Great opportunity for a making day with Claire yesterday - we agreed that we should initiate more sessions like this (probably Saturdays) over the next year where anyone can drop in as the real time feedback is so valuable. We spoke for 45 mins at the start, followed by an hour between 2 and 3, and later followed by an email exchange possibly to follow up at a later date.
I worked on the two main pieces for the first session, then some tweaks and my smaller experimental surfaces later. I have included pics from today and notes from feedback...
Attention to hands - articulated cylinders, easier to work observationally
The creases in the clothing work really well
Shadows under her feet are misleading - in particular the one on the right where the shadow appears to go over the toes
Palette knife works really well, particularly in the background forest
Need to get a balance between worked up and under worked - evidence of drawing
Light under dress needs to weight figure - would a shadow by cast?
Hair is flat at the back - perhaps needs a darker glaze to appear less 'cutout'
Landscape is jungle-like, Peter Doig influence is clear, shapes are good
Figures joined by hair/arm, seem to be peeling apart,something strange happening with the light
Difficulty with light - should it be dappled? not a tree canopy but surrounded by foliage
Weird wormy pattern on shorts, background, plaits work well
Clothing is meaty, visceral, like muscle fibres
Notes emailed from Claire:
I really like img2120 - something really interesting
happening there - v ambiguous - is she emerging from something (the
floor?), changing into something, being formed, or just getting dressed?
And different handling of paint to your usual work. Makes me think of
Michael Borremans in composition (although not in how the paint is
handled).
Img2121 - interesting luminosity coming through, love the gold and the aqua against the other colours, delicious. Img 2122 much darker, subtler, also lovely in its own way.
Img 2123 look as though it might become interesting, but hard to see what it is at this stage - a small shadow and big person with a cauldron? Quite fairy-tale-ish and dark.
Img 2118 - really like the sky at the top - the whole mood of the piece has changed, much more threatening. I can see the hands have been worked a bit more I think? But I can't see in enough detail to comment.
Img2121 - interesting luminosity coming through, love the gold and the aqua against the other colours, delicious. Img 2122 much darker, subtler, also lovely in its own way.
Img 2123 look as though it might become interesting, but hard to see what it is at this stage - a small shadow and big person with a cauldron? Quite fairy-tale-ish and dark.
Img 2118 - really like the sky at the top - the whole mood of the piece has changed, much more threatening. I can see the hands have been worked a bit more I think? But I can't see in enough detail to comment.
Reflection
This was a really constructive day of making. I would have spent the day making, regardless of interactions but checking in for dialogue was really useful. We were able to have very open conversations about how we perceived criticism and forums for giving feedback. Certainly, the making day set up gives real time feedback and allows you to immediately go and tackle issues which come up in the work which may otherwise be forgotten. Not a problem today, but it also made me think about how I had had to push through barriers of extreme discomfort in exposing work, and although this is not an experience that I want, the feedback and support that results from being open is invaluable.
One Month Reflection
This is another example of how the links and relationships that have evolved in the group have become a support network which functions in a more professional and objective way. I think my next step is to forge links with artists outside of the MA group with a view to maintain professional practice and having more local support and opportunities. It's important to remember the value of making days and use these to develop my ability to give feedback and talk openly about my work, without feeling vulnerable. I'm thinking about this as a possibility for working groups in the run up to the show so we become more interlinked. It is possible that the work will compliment each other and reflect our professional dialogue. Really exciting stuff!