Art Portfolio

Acrylic Paint Recording

This image is from my A2 sketch book where I began to look at traditional symbols of femininity and gender stereotypes. This orchid was painted in acrylic, 21cm by 20cm.

Tonal Pencil Work by Commission 

For my friends birthday I produced a tonal pencil study of a character from his favourite film (Carl Fredricksen, Up). A4 size, pencil on cartridge paper.

Layered Surface Work

The image above is a part of my experimentation with inks and wax on fabric, mounted onto an A1 piece of paper. This was part of my AS exam preparation. I was interested in exploring textured surfaces through layering up techniques in which to paint the parrot on to.

My umbrella study expands on this interest of layering paper and paint. The beige of the paper showing through gives the work depth, as if it was made of fabric that has been patched and worn by over use. This A1 piece is a collage of sugar paper with acrylic paint to add detail.

Perspective Pieces

AS coursework theme environment, this is a scene from my school environment. The corridor has a strong linear perspective typical of my school environment. This piece is A3 and created using tonal pencil. 

For my AS exam unit still life I went on to adapt my skills using mixed media. This is an Florentine street scene made in collage, acrylic paint and biro detailing at an A3 scale. I wanted to emphasise the bright foreground colours within the plant and show detail fading as the eye travels further back into the image. 

Studies of Decorative Carvings

AS coursework unit tonal pencil study of an ornamental wooden elephant head. This is in  Toulston Lodge at my school. I used brown paper to highlight this feature within the carving, pulling it into the foreground. Within this A4 image I used white chalk alongside the pencil to add the direction of light onto the brown paper.

I explored aspects of the Catholic church by looking at Romanesque statues. I was fascinated by the concept of negative space and created this A1 charcoal study inspired by Jim Dine's work. 

Religious Buildings

Here I have used roller and thick white ink to experiment creating structural forms. This portrays St Martin in the fields Church in London from my primary sources on A1 black paper. The black and white, contrast starkly depicting a glowing white building against the dark environment. 

After studying Andrew Salgado's work I started to experiment with palette knife techniques. This lent itself particularly well to buildings as seen in my 91cm by 50cm study of the Vatican in acrylic.

I took this technique further with my primary recording of the Vatican. Here is my practice of my final piece for my AS coursework unit. This work is 76cm by 43cm in acrylic paint.

For my final piece I expanded my practice to 480cm by 240cm to give a panorama effect. I added a third dimension to my work by creating the structural aspects of the building with polyfilla® so the paint will stick out from the image. I used acrylic paint to add colour to my piece using palette knife initially then flicking it across to add fluidity and chaos among the formal boundaries of its architecture. This can be in my mind a metaphor for the hidden secrets of the past behind the walls of authority within the church.

Mixed Media Gorillas

Initially I studied  gorillas through my experimentation. I used ink to capture the dark tones and characteristic features. This piece is 58cm by 58cm, ink on paper.

Through my development towards my final piece I tried two different composites for my gorilla piece. Both pieces sit together nicely and work as a diptych. I stretched fabric over card to create these mini canvases of 30cm by 30cm to apply watercolour, ink and chalk upon.

My final piece for my AS exam was a 100cm by 100cm close up of a gorilla. I used watercolour, ink and chalk to capture his characteristic, intense gaze. The gorilla's wrinkled face is well suited to this technique. This piece looked at how the primal elements have shaped every creature. This was my favourite work of art from AS, however it was sold at Boston Spa art festival on the 10th of October 2014 and has gone to a collector in Cambridge. 

Oil Pastel Faces

A2 unit 3 recordings. I have started to refine my oil pastel technique within these A3 works. 

In this image I am exploring feminist human conflict. I used special effect make up to look like a bruise around the eye of my model. This image is from my primary source in which I wish to examine a feminist critique through a further range of colours and texture using oil pastel.

My still life shown above combines two of my favourite techniques: tonal pencil study and oil pastels. I wanted to render the eyes in a detailed medium, showing my subjects age in monotone shades. I then used oil pastel to create a blurred effect. The detail within the glasses shows how age has effected her vision. Elsie, now she is almost blind, is unable to experience the world around her. Elsie, my great great aunt (subject), was a land girl during world war two and was never married. She has lived by herself for half of her life and is to me a symbol of female independence contradicting image of women being weak. 

AS Sketch Books

For both sketch books I have created a video that takes the viewer chronologically through each one. I created them in 720p HD to allow them to be paused and examined in detail if desired. 

For my coursework unit I examined the social environment within the Catholic religious community. I wanted to explore both positive and negative ideas from the past through to today. Through my development I decided to depict the symbolic power base of the Catholic church - the Vatican - in a 240cm by 480cm palette knife study onto relief polyfilla®. The fiery colours and deep reds were symbolic of historic corruption within the churches hierarchy, how they abused their influence and splashes symbolic of the innocent lives lost within its lifetime. 

AS UNIT ONE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EsJeLKyor8 

My exam book focuses on how the primal elements of earth, air, fire and water effect and shape certain animals. I initially looked at humans, primates and birds but later focused onto primates: specifically gorillas. I carried on exploring and experimenting with many animals but the gorilla stood our boldly as my favourite and most successful subject. I chose to do a close up, personal study of my gorilla using bright water colours to add a stylised three dimensional effect. The serene atmosphere of this 100cm by 100cm piece showed the harmony between gorillas and their adaptions to the elements.

AS UNIT TWO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVaAYLGHqp8