Final evaluation and images: An exploration of the natural world:

During this project, it was my intention to explore the beauty and intricacies of the natural would around me. I wanted to explore themes of nature, harmony and the ways in which we interact with the world around us. Within my own art practice I have always gravitated towards more natural themes, processes and colours and I found that this project was a good opportunity for me to explore this on a deeper level. 

To begin this project I started with more traditional processes such as sketching and painting, and I was able to use and explore a variety of mediums including oil, acrylic and water colour paint, charcoal, card board, paper, photography and cyanotypes. For the first steps of this project I primarily focused on photography and took trips to places Attenborough Nature Reserve, Skylarks Nature Reserve, Holme Pierrepont, Devon and even included images from a previous trip to 'Gaping Gill' in Yorkshire. These images helped me to build the foundations of my project, I was able to look at colour schemes, compositions and compare different landscapes and sceneries to each other. These trips allowed me to experience the nature around me in person, and I was able to take note of my thoughts and feelings which would heavily influence this project. I think that taking initial research trips is always important for me as they impact my ideas and thought processes, allowing my project to flow more freely and develop with intent.  These images also served as references for some of my early paintings. A goal of mine throughout this project was to work on my fundamental skills as an artist which is why my early work included drawings and paintings. As an artist I think that the fundamentals are important and as someone who gravitates more towards the abstract I saw the beginning of this project as a way to help develop these skills. I looked at artists such as Alexandra Ghimisi and Wilhelmina Barns Graham, with Ghimisis work I was drawn to her sea scapes and use of colour, for Barns it was her compositions. I Hoped to explore these elements within this project and I did this by creating acrylic seascapes and waves as well as delving into more abstract collage. 

Moving froward and away from sketches I wanted to explore composition, colour theory and mixing in more depth. To do this I researched artists such as Willian Turner, who was a leading artists in the Romanticism movement and looked at his work on the National Gallery website and Dora Cannington's work on the Tate. As much as I like Cannington's work and her use of bold colours I found myself far more drawn to Turners work. I took inspiration from him and used watercolours to create a series of of bold landscapes, I experimented with composition, colour mixing and different techniques such as applying a coloured wash as a base and using salt to create texture within my work. After a tutorial and Perry review I receives feedback that I should look at different painting techniques and as a response to this I experimented with the impasto technique and acrylic pouring which I found interesting but ultimately didn't progress any further with. During this time of experimentation I found myself feeling a bit lost and uninspired, I was trying different processes briefly but nothing seemed particularly interesting for me and there isn't seem to be much evidence of progression. Because of this I was no longer keeping to my time plan and I wasn't updating my blog either. This was a difficult time for me and at some points I felt defeated, I tried my best to stay as positive as I could and by talking to my tutors and fellow course mates I was slowly able to get back on track and find my motivation. 

Over Christmas I decided to look back on my work and the artist research that I had done. Particularly at two photographers Joe Cornish and Adam Burton. Both of these are UK based landscape photographers and in the images that I had analysed of forest landscapes on their respective websites stood out to me. It was at this point that I being to focus on trees and layers and explore ways in which I could depict these things. While looking back at my own sketches I found that I enjoyed my portrayal of birch trees, I was drawn to the contrast in the black and white tones and the smooth curved lines and forms within the work. moving forward I allowed this to be the focus while progressing further into my project. I began by working with cardboard which I was able to get from my workplace for free, I wanted there to be an element of sustainability to this project, as part of my theme and initial intentions was to explore the way in which we, as humans, impact the natural world. I also intended to explore how artists could make their own practice more sustainable by using eco friendly materials. Cardboard is reusable, recyclable and environmentally friendly which fit in well with my project outline. I used this to create a basic scene of birch trees against a black background and after a conversation with my tutor I decided to develop this idea into a diorama. I did some research and found a particular artists that I liked named Andreas Rousounelis, however his work was far more realistic and detailed than what I had imagined for my own work, I didn't think that I would be able to achieve the same realism while using cardboard and after looking at his work I decided to go in a slightly different direction, I leaned away from realism and into a cartoonish and fun style. when looking at the result of this choice I found that the work was successful and had a charm of it's own. 

While using cardboard was interesting I did find it difficult to manipulate, it was hard to cut through using a craft knife or scalpel and I wasn't able to effectively portray smaller details as they seemed to come out rough and untidy. I showed my work to my tutor and they suggested using black mount board to create these scenes instead, which the main idea that using mount board would result in a smoother finish. Not only did this new material allow me to portray smaller details with ease but the entire process was much swifter. This was one of the main benefits and reasons I decided to carry on with using mount board, as at this stage of my project I needed to be as time effective as possible. Another advantage to using the mount board was that it was  biodegradable and therefore still fit within my intentions for this project. While using the mount board I was pleased with how efficient the overall process was, I scored into the top layer with a craft knife and was easily able to peel off the necessary sections, I found that I was able to make multiple of these pieces in the same time that it would take me to make one piece using the card board. 

To develop my work even further I had another one on one tutorial. We discussed my current work and some of the previous cyanotypes that I had made, my tutor suggested perfecting the cyanotype process and using my early photography to create them. However, I voiced my concerns that this wouldn't give me enough evidence of progression within my project and I wanted to keep doing the mount board process. Because of this we decided to brain storm some ideas on how to combine the two processes and we came up with the idea of putting my scenes onto acetate and then turning them into cyanotypes. I thought that this would be a successful way to combine two processed that I enjoy while also developing my work even further and allowing there to be a clear line of development throughout my project. I believe that the use of cyanotypes still fits within my project intentions, not only do they need UV exposure to form the images, the chemicals used are lower in toxicity than other printing and photography processes and once exposed that chemicals are completely stabilised. I looked at artists such as Rosalind Hobley, Meghann Riepenhoff and viewed their respective websites and portfolios to see the different ways cyanotypes can be portrayed and to better understand the process, which I believe helped me when making my final pieces as I took inspiration from their use of tone and composition. While speaking to my tutor we decided that I would make six different scenes, which when displayed, would create a a uniform grid. While making, I wanted to push further and show experimentation with composition. I was concerned that there wasn't enough progression within this project and so I used this final stage to experiment further with layering and depth, choosing to overlap different acetates to create a variety of scenes. Because of this I gained three more cyanotypes which not only gave me more pieces to work with but also allowed me more freedom when choosing how to exhibit them. 

For my final outcomes I think that the most successful aspects of this body of work were the tones, forms and compositions. The three layered scenes were not only inventive but I believe that the technique of layering created a sense of depth that wasn't present within the other works. The dark, royal blue was bold and varied across each piece, creating lighter and darker sections. These tones allowed there to be movement within the work, like a rippling surface of water. This paired with the clean and curving lines within each piece created a sense of harmony and allowed my body of work to be cohesive and put together. 

When it came to exhibiting my final body of work I decided that a simple approach would be best. The cyanotypes themselves were already eye catching and I believe that if I was too experimental with the layout it would take away from the work. I used command strips to set up my work on the wall as the paper was light enough there not to be any risk of them falling off. However, one issue that I came across was that the paper seemed to curl forwards making the display look messy and unfinished, and so I fixed this by adding more strips onto the corners to hold them down which worked really well and allowed for a professional final display. I chose to display my work in a grid formation in rows of three, so that the body of work would look professional and uniform. The layered images lined up so that they formed a diagonal line through the display, due to this they would be the centre and focal point of the work. I displayed my work on a white painted board, as I wanted the blue tones of the work to stand out, I didn't want anything to take away or distract from the final work and I believe that this was successful. I love how the final display looks, the work is exhibited neatly and the work is clear and professional. The colours stand out and the images and compositions are evident. 

Looking back I believe that this project has been a learning curve for me, I found my self struggling with the written aspect more than I have done previously. but with the help of my tutors I believe that ability to critically analyse my own work and others has greatly improved. I attempted to delve into processes and use media that I am less skilled at such as charcoal and watercolours, and I think that I have not only gained more skill within these areas but this has also improved my overall art practice and opened up my options for future projects. I would like to further my skills within my FMP by experimenting with new processes such as textiles, and I will take my experience of working through periods of being uninspired to stay on top of my studio practice and blog as I believe that falling behind on my written work was one of the main elements negatively affecting my physical practice.