Sophie Douglas and The Arts School

Studio day, and a new series is started!

I have started a new painting series because until I have an exhibtion to see the last series all together, I feel I have moved past the meaning of making them. If anyone knows of anywhere I can exhibit 2 large, 3 medium, and lots of small paintings, please contact me!

With the new work I am moving away from the control of the past series, and now trying to use the physicality of the making to help me work through my current life stresses. I still use past work as the starting point (either reworking previous work, or creating a base from previous images).
This is today’s work, each will be titled by the date, or dates of its making. This is “2002 till 16.05.2013”

I am also starting looking at mixing media to create abstracts, still focusing on the the physicality of painting, but also exploring materials over form.

This is “blue paint, vanish and birthday candles”

Thanks for looking! What do you think?

Learning from students

One of the joys of teaching art is that you cannot know everything and sometimes a student shows you something that you missed. For me it was “Tilt Shift”. For those that are like me and missed this her is a definition from http://www.tiltshiftphotography.net/

“Tilt-Shift Photography (Miniature Faking) Definition
Tilt-Shift photography or miniature faking is a creative technique whereby a photograph of a life-size location or object is manipulated to give an optical illusion of a photograph of a miniature scale model.
Altering the focus of the photography in Photoshop (or similar program) simulates the shallow depth of field normally encountered with macro lenses making the scene seem much smaller than it actually is.
In addition to focus manipulation, the tilt-shift photography effect is improved by increasing color saturation and contrast, to simulate the bright paint often found on scale models.
Most faked tilt-shift photographs are taken from a high angle to further simulate the effect of looking down on a miniature. The technique is particularly effective on buildings, cars, trains and people.”
I have start my exploration using Snapseed (and app I love for you iPad that is great for playing around with images.)
Before:

After: (using Drama effect, then Tilt shift affect)

My next job is to get some better images, do further background reading and learn how to do it myself rather the using an app, or what are the bet apps for the job! as usual all advise and comments welcome!

Further reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilt–shift_photography
http://tiltshiftmaker.com/
Photoshop tutorial:
http://photo.tutsplus.com/tutorials/post-processing/tilt-shift-photoshop/
http://www.tiltshiftphotography.net/tilt-shift-photography-photoshop-tutorial/

The Pitmen Painters

Last night I went to see The Pitman Painters at The yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford. It is only on till the 11th, so go if you can! http://www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk/

I didn’t know that much about this group of painters, so if you are like me here is a quick intro: “The “Ashington group” [pitmen painters] (act. 1934–1983) originated in October 1934 when men, mainly coalminers, from Ashington, Northumberland, began classes in art appreciation. It was a course without precedent in a mining village 16 miles, and a world away, from the nearest art gallery. The class, organized by the Workers’ Education Association (WEA), first met on 29 October 1934 and was initially attended by thirteen students, rising to twenty-four in the following week. The lecturer assigned to the course was Robert Lyon (1894–1978)” (taken from http://www.oxforddnb.com/templates/article.jsp?articleid=98138&back=).

I thought the play was brilliant. Funny, aesthetically simplistic stage, believable actors, and great visuals using projections of the real artists work. The story left me feel inspired to want to see art, the world and to paint the things in my life. It reminded me that creating work that you think others will like can be false to you, and become stagnant and dull. The processes of making art for your enjoyment, as well as to make a comment, can be wonderful and beautiful and engaging. Go paint people!

Further reading:
http://www.in-between.org.uk/performance/the-pitmen-painters/
http://www.ashingtongroup.co.uk/home.html

Students projects, and going back to school

As an art and design teacher at a 6th form college I teach my students a way of working through a project, and they often argue that it is pointless, that they should just work on a finished “perfect” idea, and not have to explore all the different ideas, materials and techniques we make them do.
my main question, or issue is why creative people don’t want to explore and experiment with new materials, and what impact this perfectionist, non experimental, focus on achieving a qualification (over producing work they are interested or inspired by) approach to learning will have on the future of art and society. What is this idea they have of a certain type of finished outcome, all neat and precise, but very rarely new, or challenging, or exciting. They want to pass the course, not develop ideas and projects, it feels like something has been lost, about trying things out, and making mistakes. It all seems very serious.

We teach them all these different things, because it is part of the course, but more importantly, so they have a massive arsenal off tools to make work with, as well as a developed and sophisticated visual language. But I struggle with whether I am right, is it wasting their time to try things they don’t enjoy, or feel makes “good art”, or have they been programmed to create manicured art with no substance.

Is the way I teach through a project actually productive? To answer this, I am doing their latest project at the same time as them. It is a graphic design project, based on “life cycles”, with the final outcome being a leaflet of a set size, with some specific format requirements.
So here is the start of the project! Lets see what I come up with!

The process:
1) INITIAL STAGE: Explore the question, and possible subjects . Select a couple to explore further (using words and images). Select on to develop (further investigation into words and images)

2) RESEARCH STAGE: Look at a range of artists, designers and styles to give inspiration

3) DEVELOPMENTAL STAGE: develop ideas and get initial visual responses. Develop these using different materials and processes

4) APPLICATION STAGE: Define final outcome. Make final outcome

5) REFLECTION STAGE: Evaluate project

London in the sunshine

Finally finished some paintings!

Finally managed to get into the studio and finish the latest paintings!

The Other Art Fair

Today I went to The Other Art Fair (I am coinciding applying to do it in October). It is a showcase and selling exhibition for independent artists in London.

It was great to see such a range of work, of a high standard, in a commercial setting. Being an artist is a hard career, you have too make, advertise, sell, speak, be an artists, publisher, gallerist and manager! If anyone has done this fair, please give me your opinion of this one. I can’t find how mug it costs to do.

My favourites:
Mark Powell’s fantastic Biro Drawings (www.markpowellartist.com)
Toni Gallagher’s X-ray work, and inflatable dolls doing synchronised swimming (www.tonigallagher.com)
Ben Gooding’s intricate, yet simplistic drawings (www.bengooding.co.uk)

http://www.theotherartfair.com/

Roy Lichenstein exhibition

Yesterday I went to see the Lichenstein exhibition at Tate Britain. I love his work for its bold, simplistic style paintings. I most enjoyed the pieces based on the everyday moments and objects, like “Alka Seltzer,” 1966, and “the Ring (engagement)”.

They make me think of order, control and neatness (with the repetitive dots), as well as something fun, whimsical and vibrant (with the colours and subjects).

I feel this type of work is very mood dependant, I went to the exhibition on a sunny, busy Saturday, with a friend, I wonder how different I will read the work on a quiet day, where I can take longer with each piece and reflect on meanings. And somewhere there needs a rant about over crowded exhibits where you can’t really see the work through people, verses the brilliance that art has become so much more accessible, but that is for another day!

Somehow I forgot that his work is painting and not printmaking. I don’t think I have really looked at it since school, Pop art didn’t interest me then, but now I think of the skill required to create this work, the wonderful order, the understanding of colours. This work has had so much influence on other areas such as fashion, and styling.

I love it for no other reason than that most of the work in this exhibition is fun, and it makes me want to go and try.

Here are a few sources if you want a look further into this artist!
(Alka seltzer imageTaken from web source Matt McClain / For The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/roy-lichtenstein-a-retrospective-an-expansive-collection/2012/10/11/1996da08-13bc-11e2-be82-c3411b7680a9_gallery.html#photo=16)

http://www.biography.com/people/roy-lichtenstein-9381678

http://www.tate.org.uk/context-comment/blogs/lichtenstein-your-views-stories-and-comments?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Lichtenstein_Review_Members%20(5)&utm_content=

Finally got into the studio

I finally got into the studio for a short time today, but it was great!

It reminded me of the requirement to assign time each week to make work. It is good for the soul, and your art practise. It is very easy to get caught up in life’s requirements, but if you aren’t healthy, then you won’t be functioning at your best! So go make some work! Even if it is just the first brush stroke on a canvas!

Next thank you, for my food, Susan Prout rocks!

My friend is a talented handbag designer (www.susanprout.com), can also cook (with her brother) and very kindly catered my wedding.
Here are a few photos of what above and beyond the call of friendship duty looks like… Sorry if it makes you very hungry!

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