just interpreted it in another way. Therefore, I started to appreciate my own way of interpretation and felt free to emphasize my abstract qualities that emerged while painting. The second negotiated painting is based on the photo that my friend took for me in Cains last summer (figure 5). I was touched by the splendid nature, feeling emptiness, but fulfilled by some unutterable pulsations. It is such a special feeling that I decided to paint it. Compared to my first drawing, the second one focused more on the dynamic waves of the sea (figure 6). The dry brush method was kept to the right side of the sea for a calmer effect. Yet to the left, impasto and end of painting knife were used to create jumping waves and depths (figure 7). I had never tried these materials before, but after studied Daniels’ impasto and knife tips (1988, p.42), as well as encouraged by Eisner’s “opening to uncertainties” (2004, p.6), I learnt to combine those new techniques and created satisfying texture and effects at last. New materials indeed offer us “new affordances and in the process develops in the ways in which we think” (Eisner, 2004, p. 8). Furthermore, one of the most useful techniques I learnt from the painting sessions is to select the correct colour base. Taking the advice from my tutor, I first applied a dark colour base on my board (colours picked according to the original painting), allowing for a later light-on-dark development (Smith, 2010, p. 28). This turns out to be a satisfying result as my bright golden leaves appear even brighter and dynamic on the dark base. The complementary colours (mainly yellow and blue) also compliment on each other more vividly. This technique was also practised in my second negotiated painting, where I put light grey background for my sea section but left the sky blanked (figure 5.1). In conclusion, art, for me, cannot exist without my sensitive response. I believe all these paintings I created are my true expression of myself. They are the storytellers of my thoughts and emotions. How do I enjoy!
Daniels, A. (1988). Introduction to painting with acrylics. London: Apple Press. Harrison, H. (2001). Excerpts. The encyclopaedia of acrylic techniques: a unique A-Z directory of acrylic techniques with step-by-step guidance on their use. Kent: Search Press. Kopania, J. (2013). River 347. [oil paint on canvas]. Poland: Studio Under the Moon. Retrieved from: https://www.deviantart.com/studiounderthemoon/art/347-374186117 Preble, D., & Preble, S. (1989b). The nature of art. In Artforms: an introduction to the visual arts (4th ed., pp. 1–11). New York: Harper & Row. Smith, R. (1994). Excerpts. Oil painting portraits (pp. 24–25, 31–35, 44–47). Surry Hills, N.S.W.: R.D. Press. Wang, JX. (2017). Splendid sunset of Cains and tiny me [photograph]. Cains.