What have I been doin????

It has been a while since I last posted something on here,  that does not mean I have not been creative though.  I have been quite the opposite actually.  Making lampshades, drawing, sewing, weaving and playing around with my photo editor.  Its all been very colourful, monochromatic and a 3 dimensional exploration of what I can do with just about every idea that pops into existence.  

I've been recycling old clothes into something new, I learned how to weave them into strips and then sewn them together into a round thing, first of all I'd set out to make a round rug.  Not realising that strips repeatedly sewn around themselves, would not remain a flat piece unless I put some kind of support on the back.  So as it rounded on its self I decided it was evolving from a rug to a bag. in the midst of this project which is on going.

I have also been doing a bit of portraiture, started with a portrait of my Brother and his Wife,  for their wedding anniversary present. 
I created a couple portraits made up from within to practice skin tones and rendering of the tonality on the face. Ive been drawing a portrait of myself and my Fiance.
One of the many things I have learned from delving into a bit of portraiture is that I've not to narrow down my ability's by thinking I cant do it.  For years I have said to myself that I cannot do portraits, that I'm not good enough, which stopped me from trying at all, which hampered me in my creative development.

I have told myself that I can only do one type of Art, which has stumped me from moving anywhere else in my creative exploration.  Now my mind is more open to just trying things out and not getting stuck in one place with my art.  I am finding that I can just about do anything I set my mind on.
The feeling is awesome knowing I make something from nothing.

I have been making sculptural style lampshades inspired by the wire sculptures I done during my HNC Contemporary Art Practice.  I have created 6 experimental pieces.
Firstly using bamboo sticks masking tape and paper machie with wall paper and wallpaper glue just to see how these would behave.  Then I moved on to wire as I love manipulating the wire into many forms.  I created an inverted shell like spiral frame, which I then used cling film, tissue paper and pva glue to make the shape part.  This medium does take me back to my routes as a child at school, getting very stick and messy. There are no rules to how this is done it can be smoothed together or just crushed on, depending on what kind of texture you want.  The glue once dried between clingfilm and the paper  makes a nice affect when aluminated. 

After this I decided I wanted to make a secondary spiral frame with an edge on the bottom of the frame, to create a lip inward on the lampshade, this was made more like an actual shell with the sides plumming outward rather than inward. 
I experimented just with the paper and glue alone casting it over a ball and a balloon. This has inspired me to create more shades just from the paper and glue.  With enough layers it will be strong and sturdy enough.  I had tried out some old dress fabric on a small bamboo frame I'd made but felt that it wasn't what I was looking for.  Maybe I could go back to that one. 
Upon putting up my second wire frame to see if it would hold onto the light cable, seeing the pattern it made on the ceiling.   I realised that I can also play around with how the light it cast around the room, through how I design my shade. 

Playing around with the wire I have used glass beads and crystals to create some pretty window hangings.  Then I made some tooth brush holders with the same idea of the crystal hangings. Using the idea I had for my shades to hold on to the light cables.  Using a coil of wire that can be tighter or looser depending  on what I decide it's purpose to be. 

My ideas are evolving constantly the more I create and produce. There are some other things that I'm working on just now which I will share upon completion.  The only thing about having all these ideas, is that I can often find myself overwhelm with too many projects at once.  So I have to pace myself with them.  Definitely should get them down on paper or sketched down,  this would be very beneficial for my future studies which lie ahead.   

Disassociation

Playing around with images

Board I find myself taking photos of myself as one does with their handheld devices these days in the land of selfy's and what not.  Anyhoo I found it boring to do just the same old thing so I thought try something different. 

Obviously the first pictures where fairly the norm before my Art head kicked in an said why not.... Take photos of my face extremely close up at awkward angles. Strange I guess but not so after playing around with this.So this is where I figured out how to play with my photo editor on my phone a bit better and create some ideas. Below you'll see a series of pictures I've played with and all the while I was thinking of how I can use it to disassociate the subject from what it is.... IE I could turn some of these into bodyscapes like the works of Allan Teger or John Poppleton. 

So here above you can see a bit that the face is now starting to look like it could be something else.

Here its been mirrored and looks like some sort of Alien creature. 

So just by changing the tone and playing with the mirror effects on my photo editor you can see that some ideas are born....  There are no limits to what can be done.

In this last image it is clear there is no connection with the human face.  To my mind as the Artist I am aware that it is a self portrait but the viewer has to make up their own mind of what it could be.  Which is totally my favourite thing to do. If you have seen any of my other post you will recognise that of course. But if not and this has drawn you in... Do keep checking this blog out for further development.

Sewing

I have decided to have a go at learning textiles.  I have dabbled in this before, but now I'm learning much more.  so I found an awesome site with loads of sewing tutorials (www.allfreesewing.com)  This is the first one I've had a go at.  I done this with an old bed spread.

Making Peace with Myself

Nude Self Portrait Idea

I have decided that in order to make peace with my body, to which I have a negative view of.  I will draw and paint a series of nudes, done from photographs.   Here is my first one in pastel on A2 paper.  Without my ink though as I feel that this would take it away from the classic nude theme I want to create, also it depersonalises my drawing from my photographic image.  This one is me kneeling on my bed to which I have adapted the background.

 Food for thought

As almost every woman and man on the planet are subjected to media portrayals of how we should be.  We are quick to look at ourself's with a critical eye then make ourself want to be something that is unattainable. Such as the supermodels with air brushed faces, or the Male model with painted on abs. 

Behind the camera's and lights, filters not to mention the layers of make up, they are superstars that everyone aspires to be.  

Yet when the spotlights off they are like everyone else, we are all only human, we come in all shapes and sizes.

So many people are affected by these super imposed images.  Its all to do with capitalism.  What can make the most money believing in yourself?  Or believing in material image?  Who are we without our things? Clothes image? We are all only human.

Life has many branches

Here is a mixed media collage with mirrored mosaic border 16" by 12".  Using varius elements to create my colourful textured background.  That contrasts against an bold silver tree, almost 3 dimensional.  I aimed to make it look as realistic as I could within the parameters of my chosen mediums.   My inspiration was a dream where I had to make a silver tree.  I did not know why or what the meaning of this could be but I had to set out on the mission.   The answer came clear to me throughout the creation of this.  As you can see my motto above the tree, also you can make your own mind up about what this peice means for you....

The Mind Ponders

Allot of thought have crossed my mind on how we are as a society these days, how we differ from our ancestors from many moons ago.  As technology grows at a vast pace we are evolving in a strange way unlike any other evolution on this planet.  At what cost do we owe our advancements on this earth,  we may not pay the heavy toll today but future generations will,  socially and environmentally they will suffer.

A strange obscure disconnection is happening within our society, as hyperspace thrives within every home we connect to another world built from cables and circuits.  There we seem free from the constraints of reality, able to depict ourself in a better light.  Anyone can become anything in this place it is wonderful yet terrifying.

It is believed by some that we do not need such devices to be connected that we are all connected by the cosmos.  Is every being connected through a higher power.  Could we have de-evolved ourself s through our technological advancement?  Through our systems, rules and regulations.  Stamping out creativity, that the mundane every day would deem a bit far fetched?

Battling with thy self!

So I'm hell bent on getting a handle on portraiture, I figured the best way to start is with my own portrait. As I have done before.
I feel that as an artist, being able to do a self portrait successfully is a big part of self acceptance....

I have started using a mirror, which is why I look peaved off in them due to my frustration venting throo the drawings but guess it's a part of the proccess.

First study in stages starting with biro pen, blue ink an then white oil pastel.
Second study is a more loose biro scketch which I then built up on with oil pastels. Using layers to create form.
I also found that using the tale end of a paint brush to scrape back the layers of pastel proved very effective, as you will see in the close up I took....