Paintings have the power to transport us through time, and they can act as a vehicle for our memory. These memories can be accompanied by a multitude of different feelings. A painting can act as a reminder of a time, a place or a shared experience, creating a bond between the artist and the observer. However both parties do not necessarily have had to have lived through the exact same experiences however. A common connection could be found in the subject of the painting, the place or the atmosphere that it evokes, for example the image of a dark austere looking building where the emotions that such an image conjures will be dependent upon our individual experiences. For some it will be foreboding or fear, for others it will be comfort and security. Whatever the emotion is, it is a part of our being, a memory. Additionally the feeling doesn’t need to have been experienced first-hand, it could, perhaps, be a scene from a film or a photograph, and however the emotion is no less real.

In this essay I will use the paintings of George Shaw and Peter Doig as my reference. Both have documented key periods of their lives in their paintings, in so doing they created a link to a shared past, not between them, but to us. 

A consistent topic of George Shaw’s paintings has been the place where he grew up, Tile Hill, a suburb on the outskirts of Coventry, a subject with which he has been obsessed since he started painting. Whilst on a personal level I have no experience of Tile Hill the scenes that he paints are familiar to me, as suburban landscapes, similar to Tile Hill, exist all over the UK. His paintings portray the place as it was and is, with drizzly depictions of lock-up garages, muddy playing fields and uniform looking terraced houses on dull streets. These are the real images that are recalled by many that grew up in the UK in the late 20^th century. His paintings are infused with memories of childhood and adolescence, of growing up, trying to fit in but remaining on the outside. His paintings do not reflect memory through rose tinted glasses but a realism that is at the same time nostalgic but refrains from being sentimental. What is it about these paintings that elicits these notions?

As an example, in the painting above Shaw has depicted a scene that could be found in suburban locations across the country. It is late autumn on a dull dank day and it appears that it has been raining. The frame structure for the swings takes centre stage but the swings themselves are missing. There is no fun to be had here today. The scene is framed by dark green foliage and leafless trees through which a row of identical terraced houses are just visible.

By contrast the paintings of Peter Doig draw on a wider range of influences. Which is predominantly due to his family’s constant moving house and location. Born in Scotland in 1959 his family moved to Trinidad in 1962 and then in 1966 to Canada. He then lived, studied and worked in London for 25 years before returning to Trinidad in 2002. All of these locations have informed his work. To quote Doig ‘When I was growing up, I never felt that I belonged anywhere because we never lived in a house for more than three months. That’s all I knew, and that’s why I don’t really belong anywhere.’ (i)

 I have chosen to concentrate on the paintings inspired by his childhood and adolescence in Quebec, Canada. The reason for choosing this body of work is because they resonate with the imagery of childhood, houses viewed through trees in snowy landscapes. These paintings are not literal depictions of locations but are remembered scenes, many of which are seen through a veil of snow which acts in part as a filter representing the impact that the passing of time has on the memory, as it slowly becomes obscured from view. Similar to Shaw these paintings treat the subject without sentimentality.

As I delved deeper into the work of both artists I gained insight into how they have both been influenced by where they lived, grew up, the cultural influences of the time and the way that this is reflected in their paintings.

Starting with George Shaw and his depictions of Tile Hill there is an almost documentary appearance to the paintings, it is as if they are photographs taken on a Polaroid camera. The colours are muted, slightly faded, giving them a melancholic look which echo the passing of time. Tim Jonze in an article in the Guardian referenced a photograph of George trying to squeeze himself into a Joy Division T-shirt that he bought when he was 14 he stated that, ‘It’s a silly photograph, but also a moving one that explores, the passing of time, the roots of who we are and the melancholy of approaching middle age’ (ii). Shaw has also talked extensively about his pop culture influences, vinyl by The Fall, Two Tone pin badges, pulpy skinhead novels and Ladybird books about trees. The Ladybird books offer an insight into Shaw’s paintings in that they are illustrated with a similar lack of flamboyance. The pop culture references become clear when, referring to the additional artefacts on display at his exhibition at The Paul Mellon Centre in 2019, Shaw states that ‘I thought showing people these influences might be more interesting than everyone thinking it all came from Constable or Turner. My entry level into Romanticism was (Factory Records designer) Peter Saville. It wasn’t the National Gallery’ (iii). Additionally when talking about his visits to galleries, with his Dad, he states that the paintings they constantly painted said ‘nothing to him about his life’ (iv) referencing lyrics from a song by The Smiths.

Two further quotes by Shaw which I feel indicate what his Tile Hill paintings are about. The first from an interview with Sue Hubbard, Shaw states that his paintings reflect ‘a dream of Britain, an island I have come to know as a landscape of ghosts and haunted houses, of fair to middling weather and stony prehistory but also a backdrop for injustice, criminality, humour, suspicion and sparse grace’(v) The second commenting on his hometown in an article by Lydia Figes in Art UK ‘I don’t think it has ever left me, that sense of possibility and familiarity and possible danger lurking out there somewhere beyond. I haunted the place and now it haunts me.'(vi)

Peter Doig’s adolescence and upbringing is a stark contrast to George Shaw’s and this is apparent in his paintings that reference this time in his life. Looking at his paintings of the Canadian landscape they are less about place and more about atmosphere and feeling, an interesting comment by Doig which illustrates this point was referenced in an article exploring his key works, ‘Progression of Art’. Reflecting on his Canadian tree-scape paintings Doig said ‘The tree line is a mixture of what I could see from my working space in my parent’s barn, where I made sketches of northern-looking pines and dying trees.’(vii) This is further reinforced by Katherine Arnold of London auction house, Christies, who stated ‘In taking up archetypal images of Canada’s landscape, Doig sought to distance himself from its specifics. These were not paintings of Canada in a literal sense, but rather explorations of the process of memory. For Doig, snow was not simply a souvenir of his childhood, but a conceptual device that could simulate the way our memories may be transformed and distorted over time.’(viii) The cultural references in Doig’s paintings of Canada are also informed by cinematic and theatrical devices which he uses to create nostalgia, ambiguity and mystery. An example of this, which was touched upon in the extract from Katherine Arnold, is the use of snow in these paintings. “Snow draws you inwards” Doig once said. A technique that has been used in numerous films to indicate the blurring of memory is the use of snow to create a barrier between the viewer and the subject. This use of snow to create a barrier becomes a signal of the gap between the past and now. The buildings in Doig’s Canadian paintings are often viewed through a tree-scape, his technique is to paint the houses through the trees rather than paint the house put the trees over it. As he comments in an interview with Robert Enright in 2006 ’it was more about looking and picking out bits with the eyes.’ (ix) As with memory we pick out what we remember and piece it together.

In the painting above the Red House dominates the scene with its solid form and strong colour. It is surrounded by images that seem to shift and fade in and out of view. There are shadowy figures, a frozen pond, wispy trees and a shimmering white house all of which are diffused by a soft light and falling flakes of snow. The painting indicating a strong memory that has become dislocated due to the passing of time.

In trying to draw conclusions and comparisons in how both artists approach the subject of memory in their paintings I am conscious that we all experience the world in our own way, we have different lenses and a multitude of varying experiences. The ability to be able to highlight and communicate the commonality that is shared is what draws the observer into these paintings and holds their attention. These paintings create a shared connection which resonates beyond the image.

With Shaw’s paintings of Tile Hill it is more than simply the image itself. The pop culture references, which are not implicit in his paintings, draw on a certain Britishness that runs from the Kitchen Sink dramas of the 1960’s to the anger of Punk, the intellectual writing lyrics and imagery of Post Punk through to Two Tone. A connection is made to the dystopian mournfulness of Joy Division, the rantings and imagery of The Fall through to the poetry of The Smiths and the despair but optimism of The Specials. All of these performers are born from the same sense of wanting to communicate what it was like to live through this time. They pull the same strings in our collective memory, evoking the bleakness of these times. Thatcherism was wreaking havoc with working class lives and was decimating traditional industry. Despite this, it is the beauty found in the familiar and seemingly mundane scenes that invoke our collective memory, especially since clear parallels can be drawn to the present. Shaw was reticent to make further paintings of Tile Hill but after visiting his mother, who still lives there, he once again captured images using photography for his reference. He toyed with his emotions for some time, reluctant to return to the subject, but unable to resist, he made a further series of paintings. One of which ‘The man who would be king’ depicts an English flag draped in the window of a block of flats which sums up the depression, desolation and xenophobia that drove the UK to Brexit.

Peter Doig’s paintings don’t exist in any particular time or place. They inhabit their own space. The transient nature of Doig’s time in Canada, never putting down roots, is represented in the way that the paintings seemingly exist in their own space. Unlike Shaw the specific location of the images can’t be identified, instead they appear as a dreamlike mixture of references which make connections to us. They are made up of new places, far off places, forgotten places. Where Shaw’s paintings draw direct references, Doig’s references are ambiguous, these are fictional places in which we can imagine we might inhabit. The shadowy figures, that are often present, represent ourselves, these figures help to draw you into Doig’s world. With Shaw’s paintings the observer is placed on the outside looking in, however with Doig’s we are located within the painting.

In the painting above we are taken back to a specific place and memory in Doig’s childhood. The title indicates the location, Cobourg is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario however there is nothing in the painting to specifically identify the town. The figures, 3 + 1 more, blurred from our direct gaze by the falling snow, must be Doig and his family looking out at us from the past. The plus one being Doig himself indicating his feeling of not quite belonging.

The two artists explored here involve memory to make the connection to us, however the way that they do so is entirely different, but both harness nostalgia without being sentimental. It is for the observer to locate their personal response to the paintings, to let the images take them back to their memories. The approach of Shaw and Doig to the subject of memory are different, in that George Shaw’s paintings are about a time and place whereas Peter Doig’s paintings have a more timeless quality. Both approaches are valid, it is for the observer to infer their own personal response.

In my own practice I am trying to capture the impact of passing of time and the effect that it has on man-made objects and their place in the landscape. I am interested in the transition from fully functional to disregard and the memories that attach themselves to the stages of this process. I imagine the stories that these objects have witnessed, what have they seen? Where they have been? In the example below my painting ‘Winter break’ shows an abandoned caravan. It has seen better days but is now in a state of poor repair. The elements are in the process of finally reducing it to nothing. At some point it was loved, a place of security and rest, but what was it used for? Perhaps initially for holidays at the coast then in its latter stages as a seasonal farmworkers temporary dwelling. It exists as a memorial to the events and lives lived slowly fading as the caravan transitions and imperceptibly disintegrates in to the past.

List of illustrations:

1. George Shaw, Scenes from the passion – The Swing, Enamel on canvas, 70 x 101cm, 2002/03, University of Warwick Art collection
2. Peter Doig, Red House, Oil on canvas, 200 x 249.8 cm, 1995/06
3. George Shaw, The man who would be king, Enamel on canvas, 46 x 55 cm, 2017
4. Peter Doig, Cobourg 3 + 1 more, Oil on canvas, 200 x 250 cm,1994
5. Mark A Taylor, Distant holidays, Aqua oil on canvas, 16 x 20 inches, 2020

Bibliography:

‘i, Peter Doig quote source unknown

‘ii, Tim Jonze , Guardian article 13/2/2019, Anarchy in Coventry: George Shaw’s greatest hits | George Shaw | The Guardian

‘iii, Tim Jonze , Guardian article 13/2/2019, , Anarchy in Coventry: George Shaw’s greatest hits | George Shaw | The Guardian

 ‘iv, Tim Jonze , Guardian article 13/2/2019, , Anarchy in Coventry: George Shaw’s greatest hits | George Shaw | The Guardian

and         Morrissey, Marr (1986), Panic. In: The world won’t listen (1987), Rough Trade

‘v, Sue Hubbard, 4/12/2018, George Shaw’s Homely and Unsettling Vision of Great Britain,  George Shaw’s Homely and Unsettling Vision of Great Britain – ELEPHANT

‘vi, Lydia Figes in Art UK, 23/3/2020, The paintings of George Shaw: an unconscious foreshadowing of Britain during quarantine, The paintings of George Shaw: an unconscious foreshadowing of Britain during quarantine | Art UK

‘vii, Peter Doig quote when discussing his 1989/90 painting ‘Milky Way’ ,  Peter Doig Artworks & Famous Paintings | TheArtStory

‘viii, Katherine Arnold, Christies Auction House, quoted when discussing 1991 painting ‘Charley’s space’  Peter Doig Artworks & Famous Paintings | TheArtStory

‘ix, Robert Enright, Border Crossings Magazine June 2006, The Eye of the Painting: An Interview with Peter Doig

A positive discussion on the work that I completed during Part 5 and my assignment pieces. The main points that I reflect upon are:

The use of titles: look to apply engaging titles. An idea would be to use specific place/ time to my abstract paintings and use abstract or ambiguous title to the figurative paintings.

Artists’ statement: Rewrite / reorder my statement so that the more engaging section is at the start of the statement. In addition look to include a more poetic description of what I do. The challenge to do this without it sounding pretentious. Example that was given was a section from the artist’s statement of Joanna Whittle which I have replicated below

“The tent paintings represent fragile and temporary structures constructed within these notions of the ruin and time passing. Canvas sits in water; ropes are pegged in to the fluid land. Time sits still and moments brush against each other – canvas rots and weeds scramble over surfaces, but some lights remain on or have just been lit. They hold their own histories, ideas of vanished circuses or fairgrounds – events once frenetic now silenced and ominous in dusk or rain. concealing their internal space whilst their exposed surfaces weather and rot, they are hostile in their refusal to reveal their secrets. The still light ossifies both tents and trees, like a petrified forest, whilst liquid, motile elements pool around them making these worlds almost static, yet they seem to be slowly moving towards an uncertain or foreboding conclusion.”

Assignment work: Positive feedback on painting titled ‘Radicon’ “lower section works well suggesting depth / entry point. curious / ambiguous structure that fits in with parallel project work.

Critical review: a good first draft further exploration using specific paintings from each of the two artists saying something about the work. Also include one of my own paintings and how it relates to memory. Include references at the end of the review.

Parallel project: a good selection of paintings already completed which convey the idea that I have about place. Improvement rework ideas discussed which will be implemented and demonstrated in a separate blog. I will also complete some further paintings. The final selection will be discussed at the next feedback session.

Demonstration of Technical and Visual skills

I have taken a similar approach to the ones I completed for Parts three and four. The review has been broken down into the four key assessment criteria and where appropriate into the key sections within these criteria.

Materials: 

Part Five differed from the previous Parts of the course in that there was less scope for creating artwork. The two exercises for which there was this opportunity were: Exercise 1.0 Cut up technique and Exercise 3.1. For Exercise 1.0 I responded with paper and scissors to complete the exercise and for Exercise 3.1 I used technology to create a triptych using paintings and words. Neither of these were particularly ground-breaking.

Techniques: 

I feel that it is worth documenting here that my approach tackling a painting has evolved. I have a methodology which can be applied to different types of painting. In essence the technique is not dissimilar to working from dark to light but with my own personal tweaks. Most, if not all, of my painting during this part of the course has been directed toward the Parallel project where I have completed a number of paintings which I feel meet my criteria for submission for Assessment.

Observational skills: 

This is the area where I believe that I have made the biggest improvements. This has been in two distinct areas. The first is in respect of how I am approaching my paintings where I am continuing to develop my own language which is informing how I respond to subjects. The second is with regard to my contextual capabilities where they have needed to improve in order to complete the first draft of my Critical review. A major factor in assisting my improvement has been reading ‘How to write about contemporary art by Gilda Williams’. The tips, do’s and don’ts contained in the book have assisted my ability to respond to a painting in writing. I’m aware that this is a skill that needs to be practiced.

Visual awareness: 

Not an area where I have made any significant steps forward over the duration of Part five other than those mentioned above.

Design and compositional skills: 

Similar to visual awareness this was not an area that was particularly addressed during Part five.

Quality of Outcome

The paintings that I have completed for my Parallel project are, I feel, amongst my most accomplished to date. There are aspects where I see areas for improvement and believe that these are within my reach.

Demonstration of Creativity

There has been less opportunity to be as creative in Part five than there has been in previous parts of the course. Therefore my main focus has been on the completion of the exercises, creating a first draft of my critical review and more work towards my Parallel project.

Context

The contextual focus was the most important aspect of Part five. In trying to write a brief artists statement I needed to reflect on my practice, what it is, what drives me and why it is important to me. Trying to get that into a short statement that made sense and was, I hope, interesting was a challenge. This was followed by my first draft of my critical review in which I have completed detailed research, pulled this research into an essay where I have reflected on the research and generated my own opinions.

Summary

At this stage of the course I need to reflect on the progress that I have made, the key learning points and how to pull these together so that I am successful at Assessment.

I have found Part Five a challenge in so much as it has forced me to confront how I approach my art practice. In doing so I had to use words to explain what it is I am trying to do, why it is important to me and whether I have been successful in achieving my aims?

Whilst considering how to approach this final assignment for the course I was tempted to move away from the approach that I have adopted throughout. This being to look for a solution whereby it involves painting. Should I challenge myself to create a work that was outside these confines. If so what could I do that would meet the criteria assignment?

To answer the questions raised above I reviewed the work that I had completed for Part Five, ‘Cut up technique’, ‘The role of the title’ and ‘Writing an artists’ statement’. Did I want to expand upon the work that I completed for these exercises? It was the upon re-reading my artists’ statement and reflecting on it that my mind was made up. Within my artists’ statement I clearly stated my interest is in painting the Fenland landscape. With this in mind I looked to try to incorporate ‘words’ into a painting or paintings. The additional advantage to this approach was that, if the paintings were successful, they would also be an addition to my Parallel project.

I decided make two paintings, one for each of the two ways that I try to depict the Fenland landscape, the landscape as seen and a close up study. After completing a review of some of my photographs I settled on two that met both my artists’ statement criteria and also included words.

The first was a close up of a another part of the old pumps which I have used in previous studies. The second a landscape scene which included signage.

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I have noticed that my approach to these paintings is becoming more refined in that I have developed a technique which enables me a route into the painting. This approach starts with a covering the support in paint whilst mapping the main colours and tonal highlights. The next step is to focus on the darkest area and to work up the detail in gradual steps. Once this part is completed I will work on sections of the painting and define colour, shape and texture. All the time I am cognisant of the whole painting and the need to keep the overall feel consistent.

The first painting which I have called ‘Radicon’ for obvious reasons, I assume that this was the name of the company which manufactured this piece of machinery. I took three photographs of the work in progress.

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The finished painting, shown below, has a number of aspects in which it meets my criteria. There is a pictorial element to it, the bottom third invites a closer inspection and the light from the left is well handled. The title is clearly depicted but it doesn’t give much if a clue as to what it is.

For the second painting the title ‘Pathway near Purl’s bridge’ is descriptive. The inclusion of words in this painting is a bit forced. Do the words add anything? In an earlier stage of the painting they did the opposite in that they distracted and made the painting as a whole look more like an illustration. I had added a nameplate to the fencepost so as to add some further interest. This also promoted the illustrative quality.

To complete the painting the signs were made to look more weathered and the light toned down. The completed painting, below, meets both the assignment criteria and that of my Parallel project.

I summarised in my reflections regarding the final piece that I had completed for Assignment Four that I felt that there was potential for it to be reworked. This view was confirmed during the conversation with my tutor. It was felt that there were some strong points in the work but that it didn’t hang together. In trying to pull together different experimental pieces it lacked coherence. I had tried to link the pieces together using a black background as this colour was common to most parts. This had helped to some degree but the bright yellows and golds jarred and deflected from the stronger section in the centre middle part of the painting. The re-work needed to bring this part into the whole composition and inform the whole piece. In doing so most of the remaining painting would be altered so that very little remained. The dominant colours would be various reds and oranges coupled with black. The process was completed in two iterations, the first taking the painting from the submitted work to the next stage.

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As can be seen above the background has been completely reworked and very little of the top section is now visible. Although the painting had moved in the right direction I felt it lacked drama. The brush and palette knife work was timid. Larger gestural mark needed to be made to bring energy to the work. These marks would respond to the feel of the bottom central marks and integrate into the rest of the piece. The progress is shown below before the final piece is replicated after a final coating of PVA adhesive was applied to gives the work a sheen.

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Completed painting. It now has energy and is cohesive. I find myself discovering new depths to the work each time I view it. Currently it is untitled but I am considering titling the work. This may emerge during Part Five.

Demonstration of Technical and Visual skills

To assess the outcomes that I have achieved I have broken this section down into the key elements. This is a similar approach to that which I have taken for the previous Assessments.

Materials: 

The materials that I used during Part Four expanded upon those that I would expect to use. The usual oil and acrylic paints, pencils and charcoal was supplemented by feathers and soap. For supports I used acetates, kitchen foil, greaseproof paper and linen t-towels. In doing so I fully embraced the requirements of the exercise for Part Four. In addition to experimenting with new and unusual materials I also experimented with different methods of application of traditional materials. The results of these investigation are covered in the separate blogs in my coursework.

Techniques: 

Further from the materials utilised during Part Four the methods of application had to be modified and adapted. This was particularly true where I used soap as the material. In addition a number of the investigations into the properties of both the supports and materials required thick application of paint. This in turn resulted in new ways to explore the properties of the materials and the techniques used in their application.

Observational skills: 

The utilisation of new, to me, materials, supports and techniques necessitated looking at the world around me in a new light. It was clearly obvious to me that taking a pictorial approach was not going to result in a satisfactory outcome. My observations became more concerned with colour and form.

Visual awareness: 

Being confronted with the challenges of the exercises, and my approaches to them, has resulted in an expansion to how I see things and how I respond to the visual stimulations. I have found that I am looking far more a the textures of objects and trying to find ways to replicate what I see in my own way. The evidence for this is in the preparatory work and paintings that I have completed as part of my Parallel project. The focus of which has changed to the effects of deterioration rather than placing the impact in a setting, usually a landscape. I am now interested to explore this further.

Design and compositional skills: 

Following on the from the change in focus on the impact of deterioration and ageing on objects I have changed how I try to convey the subject. My focus has moved into trying to pick out the colour of decay. In doing so I have tried to maintain elements of composition. This is evident in the way I try to give the impression that the decay is happening to something real. Aspects of the object will still be evident but its full self is not revealed. I haven’t resolved how far I want to move ways from the object itself and into more abstract composition. At present I’m hovering between the two and enjoying the conflict.

Quality of Outcome

The quality of the work has been extremely varied. some of the experimental pieces have been poor at best but still worthwhile. Of the successful work two of the pieces, which are not paintings, look like they will be part of my studio display for some time. On the positive side I feel that some of the paintings I have produced are some of my best work. My aim now is to expand upon these successes and take them through to the work that I am looking to complete for the Parallel project.

Demonstration of Creativity

In all parts of Part four I have looked to find new ways to explore the exercises. I have tried to use materials, supports and techniques in a range of unusual ways. Exploring their possibilities, testing limitations and working in new and inventive ways.

Context

I have reflected in my learning log / blog my thoughts and reflections on both the work that I have completed and my thought processes and the results. As I approach the end of the course it is my intention to expand my contextual reflections. This will be particularly required for the Critical review. I have completed some initial research in this respect which I will be expanding on. It has been a source of frustration that visiting exhibitions and galleries has not been possible. Whilst I note that there has been a concerted effort by the art world, particularly galleries, to offer an virtual alternative to physical visiting, I find that these are a poor substitute to being able to observe work in the flesh. I have continued to research new artists and write up my thoughts and experiences. These tend to be quite short pieces. I will look to expand some of them.

Summary

The volume of work that I have completed during Part Four is testament to the enthusiasm that I have felt towards most of the challenges. The encouraging aspect is the new avenues that I have opened for exploration. I also look back on some of the work created with satisfaction.

My aim in the completion of this work was to try to combine a number of the pieces, that I had completed during Exercises 1 & 2, into a more considered final piece. To do this I would look to deconstruct some work, and add it to other pieces. The support for the work would be a 84 x 59 cm board. I was looking for both a cohesiveness in the colour and to the feel of the work but at the same time wanted some clashes of colour to excite the eye of the observer. The nature of needing to take deconstructed parts of other paintings and applying them to another support meant that the surface of the new work would have a textural quality. This in turn should make the surface have some life and interest as different light would have an impact upon it.

The process involved using three experimental paintings completed for Exercises 1 & 2 in their complete form. To these were added parts of other works that were torn apart, arranged and re-arranged until across the support until I had a composition that I felt worked. The result was then adhered to the support with PVA adhesive. Further black acrylic was added which was also painted over with a diluted layer of PVA adhesive to try to create a harmonious surface.

The completed work is a collage but in its finished state this is not is not immediately obvious. It has been brought together into one coherent work. There are elements that to tend to try to work against the coherent whole. These are the more reflective sections which catch the light and can distract from the whole. This is tempered by the consistent black background which holds the piece together.

An issue that I hadn’t encountered previously, with my work, was the difficulty in photographing the work. The reflective parts coupled with the size of the painting made it hard to get a consistent light over the whole painting. The reproduction below is the best that I achieved. When confronting the painting in the flesh the observers eye automatically makes adjustments for the light as it roams across the painting. The whole work is only momentarily contemplated.

Summary: I feel that there is an argument for expanding the colour from the separate collaged parts of the painting over some of the back background. Would this further enhance the cohesiveness of the work? I will await feedback on this thought. As it stands it is a good representation of the work completed for this part of the course.

In my eagerness to progress with Part Four I had completed Projects 1 and 2′ and numerous works, before I stepped back to look at the suggested artists from my Part Three feedback. What follows is a reflection, by artist, on the research that I have now completed.

Esther Donaldson, I am now following this artist on Instagram

I find that Esther’s paintings are expressive. She uses nature and the garden as her inspiration. The transitory aspect of nature and the changing seasons, the short life of flowers, moments, colours and moods are explored. Her painting medium is mainly acrylics which are applied richly, gesturally and allowed to drip and run. Trees and plants are suggested as rough shapes with lots of cool greens and yellows. Her painting, above, titled ‘In the shadows’ is a good example of her work.

Clare Woods (Daddy Witch)

The painting is two panels both 218.5 x 175.3 cms.

On researching this painting it was obvious why it had been recommended. There are aspects of my work in part three that allude to it. My attempts were much less successful. What I pick up from Clare’s work is the simplification of the scene which is carefully broken down into a concise composition. The colour palette is harmonious and subtle.

Extract from Arts council description “The painting, Daddy Witch, pictures an inverted pool bathed in moonlight, reflecting the shadowy brush. Dark shapes emerge from the surface as the viewer is witness to nocturnal happenings and latent drama.” This sums up the painting succinctly.

John Bunker

I found this work of less interest to me in so much as I don’t anticipate that I will use the technique of collage extensively in my work. Although I do feel that the juxtaposition of shapes and colours is a great method of breaking up the support and challenging the viewer to make sense of the painting.

Elizabeth Peyton the suggestion here was for her still life and landscapes paintings. however I found mainly portraits of friends, lovers, heroes, admirations, inspirations and fascinations. The portraits I found to be intimate studies. They observed the spirit of the person. An example of this is the joint portrait of Barrack and Michele Obama.

Kay Donachie b 1970, blurred, faded, muted ephemeral portraits, mainly heads, which have a filmic, film noir or retrospective quality. figurative imagery relating to modernism, domesticity, longing utopian counter cultural movements.

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Michele Fletcher, the garden paintings, a series of abstract paintings inspired by gardens and plants I found to be the paintings that I was drawn to most. Although I found it difficult to fully embrace them. In the example below the bramble appears menacing.

Michael Porter,

Michael’s paintings are about landscape but do not necessarily depict landscape as we would expect to see it. He uses landscape as an inspiration. Taking what he sees beneath his feet to create visions of what the landscape is as he sees it. The paintings are carefully, meticulously painted often using abstract patterned background to indicate dense undergrowth.

Michele Whiting, In looking at her paintings I came upon a series where the subject of landscape is in evidence but is only suggested in abstract forms. The series is limited to a pared back palette of colours, browns, ochres, white, Payne’s grey and light blue. The paint is applied in soft translucent washes of colour, loose gestural brushwork with added lines and contours.

Frances Ryan, of the selection of artists that were suggested it is between Frances’s and those of Justin Mortimer that I found resonated most with me. Frances’s paintings are abstract visions of nature incorporating plants, shapes and lovely bright patches of colour. In some ways her paintings are all the things my Assignment 3 painting ‘Hidden away’ wasn’t. I need to reference the three examples, plus others, when I look to make further paintings in a similar vein.

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Justin Mortimer, viscosity of paint was the pointer in the suggestion to examine the paintings of Justin. I started with his most recent works which are somewhere between abstraction and still life. Plants are suggested by smearing, smudging and scrapping. Swirls of paint, poured and layered. His website has his paintings in a chronological sequence. I went to the earlier works and discovered in 2002-07 a series of paintings that I should use as inspiration for my parallel project. In these painting buildings are described that are in states of disrepair. Blocks of dark, brooding colours, greys and dark greens are used to describe the form of the buildings. The paint is laid down in visceral slabs which contrast with burst of light. The painting below is a good example of this.

Following his work through the subsequent years the buildings became only occasionally in evidence as they were replaced by human forms. The paintings from 2012 – 2014 have a dystopian feel to them. They reminded me of the mood, look and feel of the television drama of the Chernobyl disaster, gritty, dark and melancholic. These are followed in the subsequent years 2015 -2017 by paintings in which the human figures are dressed in Personal Protective Equipment and are seen fighting chemical spillages. From the perspective of 2020 they would appear to be invoking the pandemic to come.

Carol Rhodes 1959 – 2018,

The aerial perspective of carol’s landscapes show parts of the landscapes and leave other parts to the imagination. the paintings run outside the edge of the support into the mind.

Conclusion: I have gathered a lot of information in completing this research and I will need to unpick it further to enable myself to incorporate the inspiration and ideas into my own work.

Overall the meeting and subsequent comments were positive. In an earlier blog on my personal assessment I rated my work against the assessment criteria. In this I explained how I had adapted the exercises to allow myself to explore the topics via painting. In so doing it had allowed a freedom to express myself and respond to the challenges. The resultant work varied in style and technique and used a variety of sources to create inspiration. In amongst these were some specific pieces which were singled out for positive comment.

In Exercise 1.0 where I created a series of four sketchy paintings it was one where despite there being obvious issues with the perspective it was felt that the background wall texture and the chair was well rendered. The composition was tonally balanced.

For Exercise 1.1 ‘Body as canvas’ the way I had interpreted the exercise was interesting. Of the paintings it was commented that the smaller blue painting had a better body shape than than the larger one where the right side of the body, the left side of the painting, appeared to be squeezed in to fit the canvas.

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Whilst I agree with the observation I feel that the tenderness, the caressing of the instrument, is better observed in the second painting.

The series of paintings completed for Exercise 1.2 ‘Before and after’ were commented on a having a charming and playful quality that was found to be amusing. The main learning points from this exercise, for me, was the requirement to keep a consistent format and style across the pieces. this had necessitated planning, organising and not plunging into the work which, at times, I am prone to do. It was suggested that I research George Shaw’s Payne’s Grey paintings as a source of inspiration as to how to create narrative over several works by the consistent use of a limited palette.

The exercise for which I created the most work and made the most investigations was Exercise 1.3 ‘The mirror as a stage’. It was this exercise where the most in depth conversations and comments were directed. The overriding comment that I highlighted from the feedback was the possibility to start making more connections between subject and process. How can I integrate some of the more successful experiments and techniques into my parallel project of exploring aspects of Fenland landscapes.

Some of the more successful paintings were:

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For my Assignment piece I had selected an image from a photograph which, it was felt, had created difficulties, for myself. The photograph didn’t have sufficient tonal variations and the focal point lacked emphasis. The result was that the final piece became overworked. The quicker study was preferred to the final painting. The alternative orientation of displaying the final piece upside down from its intentional orientation has now become my preferred way of hanging the painting. It was commented that it reminded of exposed tree roots along a river bank. I also feel the it has a dark, gloomy quality in which the landscape looks desolate under an foreboding sky.

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The final part of the review concentrated upon my ideas for both the Parallel project and the Critical Review. I outlined my ideas to create a series of painting where I would explore abandoned, run down, decaying Fenland farm buildings looking for unusual angles and perspectives. The idea included a comparison to and inspiration from the suburban landscape paintings of George Shaw. I would also use George Shaw as the main topic for my critical review where I will look to examine his paintings of the mundane, the discarded, the back alleys and the familiar sights of our day to day existence. This would be compared to other artists working in similar fields both in painting and other artistic fields.

A number of artists were suggested for research which I will do in due course and will write up my thoughts and reflections in my blog. In this I will endeavour to increase the depth into which I investigate.