I wanted to explore painting in oil further after knowledge gained in the Painting Workshops as part of BA2a. I had been avoiding oils as I felt it was too technical, it as a hurdle I needed to get over.
This collaboration came about after a tutorial discussion and another student putting out the offer to collaborate. There are four of us in total, pairing up to work with a partner each, We each exchanged our own images and allowed the interpretation by the partner to see how they would take the image on and create their take on it.
Below is the latest work in progress.
This painting means so much more because of the openness of my student partner about her skin condition (Psoriasis), something she has been exploring as part of her practice but also allowing me to try to capture her vulnerability and struggle. I particularly felt tis when I was going through the image that were offered. Initially the images had been of hands and face but not of the skin condition and we discussed the idea about whether I could feature this and she was very happy to supply other images that although not intended for reference for painting they gave me a far better idea of the issue she has to deal with especially when it flares up.
The first thing I wanted to do was to work out what sort of composition would work best. I took several of the images and combined them to get over several aspects of the issue. The main image was key as I felt it showed the vulnerability of the subject as the top right shows her face in the mirror as she looks at her back after a severe flare up. It was this vulnerability but also connection as the subject is of a similar age to my daughter and you can really relate to how she must be feeling, especially in today's 'body image' world and the pressures the media and especially social media puts on everybody but in particular young females.
By using a combination of images I felt I could get over much more of the story and issue. I wasn't sure if I wanted the images to have sharp edges of to blur them more but in the end went with the hard edges to define the areas. I have yet to add the chain, I want this as a linking metaphor between the images. The one of the hands in the face was part of the original pic selection and sent to show skin and detail but everyone who has seen it sees it as a reflection of the condition and how uncomfortable it can be. I asked the subject about this and she agreed that it does have this sort of affect on you.
I also gridded the image, again not something I would normally do but I have seen this technique used and with it being figurative I felt it would be a good way to get the proportions accurate before tackling the actual painting.
This is only the second time I have painted in oils and the first time on canvas. I like a challenge. I had the canvas after putting it together in a workshop to understand the process and my daughter, who paints, had some spare Rabbit Skin Glue to prime it with. This worked really well and tightened the canvas up ready for the paint.
I also wanted to under-paint the image in acrylic to give it more depth and I knew that to use green was particularly sympathetic to skin, so I went down the verdaccio route. The actual images do have a lot of green and blue in them so this should work but I will also try using a reddy/brown one on another image. I do wonder whether I should have tinted areas with acrylic medium to warm them up but I think it will be fine.
There is more to do as I want to put in more detail, add the chain and see how it can develop. I want to do the subject justice and support her faith in me creating this with her images.
In order to make any collaboration work there is an element of push and pull, a responsibility to support the rest of the group. It certainly motivates me, it helps to have that little shove now and again to get things done and progress work, move things along.
All four of us have discussed creating a joint painting between the four of us. With Covid and restrictions of timing as the studios have to be left for the third year show now we may well create remotely from our own images and then digitally combine them to one layered file. I think this process could be very interesting and the outcome will be unknown which makes it even more intriguing.
The images of myself I have sent to be painted were very much looking at my skin, creases and wrinkles and the process of ageing. This is very much something I was wanting to explore before I started to look at languages, communication and disruption to networks, especially with my Braille work and beyond. Below is a selection of those sent, which is what I shall choose from for the image to create as the second part of our collaboration, which I hope will happen before too long.
The process of achieving these images was quite a challenge as they were quite physically demanding and to get the sort of image took several attempts. When you see yourself in a mirror you think that will be easy to capture but it wasn't the case. Images of your head and brow are particularly awkward as you can't see what the camera is recording or indeed what your skin is doing, it created a certain amount of the unknown. Also taking abstract images of part of your body in the right light and making them look recognisable but also abstract proved an interesting challenge. The flexing, the wrinkling, the pulling and twisting creating all sorts of compositions.
Below is the image created by my fellow student. They chose the top middle with me gazing through my hand. They also made it even more interesting by adding tissue paper to their canvas and painting on top of that, thereby adding to the emphasis of the creases and the skin texture. The square framing, colouration, palette and application of the marks are strong yet sympathetic. I believe and I have been told by those who know me that they have definitely captured me. I think it works very well and the focus of the eye draws you in.
I have also included the other work by the people in our group. These are more a traditional portrait format but this was how we decided to split the group. Both artists said it was a strange yet positive exercise to hand over their own images for someone else to interpret.
There is potentially so much mileage in this process and I hope we can continue to share images and collaborate in the not too distant future.