Visits to South Norwood Country Park
I began unit 2 by visiting my local nature reserve, South Norwood ountry park. I took a walk around the country park while taking photographs of the things that interested me.
Visiting the Country park has been a way for me to gain inspiration throughout my artistic career and it is also a place that is important to me as I am very comfortable there.
My visits to the country park during unit 2 has provided me with excellent subjects to include in my art. The photographs I have taken, along with any future visits will continue to act as inspiration in my practice going forwards
Solo Show - Ways to install
I recently held a solo exhibition titled ‘Forests Myriad’ at the Turf Projects art gallery. This exhibition featured a curated selection of both new and previous works, including several paintings that were created during Unit 2 of my studies.
I aimed to showcase not just the evolution of my artistic style but also the themes that have shaped my work over time. The decision to hold this exhibition was driven by my desire to experiment with various installation styles for each piece. I wanted to explore how different arrangements could enhance the viewer's experience and engage them in new ways. Additionally, with our MA Showcase approaching, I felt that this exhibition would provide a good opportunity to test these ideas.
This experience in the gallery has been informative, pushing me to consider how my work interacts with various environments. The gallery itself featured an interesting space with both plaster and cork walls, which provided a unique backdrop that influenced the installation of my pieces. Each material presented its own challenges and opportunities for display, prompting me to think creatively about how to best utilise these surfaces to enhance the visual impact of my work.
I would like to conduct further research into different hanging fixtures, strings, and cords, focusing on how these elements can be used to suspend my work in new ways for my practice. Overall, ‘Forests Myriad’ was a good experience that not only showcased my artistic vision but also inspired a deeper inquiry into the physicality of my art and its presentation. I am looking forward to continuing this exploration as I prepare for further exhibitions and projects.
'Forest Myriad' Exhibition, Turf Projects
'Forest Myriad' Exhibition, Turf Projects
'Forest Myriad' Exhibition, Turf Projects
'Forest Myriad' Exhibition, Turf Projects
'Forest Myriad' Exhibition, Turf Projects
'Forest Myriad' Exhibition, Turf Projects
'Forest Myriad' Exhibition, Turf Projects
Moving from animals to plants with Batik
During Unit 1, the primary focus of my artistic exploration revolved around creating representations of animals through various mediums. I investigated the characteristics of different species, aiming to capture their essence and the unique traits that set them apart. However, as I progressed into Unit 2, I decided to shift my focus toward the wider natural world, particularly turning my attention to the depictions of plants. In this phase of my practice, I opted to use the batik painting technique.
I have created them by drawing on cotton fabric using both brushes and tjanting tools. The process involved applying melted wax to act as a resist to dyes and paints, allowing me to achieve intricate patterns. The experimentation extended further as I ventured into hand-dyeing these wax drawings; submerging the material in dye baths resulted in two-colour prints reminiscent of cyanotypes. Using wax resist and dye application provided me with inspiration for different ways to colour my work, enabling me to explore contrast and colour in a new way.
The plants that I chose to depict in these paintings were ones I observed in-person at my local nature reserve. I felt a strong connection to these plants, driven by their vibrant colours, unique shapes, or varying sizes. Each plant gave me a different feeling looking at them, and I aimed to show those feelings through my paintings. Before beginning this series of work, I recognised that my previous artworks in Unit 1 didn’t include backgrounds, which I wanted to try including in my work going forward. By focusing on plants in Unit 2, I was able to refamiliarise myself with the role that plants play in the environment where my animal subjects would typically exist.
To inspire my practice, I conducted research on artists such as Yinka Shonibare and Georgia O’Keeffe. Shonibare’s Dutch wax paintings were particularly interesting, as I discovered the historical roots of Dutch wax printing, which is closely tied to the Batik technique as it was introduced by Dutch merchants inspired by Indonesian Batik designs. This connection provided me with a deeper appreciation for the history of textile arts and how cultural exchanges have shaped artistic expression. Simultaneously, O’Keeffe’s iconic oil paintings of flowers sparked new ideas about composition and spatial arrangement. I began to consider how the placement and perspective of my subjects could alter the perception of my artwork by an audience, prompting me to experiment with various layouts in my pieces.
Engaging with plant subjects offered me a valuable opportunity to practice diverse mark-making techniques. As I used a tjanting tool throughout this process, it allowed me to draw more expressively. The intricate, organic forms of plants presented a broader range of possibilities compared to the forms of birds and insects I had focused on in Unit 1. This exploration led me to further observe the subtleties in the natural world.
The research I conducted into dyeing processes not only expanded my technical skills but provided revelations about the outcomes that can be achieved through different methods of making. I learned about the importance of material choice and how it affected the vibrancy and longevity of the colours in my work. Moving forward, I would like to use high-quality cold-water reactive dyes in my artwork. I found that water-based fabric paints tended to fade significantly after drying and heat-setting, leading to muted colours that may not align with my vision for vibrancy in my artwork.
In conclusion, transitioning from focusing on animals to exploring plant depictions through batik painting has not only broadened my artistic horizons but also allowed me to continue investigating my connection to the natural world. As I continue to refine my techniques, I anticipate further discoveries that will enhance my understanding and appreciation of both the artistic process and the subjects that inspire me.
African Jewel Beetle, Spray paint on MDF board, 22 x 30 cm
