EXPRESS

At the beginning of my journey I started out doing some quick sketching of inanimate objects. It was a quick 30 seconds observational drawing. This exercise helped me to loosen up. I later came back to it and added more tones and shading as it should have been according to the question I chose to do for this controlled assignment; Closely Observing.

Next, I drew a close observational drawing of a dried-up rose.  First, I drew the outline with a dark blue chalk. I started filling up the petals with various coloured chalks such as cerise, crimson, orange, yellow and green. By smudging, the colours blended together to create a harmonic balance. Later on, I added thin layer of white emulsion to make it look faded.

(White emulsion on top of the chalk)

Next, I wanted to work on the tones and texture. Hence I picked the piece of wood whose bark was dry, rusty and had rough surface.

(The white paint on the wood)

I started out by drawing out a rough outline of the shape of the wood by the charcoal. Gradually, I began to add tones and shadows both inside and outside the outline. In addition to that, to show the details of the wood grain, I used 2B pencil to sketch out the lines.

Then I gently applied tea-stained water on top of the drawing. I also added some white paint on certain places as it was on the wood.

(Small details covered by the pencil)

At the very next page, where the outline of the wood was drawn, colours from the rose from the opposite page transferred. On top of that, I drew the outline of a crumpled paper.

(Before drawing the outline of the crumpled paper)

(The crumpled paper taken into account)

After drawing an outline of the paper, I brought colours to the page by the usage of ink.

(The red ink was used to make the crinkles of the paper. Later on, I applied a diluted red ink over the red ink.)

(Blending two colours together: red and yellow using water as a medium in between. Also blending these colours together gave out a lovely orange colour)

(For the middle part of the photograph, I just used a wet brush and gently mixed it with the outlines made from the charcoal to create such a husky fill.)

(Just as before, replacing two colours with three: blue, green and yellow, I mixed them together to create a harmonious composition. I also used blue and yellow to create green.)

(A lighter wash of ink of different colours.)

  After doing a set of experiments, I began to research for some artists that could possibly shed some light on how to advance further. It could be in the way of new techniques or the interpretation their respective paintings gave out. I found one such artist that inspired me, and that person was Manish Lal Shrestha.

Artist: Manish Lal Shrestha

Born: 12 November 1977

(Click here for his official website)

***

Critics have high praises for him, he has won countless awards and he firmly believes in his philosophy, and this person is Manish Lal Shrestha.

As Mukesh Malla (an art critic) says, Manish is a clear example that age is not a bar regarding the accomplishment of creative wisdom, for he, in a young age has achieved such art insight that amazes and captivates all. 

Manish Lal Shrestha is an energetic visual artist who through his versatile creative vision and inspiring works has been able to ascertain a personal space of his own in the contemporary art ambiance. He graduated from Sir J. J. School of art, Mumbai in 2001. He represented modern motifs in his art works that set him as one of the pioneers to explore Post modern Tendency in Nepal. The post modern movement emerged in Nepali contemporary art scenario in 2000. Since then, he has time and again proved his prominent potential as a conceptual artist and created series of art works through his influential brush stroke, perceptive material selection and dominant ideas.

Title: Sound of Existence (2009)

MIxed media on canvas

72.00 x 72.00 in.

Manish Lal Shrestha states “life without sound is worthless” and this particular affirmation has become the primary aspect in his work. He commenced his initial exhibitions with unconventional theme, painting a series of works on sound (Sound of Hope, Sound of Silence, Sound of Intimacy, Sound of Wisdom etc), and still the reverberation continues with great precision and clarity on his canvases.  Manish Lal Shrestha is highly recognized as one of the influential artists of younger generation and thus he has been decorated with various awards from Nepal Association of Fine Arts. Several national and international solo exhibitions to his credit, his reputation are that of young creative genius.

***

To summarize, the artist I found was a contemporary abstract painter. His colours spoke out for him, and he had a message to deliver through it. It was very far from what I started at; Closely Observing, but after seeing his collection of works I began to develop more interest in abstract art and the world of colours. I abandoned my previous topic and chose a new one; Drawing for Purpose. At that period of time, I envisioned my work would be full of colours and more importantly, it would be able to give a message to the audience.

***

Artist: Manish Lal Shrestha

Title: Sound of Existence II (2009)

Mixed media on canvas

60.00 x 48.00 in.

Personal Description:

The colours are deep and entrancing. It sort of draws you in. How the colours blend with each other is also another factor that is captivating. How the deep brown and crimson comes together with orange to lighten the composition overall. It seems as if the darker colours such as the burnt umber blended excellently with orange is interrupted by a flow of brighter colours like blue and green around the middle. At the same time, a current of another mixture of colours (gold, orange) comes down in the centre. And at the bottom, a wave of red and red splatters tries to engulf the piece. Slowly and gradually.

It is an excellent painting. As for why I chose this; I think it suits my theme “Drawing for Purpose” very well. Shrestha here represents his philosophical message, “Sound of Existence”, or the importance of sound through the mesmerising colours and symbolic drawings. The sound being represented by the bells and marks.

***

Before beginning anything, I took of piece of white paper and glued it on the page of my sketchbook. After letting it dry for quite some time, I pour out a little water on top and rub it till it starts to wear down and come off. Doing this, the paper looks worn out and authentic. 

When I’m satisfied with it, I work towards the colours. In here I made use of ink.

(As the two photographs above, three colours are used: blue, green and yellow. Green being the most prominent.)

These were blending the colours together to bring out a well-composed composition using ink.

***

Next, I used acrylic paint. Using the same starting point as the last one mentioned above (gluing paper), I first used orange the lightest and the brightest of the three chosen colours: orange, red and brown. I applied it all over the page using a small sponge. Next, with the same sponge, I apply red and slowly blend it with the orange. 

*Note: I use the red when the orange paint is about half-dry. In doing so, it would be easier to blend both colours together compared to when it’s dry.

Using the same process, I now put on the brown paint. Also, in between I use orange and red, so the brown alone wouldn’t over power the other colours. It is a paint layered on top of each other. Finally, to emphasize the paper, I smudged white emulsion around the paper with fingers.

***

I worked with the different shades of green. However, the main focus was the emphasis on the movement of the brushstrokes. It has quite raw and rough feel to it.

 After working with just one, in the next page I continued to work with multiple colours. However, things didn’t turn out as well as I had planned in mind. It was just a step away from being too overwhelming altogether.

(Some parts is layered by a thin coat of PVA glue. It seals the colour and gives out a shine.)

***

I then did a set of experiments, where the background I worked in was lighter. One was putting burnt umber acrylic colour on top of a bright orange ink background. It process was done by sponge. On the other hand, I had a brilliant red as a background, and it was topped with burnt umber with swift brushstrokes.

At the end, both gave a different result. The background that had a bright orange background which was created by ink gave a much more bright and cheerful feeling. On the other hand, the red and umber together gave a deeper set of colours.

***

Using the previous work as an example, I experimented further with it. I first put a brilliant red as the background, and gradually and roughly blended it with burnt umber, and bit of black. It is as same as the previous one but the one thing I did differently was that I tore the upper layer of paper. I deliberately painted it with a completely different set of colours; blue and yellow. It is a much lighter and pops out of the deep dark background. The torn paper is glued back once again, and the whole page is sealed with PVA glue.

  (The shiny gloss from the PVA glue.)

***

In the next one, I first started out by gluing pieces of newspapers on the page. Then I took some colours; red, orange and brown. With the help of a sponge I blended these in a unison. I also used the sponge in a circular motion. It also traced the movement of my energy and transferred that in the paper. So far, I only used these similar type of techniques with the brushes. With the sponge I was able to cover large areas rather quickly compared to the brushes.

***

So far I was still working under the artist’s influence making different possible outcomes, and hence I decided to throw a twist to it. I began with gluing some pieces of old newspapers and small bits of cardboard onto the page. I then covered the whole page in black acrylic paint. I do it with the aid of sponge as it is much faster. When the whole page is covered with the black paint (except the one left untouched at the bottom of the page), I slowly add colours.

I begin by dabbing red on the white surface slowly rising to the black background. I repeat the same procedure with yellow, blue and green.

***

True, so far I have done many experimentations with colours and they were indeed going well. However, I still it needed a bit more extra push to finally make it there. Also, when one says drawing, it refers to a picture or diagram made with a pencil, pen, or crayon rather than paint. Hence, I began to look out  for more artist that could support my theme; Drawing for Purpose.

Artist: Sveta Dorosheva

From the set of illustration: Flower’s Former Lives

PURPLE IRIS:”I was a princess. I was tormented by haughtiness and avarice. Once a foreign prince asked my hand in marriage, and I rejected him like all other suitors. Bidding me farewell, he gave me a luxurious necklace with a winding mechanical gold bird and a huge amethyst. The necklace was poisoned.”

***

Originally from Ukraine and currently based in Israel, Sveta is a freelance illustrator working in the areas of narrative illustration and art for books.

Sveta enjoys traditional drawing by hand, most of her illustrations are works in paper. Her anachronistic style of illustration and symbolic imagery take strong influence from fairy tales, folklore and mythologies. She considers golden age book illustration to be a huge influence on her work, particularly the illustrations of Edmund Dulac, Kay Nielsen and Harry Clarke. Her research into medieval illuminated manuscripts further informs her visual narrative. Sveta’s intricate compositions reflect her fascination with medieval emblemata and bizarre grotesques. She uses a combination of manuscript decoration and modern day typography to create beautiful lettering and intricate handwritten illustrations. Her detailed illustrations are executed using pen, ink and watercolour or acrylics.

Visit the website.

***

I was very interested in the calligraphic words she produced. It was detailed but it had a funky vibe to it as if it reflected the artist’s own personality. I took one out of her many works and tried to retrace it.

(Click here for the link)

By doing so, I realised that it took much time to finish such products. It was very time-consuming and focused on tiny details. I began to try it in my mother language, Nepali, and found it very much interesting at how it turned such stiff alphabets into fun-looking shapes. I was very much impressed. Next thing I knew I had to was incorporate these letters with colours before I give any final verdict if I was going to further pursue this or not.

***

 Using sponge, I used circular motion to paint the back colour as my background.

With a clean sponge, I dab some colours on top of it around the middle of the page.

I use the edge of the sponge to dab the colours on. However this time it is much stronger and has a cylindrical shape to it. I begin with white emulsion, red and slowly work my way below to yellow. If any mistakes are made, I cover it with black paint and work over it again.

After drying, I came back to it to write. Nothing elaborate, just plain writing. I wrote it in two different coloured pens, one white and the other black. The black sort of vanished in the midst of the dark background, while white prominently stood out.

***

The procedure is the same as previous one, though it is done by spatula instead of a sponge.

***

Artist: Sandra Cinto

Untitled, 2011 (Casa Triângulo)

Acrylic and permanent pen on canvas

59 1/10 × 177 3/10 in

150.1 × 450.3 cm

Click the link for reference.

***

In her intricately detailed drawings, paintings, and installations, Sandra Cinto presents mesmerizing, engulfing images of the sea, sky, and natural elements as visual metaphors for the odyssey of life. Journeys fascinate Cinto. Though she has produced small-scale works, she is best known for her room-filling installations, covering entire walls with her graphic renderings of roiling waves, twinkling stars, or pouring rain. Central to all of her work is the cycle of life—her own and that of the viewers immersed in her imagery.

***

Using two sets of bright colours, I began to fill up the page. I started with red to orange to red again.

After dipping the brush in a black ink, I swayed the brush in a semi-circular motion to achieve the above result.

Looking closely, you could see the movement of the sponge in the colours. I traced those movement in lines. Some going with it, while other going directly against it.

I later added some words to it.

***

Using rather a big brush, I added colours on the page. Big bold strokes from the bottom left rising to the upper right in two colours; red and black.

I later added some white emulsion on different parts to lighten up the colours.

Now, after looking at Sandro Cinto’s work, it reminded me very much of mehendi. I personally loved to wear mehendi ever since I was a child. The floral pattern on your hands were marks of beauty that we used to wear in happy occasions such as the wedding.

So I tried different ways to experiment with the lines, making it into shapes, drawing patterns etc.

(Floral pattern)

(Repeating lines)

In addition to that, I tried using geometric shapes such as triangles and rectangles.

***

Since from the beginning I have mostly used acrylic paint as a base, I tried to use a different material. In here I used chalk in the background. I used blue and yellow chalk. The places where blue and yellow met created green in the border. Using my fingers, I gradually began to spread the dust of colours around the empty white spaces.

After finishing up, I used blue ink to make up a dripping effect. I very much liked the dripping colours that I did another one where black ink dripped on top of brown and orange background. It also slightly reminded me of Cy Twombly’s work in Quattro Stagioni: Autunno where I previously used him as a guidance in my previous coursework.

(Click here to access my evaluation on Cy Twombly)

***

I worked more on chalk related paintings after the previous ones. The chalk gave out a soft yet bright image that I became truly fond of. In here a blue background was layered with white emulsion to lighten it. I then used chalk on top of it to see what it looked like. The colours I used were rose pink, lemon yellow, green, blue and orange.

I later splattered some colour on top of it. The colour was a mixture of white emulsion, a puny amount of red ink and water mixed together.

***

I used a blue acrylic paint from the bottom corner of the right hand page, slowly rising upwards. It is done by the sponge. The red meets halfway, where the combination of red and blue gives out violet colour. The red spreads out further merging with orange at the end at the left edge of the page.

(White coloured ink is later splattered across the page)

Finally, I write the story on it. It is accompanied by pattern at the next page.

Drawing for purpose.

Next up was my prep work. After doing all these experiments, I decided to do it on a larger scale. I chose a wooden board as it will be able to withstand layers and layers of paint with any fear of it being wrinkled or torn. I did two prep work before my final examination.

I began by writing some Nepali words in charcoal. It reads as ‘Sati’ in English.

I put some glue on top of it. Taking some pieces of newspapers I glued it to the board.

Using spatula, I painted the board starting with blue, slowly rising up in green and yellow.

When the glue was half dried, I took the spatula and scrapped out the excess paper.

I then used white emulsion to cover up the whole picture.

Using a wet cloth, I wiped up some point of places from the board after the emulsion have dried up.

This is the second prep work. I start out by dabbing blue paint from the corner of the board, and slowing letting the yellow come in too. The blue and yellow together creates a lovely green in the process.

Next I added white emulsion in the same way.

Next, I added a layer of PVA glue on one part of the board.

 However, the colours shifted in the process.

While I was waiting for the glue to dry up, on the other side of the board I used black acrylic paint to cover up the remaining parts. By the same technique, I applied red, a bit of blue and yellow

Because the colour black became too overwhelming, I erased it using a wet cloth.

 And on the erased spot I used white emulsion to cover it up.

Part of it is done in circular in motion as done in my sketchbooks before.

 Next I used the splattering and dripping technique in blue ink, followed by yellow colour made from the mixture of white emulsion, yellow, and a bit of orange.

   Then comes an intricate detail drawing from a white ink pen. It consists of curved line, floral patterns and so on. I also made use of geometric shapes and lines.

 I also used pencils to draw some lines. It shimmers under light or shows up if looked up from certain perspective.

Words written in Nepali with a bit of English to accompany the story.

***

Using the strokes of brushes, I applied many colours to give out harsh energy movements on top of the white emulsion.

The colours were later more blended by using a semi-wet sponge on top of the colours.

(Using fingers to create shapes.)

Later on, I brought back the emulsion from the bottom to top to harmonize the painting overall, as the colours were standing too overbearingly.

Using the dripping technique in the colours of yellow, dark green and brown.

Painting some words to accompany the story of the painting.

I also made use of chalk as to draw out the patterns.

(Splatters of colours in blue and red.)

(Two prep work side by side.)

Doing the preparation gave me a lot of knowledge, such as how much time it is going to take in an estimate. Also, doing it in a very large scale was very time-consuming indeed. Hence, I decided to have a size similar to my second prep work (the smaller one) in my examination. I also liked the dripping and splattering techniques and will definitely be using those. Also, looking from both my work next to each other, it definitely has many usage of the colour white, and that will hence be transferred into my examination piece.

  ROMI RAI

At the very first session in September, we were asked what Art meant for us, and I said it was a path to achieve what I had lost.  I think we had had a humble start. The first few lessons were about drawing through observations. From the very beginning, we were given three topics to choose and that would be a theme we would be tackling in the future. They were, in no specific order: 1. Memories 2. Faded 3. Traces. In the middle of the art room, on top of the joint tables, an array of different materials were scattered around. Some hung from the ceiling as well. We were asked to draw a part of a section in front of us with much details as we could under two minutes. We were putting down everything we observed rather in a fast pace. It was, in my opinion, nailing the basics.

As we went on, we chose an object from the table that appealed to us. We would then take it and sketch it accordingly to what we witnessed. There were various things, all different in nature, texture and sizes. To give an idea of it was like, the collection was made up of old lamps, broken violin, rusted gears, pine-cones, old records, shells, empty glass bottles, broken pottery, dried pomegranate, and so on.

I think this was another step-up for all of us. Unlike before, where our focus was a part of a section of the table, with many objects lying on it, this time we would concentrate exclusively on only one article that we personally selected. This close observational drawing allowed us to dig deeper, and introduced the importance of the tones and shading. The tones helped to create a three-dimensional effect to give a realistic finish. I used pencils such as HB and 2B for sharp outlines and minor details to give a clean and clear line. On the other hand, I used less compressed leads such as 6B pencil that produces soft lines. With much of our work being about observations and detailing, we tend to constrain to make everything in order that we might forget the freedom present in art. Hence, we also performed some light exercises; sketching without looking at your paper, drawing from your less-dominant hand or drawing with a fist. There was also a group activity where everybody in the class chooses an item and places in front of them. They are given two minutes to jot down whatever they can. Next we all rotate clockwise, and I would end up in my neighbour’s place. We’re given 30 seconds to fill in the gaps. The time is short and limited, and hence, we tend to focus on the most important details. What should I do to make it look more like the original object in such a short amount of time? When the time is up, we switch places to left again and this rotation goes on about quite some time. I, being a perfectionist, found these activities really useful. It helped me to relax. I learned that getting everything in proportion or having the correct tones in the right places wasn’t always right. Bold, swift marks or the splatters of colours were all expressive and perfect in their own right way. These activities indeed helped me to broaden my horizon in viewing art.

As things progressed, we stepped into a new world of collage. Collage in simple words would mean an artwork made from assemblage of different forms and creating a whole new art. At first, we researched on artists such as Robert Rauschenberg as a reference. I, as well, went through many of his works before I primarily began to investigate his work in the Lotus Series where he expressed his experience of travel to China. In this section, I learned about the beauty of the simplicity. His work on the Lotus Series is hardly crowded. All of the series has about 3-5 photographs on each of them. However, they are well-composed and in my opinion, it is unified by its composition. And what I’ve come to know is, the composition of a piece can either make it or break it. As also reflected in the Lotus Series, Rauschenberg’s series of collages was brought together by sepia and monochrome composition. My favourite would be Lotus Bed ||, where the coloured photographs of different places and the symbolic lotus is brought together by the green colour. As I realised how important a composition could be, I began to research more on other artists such as Cy Twombly and Anselm Keifer. I looked at their paintings; Quattro Stagioni: Autonno and Seraphim respectively. Autonno, at one glance, would look cheerful because of blotches of bright colours such as red, pink and yellow compared to a darker composition consisting of black, brown and grey in Seraphim. Despite some differences, both these paintings have one thing common for sure. And that is the texture they created through layering. It could be the marks faded slightly or the colour becoming more prominent by the added layering. Either way, the finished product is bound to look more authentic.

(More detailed explanation about the following artists: Robert Rauschenberg, CyTwombly and Anselm Keifer.)

By then we were introduced to the format of the examination, and what was necessary to do. Nevertheless, before I made any final decisions, I experimented with different materials to help me understand what I would want to use. I worked with acrylic paints, oil pastels, watercolours, chalk, and charcoal to name a few. In the meantime, I had to search for an artist where I can relate my piece to, and could be inspired from. I found Silvio Pelissero. Born in 1991, she is an Italian painter and best known by the name agnes-cecile. Pelissero usually paints portraits for her pieces, and it is generally painted from a photograph which she chooses. She works with water-based colours like watercolours, acrylic paint and ink. She also paints with varnish for her drip-paintings. In my opinion, her paintings has a scent of delicateness and is always bursting with colours. It is hence very much appealed to an audience. To begin my project, I first began to experiment with water-based colours, such as acrylic and watercolours. Techniques such as gradation, wet-into-wet, dry brush were used so I could understand the uses of colours even more deeply. In the beginning, I was more focused on colours; blending of colours, layering them lightly on top of each other to create different results. Gradually, I added some old newspapers and painted over to create texture and three-dimensional effect from its creases it achieved from the water. I also work my way with dense colours like oil paint to produce expressive marks when I placed the paint with tools such as spatula. 

Later on, I became increasingly interested in drip paintings. I took an A1 paper and started to paint. For the colour, I used a white paint. However, it was too thick so I had to add water and mix it until I get a smooth batter like consistency. At times, I also added colours such as black and blue to produce a different shade of colour. I used simple tools like knife and fork or sometimes a stick to make the markings. I was very delighted as the marks it left after it dried had a smooth texture and it had pooped out from the paper creating three-dimensional effect. The marks were clearly expressive and showed the flow of energy I had used to make it. As time went by, I began to add charcoal and colours like ink to it to make it more personal and more animated. Overall, I was very excited and intrigued by this new form of artwork.

Meantime, I was also progressing with my water-based paintings. I definitely had failures, and it was mainly because I wanted to add everything. Unlike to what I had imagined, the paintings became overcrowded and at the end, it just fell flat. I also learned with experience to think twice before adding strong dark colours like black because it would later prove to be difficult to erase or improvise it. 

In my final piece, just like Silvio Pelissero, I painted a portrait from a photograph. She frequently uses female models. I, on the other hand, used a photograph I took couple of years ago. It was a photograph of my brother. It was personal and it would fit into my theme; Memories. I started out by taking an A1 paper where its border were already marked with the drip of a pale blue paint. I had painted it beforehand and hence, it was already dried when I started to sketch some rough outlines of the face and his facial features. After the sketching was finished, I began to paint features like eyes with lighter colours like washed up blue. I usually begin to paint from lighter colours to minimize the errors. Later on, I would add colours on top or blend it with different colours like yellow or red to give an abstract look. 

To summarize, overall I think my piece was satisfactory. The portrait was reasonably realistic looking with a feel of abstract into it in the form of the colours. It was exactly what I was looking for. The composition of the painting was unified by colours such as blue, green and yellow. I had undoubtedly performed better than my previous pieces, though I believe I still have more room to improve my skills in water-colours and acrylic paint. I would like areas such as eyes and nose to give out more details with delicateness.  There were also some parts of the painting that I was personally dissatisfied. The border of the paper marked with the turquoise paint was overlapped with the colours such as blue, green, and orange. In my opinion, it would be a great piece of work if it was on its own. Although, as a part of the painting, it drags the piece down. It looks very overcrowded at one certain area. Fortunately, because of the composition, as I mentioned earlier, the painting manages to lift itself up and work its way through. Once again the importance of a composition is shown. 

In the end, going through different experiments and referring to many artists as inspiration, I have got a full grasp of what I want to do. I would also keep in mind to avoid overdoing. These are some of the things I’ll be consistently working on to improve and move forward.

The main artist I chose; Silvia Pelissero, works on many regions from watercolour, to acrylic to ink. I would like to take on the watercolour myself. This water-based colour can be lightened or darkened according to the proportionality of the water and can create lovely layers.

The picture could be easily brightened by bold colours or give a gloomy feel by dark colours. It would be easy to manipulate the whole page by colours alone. Just like my artist, I would like to add more mediums of tools, such as pens and oil pastels to my piece. I'm still experimenting on more things like textures, drip painting before making a final decision.

As my artist, I would also like to focus on visual aspect; easy on eyes and something that could be understood by everyone.

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Above: l'assenza (absence)

Date: 2012

MAIN ARTIST: SILVIA PELISSERO, widely known as "agnes-cecile".

Pelissero born in 1991, an Italian painter, believes that it is important to create simple images, easy pictures to be appreciated by any kind of person. The abstract parts in her paintings are mixed with a strong realism that helps to approach also people that usually aren't interested in abstract artwork, by using the aesthetic aspect.

She see her paintings as pages of a diary, just as her personal use, and further adds that doesn’t want her images clearly describe her thoughts. Rather, she wants to spotlight the feelings that she felt, not the story behind it. Pelissero’s paintings are more of a reflection of her emotions, and her everyday life pushes her to paint and inspire.

Pelissero explains that technique and the ability to focus herself on what she wants is important. In that way, she would understand how to grow up in that way.

Silvia Pelissero usually paints human emotional portraits. She begins from human figure, adding lines and colours to achieve something approximately close to what she has in mind. She was interested how lines could make figures, and how figures could take forms; and hence all of her abstract in her works is an extension of the subject. At her start of her work, she had to try, try and try, make experiments and learn from those errors.

Pelissero most favourite tools are watercolour and varnish. She gives freedom to the tools, and she in the other hand, guides this freedom. Pelissero with a laugh adds, “I trust them.”

Title: Queen of Diamonds (2013)

watercolor, pencil and pen on watercolor paper (300g) 40cm x 60cm

Artist: Agnes Cecile

Real Name: Silvia Pelissero

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This is my from her participation to the most colourful deck of cards by Playing Arts Project.

Queen of Diamonds: http://playingarts.com/cards/agnes-ce... All the cards: http://playingarts.com

Artist: Cy Twombly

Born: April 25, 1928; Lexington City, Virginia, US

Died: July 5, 2011; Rome, Italy

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QUATTRO STAGIONI: AUTUNNO (1993-5)

ACRYLIC, OIL, CRAYON AND PENCIL ON CANVAS SUPPORT

3136 X 2150 X 35 MM FRAME: 3230 X 2254 X 67 MM

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Unlike Anselm Kiefer’s intimidating deep colours, Cy Twombly’s Quattro Stagioni: Autonno is very much different with his prominent use of white to represent light.

Quattro Stagioni (Four Seasons) is a cycle of four paintings representing the four seasons. Time, love, doomed desire and a prolonged unravelling are the themes. "Ah, it goes, is lost," he has scrawled in pencil on one of the four tall canvases that constitute his Quattro Stagioni. Though distinct and tasting of the different times of year - share a mood of decline, loss, consciousness of that which must pass.

Autonno is comprised of rich colours like the patches of deep reds and brown that blends together with smears of dark blue, violet and yellow. On the top left, stalks with berries come forth from a brown-black blotches. Including the stalks, round patches of red patches are extended towards the right, perhaps suggesting movement. Nevertheless, what it represents, it counterbalances the long verticals formed by drips. In addition to the colours, there are text In the painting. The most evident is the “Autunno” on top. Most of the text are too fragmented to be legible.

Both these paintings have a strong negative aspects to them. Kiefer’s painting had war, damaged land and prevailing evil attached to it, while Twombly’s theme was more about his personal emotions that he interpreted through the landscapes of his painting. However, overall their paintings had different interpretations to them.

Artist: Anselm Keifer

Born: March 8, 1945, Donaueschingen, Germany

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Seraphim (1983–84)

Oil, straw, emulsion, and shellac on canvas

126 1/4 × 130 1/4 inches (320.7 × 330.8 cm)

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The composition is dark and is gloomy. It is harmonized by dark earthly colour like burnt umber and black. It is also contrasted by light colours such as white and light grey. Texture and layering play a main role in this piece. 

In here, as most of his work, Kiefer uses references to history, mythology and religion which he often relates to modern history, particularly Germany’s Nazi era. He combines traditional painting media like oil with natural elements such as straw.

The most evident is the ladder in the centre that connects the two extremes; the dark and murky earthly tones with the lighter white / grey. The lighter part represents the heaven whereas the dusky colours which covers two-thirds of the piece looks worn out and old. It represents the war-torn earth.And incidentally, it is the track/ ladder that links these two. 

At the base of the ladder rests an injured coiled serpent. It symbolizes a fallen angel, and refers to the prevalence of evil on earth. One can also believe that Kiefer was influenced strongly being born right after the Second World War, and being brought up in an environment where people were just starting from scratch after the long nightmare.

Class (Observational)

Class

 Robert Rauschenberg

  Birth name       Milton Ernest Rauschenberg (changed his name to Robert because he thought it was more artistic.)

Born                October 22, 1925| Port Arthur, Texas

Died                 May 12, 2008 (aged 82)| Captiva, Florida

Nationality       American

Training           Kansas City Art Institute, Acadèmie Julian, Black Mountain College, Art Students League of New York

Movement       Neo-Dada, Abstract Expressionism, Postmodernism, Mixed media, Pop art

Profile:

Rauschenberg was an American painter and graphic artist whose early works anticipated the pop art movement. Rauschenberg was both a painter and a sculptor and the Combines (combination of both), but he also worked with photography, printmaking, papermaking, and performance. He has long been considered one of the most important and influential artists of his time, and has been an influence on the modern and contemporary art scene ever since.

Lotus Bed II (The Lotus Series), 2008

Pigmented ink-jet on Somerset velvet paper 60 3/4 in. x 45 3/4 in. x 1 3/4 in. (154.31 cm x 116.21 cm x 4.45 cm)

Edition 50

*Story: (extra)

In 1984, the Rauschenberg Overseas Cultural Interchange (ROCI) was established. It was an exhibition of over 200 works based on his visits and collaborations and was meant to provide a venue for the exchange of creative ideas between individuals from diverse backgrounds. It was an eight-year tour in many countries such as Mexico, Tibet, Japan and so on.

*Effects in China: (extra)

The (ROCI) exhibition at the China Art Gallery was open between November 18 and December 8, 1985. As author Zhang Zhaohui recalls: “The exhibition halls were crowded with people who felt refreshed by a totally new form of art that they did not quite yet understand. It served to excite young Chinese artists' enthusiasm to learn from him, and the show proved a stimulant to the nascent avant-garde movement. Overnight, a number of Chinese artists began producing 'ready-mades' and installations, and hundreds of avant-garde art groups and experimental art exhibitions appeared.”

  After the 1985 exhibition, Western art and theory began to influence students and individual artist groups. They began to discuss the role of traditional Chinese artistic practices in relation to recent trends in contemporary Western art. However, not all were in favour. Some critics blamed the invasion of Western art forms to ‘cheapen’ the contemporary Chinese art.

  Description & Personal Reflection:

The Lotus Series is concentrated in China and expressed as what Rauschenberg saw. The piece I have chosen is one of the many he created during his stay in 1985.

The Lotus Series has a feel of the past, by its monochrome and grey faded composition. On the other hand, I selected Lotus Bed II because it is exactly different from what I’ve just explained. Yes, it does have an aged feel to it; mostly because of the quality of the print. In here, Rauschenberg cleverly unites the piece by green to harmonize.

This particular two-dimensional collage is made of three elements. On the top is a water resource (possibly a large man-made pond) in which number of pink lotus buds is surrounded by floating lotus leaves. More profound green colour from the nearby trees is reflected in the green water at the far side, while the rest lightened up by the reflection of the blue sky. Upon looking closer you would be able to see the bank made up of concrete. And, further down is lawn of green grass.

The lower part of the picture is made up of two prints. The one with the small area looks like a close-range shot, and is blurred in the process. From what I observe, it appears to be a brick wall, and a concrete with bits of grass growing in between. However, this is just an assumption.

The last one with 4/5 of the space at the lower bottom, is a picture of an everyday life. From my point of view it appears to be a bus stop, as two boys and a man carrying briefcase seems to be waiting. Behind the man, and under the shade of a big tree (that takes the whole upper part of the picture), a lad is resting. On the lower right corner, you can see another man cycling towards the left-hand side of the picture.

At the background is a one storey building. It doesn’t look too old but the walls are grey. There are several posters pasted, one in white and two in yellow with printed Chinese writings on them. The building has no proper doors or windows, and has a huge opened gate attached to it. Hence my guess is that it acts as a barrier to whatever is inside.

This is a very straight forward and simple collage and the interpretation just slaps you in the face. It is concentrated in a theme where Rauschenberg describes his experience in these three elements by harmonizing the composition by the green colour. There is also a certain aura of calmness in the piece because of the greenery or perhaps the quiet atmosphere.

I could learn a lot from this. First, it’s the simplicity of its nature. Collage art can be a tricky thing, when you don’t know how much you should or shouldn’t add, especially for the beginners. Overdoing the details could lead to a disaster. Hence, remembering “less is more”.

I divided this work into three sections;

Along the roadside

Fabric and

Objects

1. Along the roadside

These set of pictures were taken in the evening. Alas, not much could be taken because of the weather. (Rain, rain go away. Come another day.)

These are all the minor things that we see as we pass by. Cracks in the walls, decaying leaves and the tattered signs.

2. Fabric

I thought the patterns were intriguing, and so were the different textures. 

3. Objects

These are close shots of personal belonging. These aren't just random photographs. They hold importance as it has a story engraved in it. Whether it might be an accidental incidents that led my dictionary to tear in half or a memento from a childhood friend. 

Artist: Zhichao Cai

Title: The Journey of Universe (2012)

Materials: (unknown)

link

Personal View: This is one of my favourite because it has all the elements I look for; imagination, creativity, colours and its whimsical attributes. 

Artist: Jonathan Wateridge

Title: The Wreck of Constitution (2007)

Materials: Oil on canvas

link

Artist: Keng Lye

Title: (unknown) 

Materials: Acrylic and Epoxy Resin

link

Personal View: A hyper realistic art or photographic art is an extremely difficult type of art (in my point of view) and takes a lot of time and effort compared to others.

I chose the above painting because it shows tone (the current research topic) to another level. I'm especially awed by how he created such tone to make us believe that there is a presence of water in the bowl.

Artist: Mary Jane Ansell

Title: (unknown) Year: 2010/ Title: Girl in Cocked Hat (Jan 2013)

Materials: Oil on Panel