1. Part Two, New Beginnings

(21/2/23) 

For the second part of my studio practice module I will be setting my focuses on creating a set of paintings. I do not yet have a number of paintings in mind that I will show at the end of the module in my FMP, and I also do not have a fixed theme in mind for these works. I do have some freely floating ideas and emotions I want to convey, but at this point they are far too abstract to convey in writing. At this beginning point my intention is to create some process based paintings that are free flow and free forming in the moment as I am creating them. My intention is to be more painterly in these pieces implementing energetic brush work and mark making, primarily working with oil paints and emulsions as well as various pastels I have at my disposal.

Today I started work on a new selection of paintings for the second half of my studio practice module. After the first collection I produced painting on wooden boards and using fillers and liquid latex and paints, I made the conscious decision change the surface and materials i work with in this second half of my studio practice. I made the decision to paint on roughly metre square sheets of calico instead of wooden boards for a variety of reasons, mainly that I very much like the appearance and feel of raw cotton calico and how paint takes to its surface, and practicality as it is much easier to acquire and transport paintings on rolls of calico than it is hefty wooden boards. In this new start I was to lean into more painterly aspects in my work with more free brush strokes and mixes of colour, as well as more layered and interesting mark making with graphites and oil pastels for different textures. 

Today I began by buying my calico and setting to work primining it with some white household paint from pound land, which is not only cost efficient but also effective. (Picture below) 

As you can see from the picture above I didn’t want to drench the whole sheet in paint because I wanted some of the raw calico to still be visible and untouched for the time being. This also serves as an experiment of sorts to see if there is any difference in the paint that goes over it on the parts primed and unprimed. 

After priming I set to making forms on the calico, first with graphite to get the basic form down then going over them with a thick stroke of oil paint. I like the organic feel of the two colliding ovals I painted as they are abstract but I felt the resembled cartoonish eyes, but as people walked past and pointed out to me the forms too look like some form of penguin, also a pair of testicles. But at this time I am trying to not attach a likeness to them in an attempt to not sway the direction of the piece. I decided to paint around the forms with grey paint for a background and then some white paint in the centre of the ovals for slight depth. I enjoy these pieces coming together piece by piece as I can slowly see a direction for this painting, albeit vague at this point, but an element I like is the marks made by the graphite still benign visable behind the oil paint ovals as it gives the piece a movement and energy.

 (Pictures Below)

A point of inspiration for this piece are the paintings of Don Van Vliet, also know as Captain Beefheart. His work implements a kind of chaos and abstraction I seek to implement, as well as tick lines of black paint that seem to disperse in a fading way as you can see shading of black off of the line is of the brush is nearly out of paint to spread and spreading the little it has left. This can be seen in my work above. I will attach some image example of Don Van Vliet’s work below.

I take inspiration from this work in the way the paint is applied to the canvas, looking closely you can see parts that haven’t been covered and this imperfection makes the work intriguing. The way the paint is mixed also evokes a beautiful imperfection because rather than perfectly mixing the paint into a seemless blend there are mixes of other colours and fading parts that blend with the background colour which makes the painting much more enticing, it is this kind of colour mixing I seek to implement in my work. 

More Later 

Lots of Love 

John Hancock X