The final lesson in Jane's class was to create your own lesson.
Inspired by the map-like lines and grids seen here
on Flickr , I challenged myself to explore lines and grids in a square format.
Parameters:
Paper size-9x9 or larger squares
Explore map-like grid-lines with layered opaque and transparent paints. It is okay to obscure parts of the "map".
Concentrate
on rectangular/square shapes allowing for some "not quite
square"shapes.
As I worked through my parameters I
realized that square paper feels weird to me and 9x9 feels small. I will
definitely take this lesson to larger paper in the future, but my house
is torn up (new kitchen) and I barely had room to work on 9x9s...That
being said, this lesson was soooo satisfying. I started with my squares
that I set forth in the guidelines, but then realized that what I was
craving from Anne-Laure's work was the super fine quality of some of the
lines. Once I figured this out the lesson became more of a study of
fine line work in grids and squares.
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| 1 |
This one was a very literal interpretation of my original intention. Starting with black was fun.
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| 2 |
The incised lines became my favorites and I explored the technique in all of the pieces.
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| 3 |
Number 3 has more map-like qualities. The dotted lines remind my of Billy's journey in the Family Circus cartoon.
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| 4 |
More incised lines that define the shapes within color blocks that do not have hard edges.
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| 5 |
Getting my groove here in #5. I could probably stand to cover up the yellow/orange in the upper right corner some more...
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| 6 |
Working with fine lines incised and drawn on top of layers.
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| 7 |
In my search for a thinner black line, I added thread to #7. This is definitely worth pursuing deeper.
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| 8 |
Decided to try some of those super bright colors in #8. Pink under lime green makes such an awesome contrast! Love it!
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| 9 |
#9 was another start on black. After painting over
with opaque salmon and transparent pyrrole orange I extended some of the
lines that had been partially wiped out. It ended up to be a nod to
Eric Carle's hungry hungry caterpillar~~smile~~.
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| 10 |
When looking at my inspiration pieces again, I was
taken by the hints of lines under a white over-painting so I figured out
how to create the look for myself.
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| 11 |
Did I manage to stick to my lesson? I think
so...9X9?..check, map-like grid-lines?..check, opaque and transparent
layers?...check, mostly squares?..check.
Do I think these are completed pieces? Nope, but I did learn a lot and had fun!
I am super proud of myself for actually doing most of this workshop (on time even...). I only missed completing one lesson and I'll go back to that one.
If you ever have the opportunity to take a workshop with Jane Davies, either in person or online--DO IT!
Copy of Jane's comment from the class blog for my records:
ReplyDeleteJane DaviesNovember 14, 2016 at 11:07 AM
Oh, Mandy, these are STUNNING!!! I'm impressed not only with the pieces themselves, but with the range of color you explored. You definitely stuck to your lesson (in my live class "series as process" I ask students to choose one or two pieces by an artist they admire and use it as the inspiration for a group of pieces; it is as simple, and as complex, as this lesson you have given yourself). I think many of these ARE complete, or almost so. You could TWEAK any of them: go back in and use drybrush to develop the color areas, or do slight veiling over parts of the lines, etc. You were in Big Fat Art, and I'm pretty sure I did a Tweaking demo.
Fabulous work!
I don't know why I didn't comment on this before, but these are great!! #9 is my favorite, but I really love the lines on all of them.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to come up with my lesson 10. I want to do something with value maybe, but need to be more specific.