I had my first session with Paul Johnson, my personal tutor, on today. We looked at some of my previous work and talked about where I’ve come from and some of my aims and fears. I explained that having come to art late in life, I feel I have ideas, but am lacking in the skills and vocabulary to fully express them. Also I feel a need to be more loose, or free and expressive. I think my work is quite tight, controlled and inhibited.
Paul had looked at my web page and thought that my last sculpture in particular looked quite accomplished and confident. I do indeed feel more confident working in 3D with materials in my hands. I feel much more exposed in making a painting. From talking more around this it became clearer to me that I want to get a more direct connection with the ‘doing’, the more visceral part of making. Not necessarily with sculptural material, but more in the sense of letting the ‘doing’ be the thinking. Rather than the process being all about realising conceptual ideas that have already been thought through; – which is where a lot of frustration comes from in not having the experience or skills to readily articulate my vision.
We looked at the print work I’ve been doing and the black and white painting I’ve just started. With this I’m experimenting with ways to develop a sense of space and depth. I’m interested in how I might do this using light and pattern.
I also talked about ideas for 3D work, where I want to develop my ideas for using the surface of a sculpture to make a ’painting’ on. Making mysterious ‘spacious’ worlds in the painting whilst the sculpture presents a definite form in the here and now.
Paul thought my work generally showed confidence, and suggested I have more vocabulary than I might think and not to worry. I just need to try as many materials and techniques as possible; experiment and produce stuff. Things will come. He also suggested I should go big. He thought my work looked like it wanted to be bigger. This is interesting because I have thought I want to make much larger work. Paul suggested I set my Work In Progress seminar (scheduled for late Nov.) as a target, and make as much stuff as possible to show.
So, talking with Paul has given me some confidence, and helped refine my plan for the semester: I’m going to focus on experimenting with printing and painting. I’m going to work on the black and white painting in a slower, more considered and deliberate mode; using glazing and wet techniques to gradually build up subtle layers in order to experiment with developing a sense of space coming forward from the canvas, with light emanating from within. I have a rough composition in mind for this. I’m also going to attempt to make a more spontaneous, improvisational painting without any preconceived idea of the outcome. I want to explore my intrinsic response to colour with this. This one will be a challenge.
This is a linocut and the black and white painting I’m currently working on:
