Last week I shared some studies I was working on, offering you an insight into the artistic process.
So perhaps you are wondering, why I did these studies. It might seem like a lot of wasted time and effort. If wanting to make a living or making money is what it's all about, then you could consider that they aren't getting me very far down that track. In light of these thoughts, It is valuable to understand that there are different kinds of artists. You have the artist who is a brilliant copyist, He will usually work from photographs, or life, so the work is representational and also we could say it is reportage. What does that mean? It means often, that the work is about an appreciation of the object under consideration. For example that appreciation may be looking at the objects beauty, ugliness, relevance, or some other thing. - Check out this artist below .....
His process is different to an artist whose work is informed by their connection to either, place, an object or an experience. This latter process is how my work is currently progressing. I am examining a time and place in my life, that was transformative and meaningful to me and within that there is the piece of how I was influenced and connected to the landscape itself. In order to get to a deeper understanding of this, I am working through a series of small studies. Further to that, is an even deeper understanding of patterns and connections that keep showing up for me. I begin to unravel the mystery of what it is I am truly attempting to communicate. By using studies as a foundation for a later series of works, I have the freedom to think about, and emotionally connect to my meaning and what I want the work to express. Studies show me what is working in relation to my intention, and what is not.
To this end I have reworked the paintings I did last week. Some of them have arrived at a successful conclusion and can be translated into larger works later on, if I decide they are worthy of being included in the series that will go on to exhibition.
Others are still requiring a little attention. I'm showing you here the painting I did last week alongside how it looks now. This way you can see the improvements for yourself.
This helps you then understand the value of doing studies. Because the works are only small, 30 x 30 cm they do not take me that long to do, and also allow me to get a sense of what a bigger work would be like.
After that, this week, I worked on a new image, which is going to need a significant re-work, I suspect!
Next week - More on studies and the value of tonal studies