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[artbyelana]

Working back into formative paintings !

So some of my feedback from formative crit was that the black one needed a bit more added to it, it was nearly finished but not quite there... So I went into studio today and reworked into it a little bit and added in some new mediums! I also added a tiny tiny bit onto the white painting because I want them to work together as one piece. I'm also doing this because I've decided to show these paintings in our exhibition for exhibition class!

^ The original painting before I added to it.

^ I first started off by sanding parts of it back using 2 different kinds of sandpaper. I focused this mainly on the areas where there were thicker bits of blue paint and sanded down to make them visible through the black paint. I then drew over everything with charcoal and also added a clear modelling paste/gel medium in some areas (the white stuff) and played around with a bit of black ink.

^ This is after some things are starting to dry so you can't really see the different shininess the painting has. But I added some more charcoal and then played around with a satin varnish liquid that was given to me (blue liquid down the right side). I was scared for a moment that it was going to stay blue but it did eventually dry clear and glossy! I added some ink to the gel medium in the middle of the painting, just to see how it would turn out. I'm really loving it so far! I think I am going to have to do a wash of watered down black paint at the very end to seal in the charcoal because otherwise it just gets everywhere... I might make it quite watery though so it doesn't cover too many of the new elements I've added on.

^ The gel medium in the middle is starting to dry! The glob on the right side might need overnight to dry though. The pictures always make the painting seem a lot lighter than it is in person, in person it's quite a dark painting.

^ I added a bit more ink in some places and then tried to cover all of the new charcoal drawings in a watery paint wash. This is right after I did it and hung it up so it is still dripping and doesn't look very dark but I'm looking forward to seeing what the final outcome it... think I'll go back and see how it dried tomorrow. I did use a papertowel to dab away some excess areas of wet paint on parts that I didn't want covered up as much so I hope it doesn't look too obvious. I also want to back back in with some sandpaper tomorrow and erase some parts - just to keep the push and pull going!

^ I know everyone said to keep the white painting as it was but I wanted to add a little bit of white ink and the gel medium to this piece so it had similar glossy parts like the black painting. I just put a little bit of ink in some areas to add a more opaque white mark and then tipped some varnish down the left side of the painting and put some gel medium on various parts. They are still drying in this photo so I don't think the adjustments will be super obvious... I just hope that the varnish doesn't turn yellow or anything after a while... I want it to blend in with the white...

Either way, It was a good day in the studio and fingers crossed that I still love the new paintings just as much as the old ones tomorrow morning when I go and check on them!!

[artbyelana]

TACHISME

It's often said that Tachisme is like the European version of abstract expressionism in America. "The name derives from the French word ‘tache’, meaning a stain or splash (e.g. of paint)" - https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/t/tachisme

"Tachisme was a reaction to Cubism and is characterized by spontaneous brushwork, drips and blobs of paint straight from the tube, and sometimes scribbling reminiscent of calligraphy" - Wikipedia

I think my practice definitely fits into the tachisme style. I drip paint, and scribble with pencil and charcoal while adding things on and sanding things off - my work becoming something with multiple layers. While you don't often see brushstrokes in my work, you will see where I've wiped my hand across the canvas or dipped my fingers in paint and dotted them in a certain area. All of these processes and techniques allow me to expression my unconscious and conscious thoughts through gesture and mark making.

[artbyelana]

Subconscious vs unconscious

I've been thinking a lot about the difference between subconscious and unconscious lately. To be honest, I wasn't really sure what the difference until I looked it up.

^ I found both of these links super helpful.

"In the field of psychology, the subconscious refers to that part of consciousness that we are unaware of. It is information that we are not actively aware of in the moment, but that can influence us nonetheless, such as things that are heard, seen or remembered. The unconscious mind, on the other hand, is a term coined by Freud to refer to a part of the mind that cannot be known by the conscious mind, and includes socially unacceptable ideas, wishes and desires, traumatic memories and painful emotions that have been repressed" https://www.diffen.com/difference/Subconscious_vs_Unconscious_mind#:~:text=The%20subconscious%20is%20that%20part,memory%2C%20affect%2C%20and%20motivation.

Sometimes the more I think about the more I sometimes get confused but I think I think I need to do more research into these terms and what they effect.

[artbyelana]

More drawings

Following on from the last drawings, I decided to try and do some times drawings - allocating myself an amount of time to just sit there and draw/scribble. I also tried to do one of the drawings on a piece of paper that already had something on it to see how i navigated it.

^ I hate this drawing haha. It's just an A5 piece of paper that I used to swatch paint colours in first semester. I thought it would be interesting to see if I could just ignore it and draw freely over the top but I couldn't, I found myself thinking about what areas I like and wanted to keep etc and It was also a really small piece of paper so I felt really restricted. I gave myself 15 minutes for this drawing and was really glad when the time was over haha.

^ This drawing was done in 30 minutes on an A4 piece of paper. I didn't love it at first but once it was done and I left it for a bit, I actually really liked it when I looked at it with fresh eyes. The clean paper and paper that was larger than A5 gave me a lot more space to just draw, it didn't feel as confining as the first drawing did. I kept adding different layers of charcoal and pencil on top of each other and the 30 minutes flew by!

[artbyelana]

Automatic drawings

Over the break I had an urge to just sit and draw without the pressure of knowing what the outcome should be. So I got my charcoal sticks, pencils and graphite sticks out and sat down with some A2 paper and just drew for a while. I let my body and mind decide when a work was done and just moved onto the next one.

^ This last one was my favourite one, I reckon I spent about 45 minutes on it at least. Just letting the pencil move around in my hand, sometimes pushing harder to create darker lines etc. I found the exercise really freeing, just making art for arts sake. Just because it makes me feel good. I tried to scan them but they're too big for the printer so I just had to take some really average photos...

[artbyelana]

Week 7 Tutorials

Had a brief chat with Emma today after our exposure meeting and she just said to keep up with what I'm doing. Explore with going overkill with my paintings - are they matte or are they shiny? what happens when we sand an area off etc? So just keep working and getting things done. I haven't got my formative yet but I think my workblog and research is definitely an area i need to add to more...

[artbyelana]

ARTIST RESEARCH

JEAN ARP

Jean Arp (Hans Arp) was a sculptor, painter and poet. He was part of the abstract and dadaist movements.

"Beginning in 1917, Arp's work shifted away from geometric forms toward a more fluid, organic style. During a trip to a Swiss lake resort, Arp was inspired to evoke the branches, stones, roots, and grasses he observed, working with brush and ink. He soon began using similar shapes in his drawings, creating free flowing forms that suggest the absence of deliberate consciousness or inhibition" - https://www.moma.org/collection/works/34023

I actually found it really hard to find more information on Jean Arp, there wasn't a lot available for me to find... In saying that though, I do really like the forms he creates both through his sculptures and drawings. They all have the same quality to me, they all feel comforting and maybe a bit lonely. And I wonder if the sculptures and maybe 3D versions of some of his paintings/drawings? They definitely all feel like the come from the same place.

[artbyelana]

Week 7 EXPOSURE meeting!

Exposure 2022

10am - 4pm

12th-25th November

Meeting notes:

Rachael Walton - Project / event manager

Student hosted exhibition

Website -> individual profile with up to 4 pieces of media (images) + contact information

Opening night 11th November / celebrate with whanau - bring up to 3 guests

Fine Arts industry night = opening

2 forms -> RED form = exposure registration, closes 25th, 1st draft -> BLUE form = 100% final + proof read, live on the 17th oct, closes 30th oct.

Deinstall after 5pm Friday 25th Nov, Saturday 26th Nov and Sunday 27th Nov.

Exposure stream page

Red form = space request

Update website!!

[artbyelana]

Brene Brown was suggested to me by my art therapist and I was reminded about her when her movie came up on netflix the other day. I also had a look at this ted talk which talks about connection and shame which I found really interesting. Often we think of shame as a bad thing but it's really just us feeling scared that people won't accept us, that we're not good enough. It makes me wonder if that's why I find it easier to 'hide' my emotions in my paintings, instead of telling everyone what they're about. Is it me being vulnerable or am I feeling shame? Lots of interesting things to think about...

[artbyelana]

READINGS - Handbook of Art Therapy / Chapter 6

Malchiodi, Cathy A. “Humanistic Approaches.” Handbook of Art Therapy, edited by Cathy A Malchiodi, Guilford Press, 2012, pp. 75-88.

NOTES + QUOTES:

"According to Garai, the goal of a humanistic approach to art therapy is not so much to eliminate anxiety, unhappiness, or other emotions but to assist the individual in transforming them into the authentic expressions through art modalities. His observation is consistent with the values of humanistic psychology and, in particular, reinforces the centrality of creativity as a means of experiencing and actualizing human potential as a healing agent" (Malchiodi 75).

"Although he did not propose the use of art in existential therapy, he supports the idea that it takes "courage to create" and the creative process is an expression of the self and the dilemmas of human existence" (Malchiodi 76).

"Creative work is believed to be part of this liberation and offers the experiences of free choice and the opportunity to make sense of what often seems senseless or meaningless. The process of art making within the therapeutic relationship serves as a metaphor for the existential dilemmas and art making may lead a person toward a state of awareness (Moon, 1995, 2007)" (Malchiodi 76).

"The practitioner adopting an existential approach strives to understand deep human experience and to help the individual make sense of existence. Questions such as "Who am I?," "Who have I been?," and "Where am I going?" are the focus of an existential model" (Malchiodi 77).

"In brief, existential therapy uses the art process as a metaphor for choice and free will, giving the individual the opportunity to choose the direction and outcomes" (Malchiodi 77).

"A person-centered approach to art therapy, like the existential approach, focuses on the individual's ability to find personal meaning" (Malchiodi 77).

"Art expression adds another dimension that enhances the person's ability to communicate and provides the therapist with an additional modality for understanding the client" (Malchiodi 78).

"However, she also demonstrates the power of art expression to enhance a person-centered approach, illustrating through her work how individual creativity is indeed a powerful tool in self-realization and self-actualization" (Malchiodi 79).

"He believed that the art expression is therapeutic because it allows people to know themselves as a whole person in a short time, and that being able to perceive the whole is consonant with the idea of the Gestalt" (Malchiodi 80).

"A Gestalt art therapy or "art experience" is appropriate for people who are capable, active, and committed to realizing and achieving their own potential. They are generally self-directed and self-motivated; the therapist facilitates the session, but it is the person who is ultimately responsible for meeting goals and making self-evaluations. The Gestalt art therapy approach can be useful with individuals; it has also been successfully employed in group work (Rhyne, 1995), capitalizing on group interaction as a catalyst to self-exploration" (Malchiodi 81).

"The trans-personal approach to art therapy strives to address mind, body, and spirit through a combination of art expression, humanistic principles, mind-body concepts, and spiritual practices such as contemplation and meditation" (Malchiodi 81).

"Art expression is seen as a way to explore that which is "beyond the self" and as a process to access nonordinary states of consciousness" (Malchiodi 82).

I felt that this chapter was very relatable to my own practice - all these different modes of art therapy overlap in some way to what I've been doing recently. Whether that's meditation or trying to reach my potential etc. It's really reassuring if I'm honest.

[artbyelana]

FORMATIVE FEEDBACK FORM

HANDED THIS IN ON STREAM! (Just thought I'd add it into my workblog too)

I thought my crit went quite well today, I heard some comments and critiques that I definitely needed to hear and I got some validation too which is always nice. I installed 3 paintings and halfway through my crit we removed one of them (which If I'm really honest with myself, I thought might happen and also needed to happen...). One of the first points we spoke about was the install, when I had the three paintings up there (the blue one, black one and white one) everyone agreed it looked too much like a flag. We removed the blue one and people liked the black and white paintings together so we also tested pushing them closer together and people like it a lot. It read as one painting/work made out of different components which I quite liked. So going forward I have to be a bolder and surer in my choices for installing and try some new things out instead of evenly hanging them on the wall next time. The second point was that people felt the blue painting was too obvious, they liked the other paintings with the black and white layers over the top because they had to work a bit harder to understand them. The blue one was too circular and gave people ideas of waves and water etc whereas the other ones had  more 'mystery' and emotion behind them. They thought the white painting was nailed really well though - Emma said it's hard to make a white painting sit well on a white wall/space and she thinks I've executed it perfectly, she wouldn't add or change anything to it! So that was really nice to hear. This leads onto the third point where the black painting needs to be pushed further. While people really like it and this new direction I'm going in, the black painting needs a few more layers. I need to obliterate it, add some gloss onto it, sand it off, more charcoal etc - just keep working into it and push it to overkill so I know where my limit is. This goes well with the fourth point which is to stop being so precious with my works - I need to stop being scared and just try new things to really push them further and make them as good as they possibly could be. So for example with the black painting, I need to not be scared of ruining it and just keep adding some more layers into it, maybe I sand some of it back and then add something new - either way I need to stop being precious with them and explore their potential. My final point which I'm glad they understood was that they saw the works as emotive drawings and paintings and understood they represented a state of mind and emotion. I'm glad this still came across with all the extra layers I'd added on top of the original drawings, another reason to stop being precious! Trying new things doesn't mean they meaning or my intention will disappear... I'm happy where I've ended up for formative, I think I'm at a good space to really push everything to its best potential next semester. Got some things to work on and think about!

[artbyelana]

Artists and movements to look at

Just a list of things I need to come back to - just putting them in one place so I don't lose them... I think I've already looked at some last semester but just incase...

[artbyelana]

Week 6 Formative Critique and reflection

^ My final install for week 6 formative hand in

Crit notes and feedback:

like the black painting -> like where I've gone / new direction

fuck yeah that's mean

Black = interesting layer, doesn't feel overpowering, feels soft - not harsh

Looks like putty on the white canvas but just textured paint

Emotive drawing -> is black how I'm feeling now?

Angry or frustrated

Mark making + layers

Like the fingerprint on the blue canvas

Introduction of new mediums and techniques is working really well

Creates new movement in works

Why the raw canvas? Like the way it soaks up paint and it feels more natural to touch and paint on

Emma removed the blue painting -> 'the weakest one'

Black and White paintings feel stronger

As humans we want to work in circles

Listening to sounds when making

Didn't like the install of blue, black, blue/white -> looked like a flag

Like the layering on the surface on the blue and white paintings => hiding the emotion, making the audience work for it more, covering layers, less emotional to cover it = interesting contrast

Circle too prominent -> looks like a wave

Black = strongest

Hard to make a White painting work on a white wall but they think I've nailed it -> don't change it -> has a richness to it

Get distracted by the blue painting so didn't realise the white paintings potential until the blue was removed.

Mark Rothko Black paintings

Obliterate more -> have the courage to work back into it

Lisa Munali -> charcoal drawings and marks

Different pressures and lights

Ink, paint, + charcoal

Break the circle -> make it only half or a quarter of a circle etc

Blue painting = too obvious -> made us not appreciate the white one

Get to overkill to know where limit it / to push back

keep working on the black painting

Blue painting = reads as single work

Black and white paintings feel melancholy

Hang was tri colour / french flag

Like the white and black paintings pushed together -> becomes one work but still reflective

Not sitting on floor

Moved the white painting to the left of the black one -> like it more -> read light to dark

Black is going to be strongest when I keep pushing it

Black has potential to be black, matte, glossy etc

black pigment, charcoal

Gloss -> sand it off then add it back on etc

Like that the sides are part of the work -> don't lose that

Don't get precious with the paintings!!

Try playing with no blue at all?

Mix colours on the canvas not on a palette

Layer it onto a canvas

Blue -> difficult -> primary colour

Mix it

Black = push further for more depth

FORMATIVE REFLECTION:

Overall I'm really happy with how my formative crit went. I needed to hear a lot of what was said -> I needed that push to not play it safe and to stop being so precious with my works. I kind of thought that the blue painting would get taken away, I was just too scared to do it myself -> just shows that I need to be surer in my decisions and in my work. I think I kept it in because I showed a similar painting in week 3 crit and everyone loved it so I thought if everyone hated the white and black ones then the blue would be my safety net option but turns out everyone loves the white and black ones! As do I! I just needed to be more confident in them.

I'm really happy with where I've ended up in week 6. I think my shift in direction to focus more on myself was a good one - I think it's a good place to be right now especially for this time in my life where there are a lot of big changes happening and about to happen. I've found it really grounding to have a space and practice where I can really just be honest with myself and my feelings.

The new process I've started of breathing and meditation has been really insightful and I think, really successful. I'd love to continue it after the break. I think it really helps me get in the right mindset and let me true inner feelings and emotions come out - making my paintings vulnerable and honest works.

I also love where I'm going with the layering and covering. It also makes me feel more protected when showing people my work because I feel like I've put a barrier between these personal thoughts and emotions and the audience. It's like a veil where they can see the general mark making but some things are hidden and covering, protecting myself. I also think I still have heaps of exploring to do with these techniques. Like my crit notes, I need to stop being precious with my works and not be afraid to push them further. Make them overkill so I know where my limit it and when to push back.

The goal for the next few weeks is to really nail the layering process and add in different elements of gloss or varnish and sanding and the whole process of adding and taking away. Really push the works and my intention as much as I can.

I definitely need to work on my installing - another thing to work on. Be a little bit more open minded and creative with it - don't always play it safe Elana!

I've also really loved bringing in the element of drawing into my practice this semester. I haven't done it for a long time but I'm really glad I've started incorporating it into my work. I think the automatic drawings are a good way of releasing emotions I maybe didn't realise I was feeling and add an extra personal layer to my paintings.

Overall, I think I have lots to work on but am at a good space to really push my practice to its absolute potential in the last few weeks. Can't believe there's only a few weeks left before I've finished my degree! Going to really try my hardest and make the most of it :)

[artbyelana]

Thoughts

After I had installed, I was thinking about the white painting on the white wall and hoping that no one thought it was getting lost or anything, but it made me think about a black wall... What would it look like with black or white paintings hung on a black wall? Would they get lost or would it compliment the works well? Not sure... something I might play around with after the break, maybe my studio wall needs a repaint...

[artbyelana]

Installing for formative!

Tayla, Ashley, Grace and I all installed together on Thursday afternoon in our test space in the museum building. I took 4 paintings with me but ended up only installing 3, although I'm still not 100% convinced about the 3. But I think my formative crit and feedback will give me a bit of guidance on my thinking.

The test space wasn't in the best condition when we got there, there was yellow paint on the floors and the walls had coloured paint still visible under a layer of white so it looked a bit patchy but we didn't have time to paint the space up nice... We still worked with it and It didn't turn out too bad...

I ended up installing 3 paintings, the blue, the black and the white. And I'm not 100% sure about my decision because I think I'm trying to play it a bit safe with the blue painting but I'll see what the feedback from crit is tomorrow...

Because the walls in the space were kind of gross and my wall had a lightswitch in the middle of it, I tried to use a painting to cover it... I forgot that I also had a supporter bar on my frame and so I had to hang the paintings slightly higher than I wanted to so that the bar would sit on top of the light switch. The height that the top of the paintings sat at ended up being 196cm I think, just under 200cm.

I also made the spacing between them wider than when i did the T24C test space install. So this time they were about 70cm apart from each other. I think it was a nice spacing where they still breathed on their own but read as works that were together.

The room also had spotlights which was fun! So I ended up using one spotlight on each end painting and then 2 spotlights on the black one. The lighting also brightened up the black painting quite a bit which was nice, it didn't feel as stark next to the other ones.

^ Our final install all together.

[artbyelana]

Considering formative works again

Trying different orders of paintings to see what work. I don't think 4 is going to work, they just don't seem to fit together nicely. But I kinda like the top combination with the 3 paintings, although I'm a little unsure if the black is too intense with the others, I don't know if it just steals everyones attention which means the other ones get missed?

I think I'm going to take all 4 down to the test space and see what I think. Might be totally different on the white walls.

[artbyelana]

Sanding experiment

Emma suggested the other day that I try sanding one of my paintings down and then adding to it and keep up the process of adding and removing. I didn't have a lot of time to properly try it out but I did give it a go on one of my test canvases. I only had quite soft sandpaper so it would be interesting to see what super coarse sandpaper would do but so far I think it has a lot of potential.

The sanding just took the top off of the really textures parts, revealing the original painting colour underneath. While I only did it evenly on this painting, I'd like to go back and try really sand down a corner or something and see if I can get a really flat colour showing through or even maybe getting down to the original white canvas?

I think this would be an interesting technique to use on my newer paintings, especially when they have a few more layers added onto them, it would be cool to slowly sand down each layer and see what it would look like. Something to keep testing!