Having survived the challenging Part Four, the Part Five research I ventured somewhat slowly to the exercises, not through the lack of interest in art but domestic circumstances dictated otherwise, resulting into plenty of soul searching and contacting the OCA ref deferring assessment to November, which was a great relief and help… Onwards!
This exercise was to produce a detailed painting of the plants and weeds in my garden or nearby environment. The images in the coursework text by Thomas Hall and Mimei Thompson were not that inspiring to be honest – Would I ever to be able to paint something as wonderful as the painting below by Albrect Durer? chances are no, but. What I did cling to is the coursework material saying from previous research – and that was my in… I think!
A Great Piece of Turf – 1503, Watercolour, Gouache and Ink on Paper, 408 x 315 mm
The above picture is revered as one of Albrecht Durer’s masterpieces, although developed as a study, to me the work is much more than this. The arrangement of the grasses and puddles are seen from the insects eye view and in some respects looks like an accidental photo rather than a cleverly composed one. Durer, to the contrary leads what seems to be a random snapshot of nature through a complex composition matrix. The tallest grasses divide the picture widthways into the harmony of the Golden Section. Ordered and proportioned , the apparent chaos loses its casual confusion. In its hidden symmetry, its an example of divinely created growth.
Following on from my research, I came to yet again the work of Maria Sibylla Merian for inspiration and produced the following painting of the Dandelion. I used HP Watercolour paper as the substrate with a thin wash of Light Red as a background colour, thinking brickwork as a backdrop for the flower.
For the painting, like Merian and Durer I used Gouache as the medium to work with over a detailed drawing based on a Merian engraving. Due to the warm weather I employed the use of a wet palette to help keep the paints moist and last longer. A device I use more for Acrylic painting but worked well and helped immensely.
Couple of hours later the above pictures show the final painting with a few detail shots from my phone. In the end I deliberately left out the brickwork background as I thought it had the potential to drown out the bright yellow of the Dandelion. It also shows a nod to the works of Merian and the relatively plain background of the Durer painting above which also has a Dandelion.
As an exercise, did I learn much? – possibly not just further practice with the Gouache medium and creating detailed work which I prefer, so kind of in the comfort zone with this one… Happy with the picture and should satisfy the criteria of the exercise. Another down and onto Exercise – 5:2
Steve Lowen 