ok, I’ve bitten the bullet, I’ve started a course. Drawing 1 with OCA which if I complete 8 courses, could result in a batchelor of arts.
I’m not concerned my technique doesn’t stand up to scrutiny, (it has days were it flows better than others, just like everyone else) it needs refining and for that I need to study. Not content with that, I know that one person likes, another won’t.
My main concern is the background work leading to a final piece. This is an aspect I don’t really deal with day to day. I see an image and think it will make a good picture, then create it. I’m asked to create a picture, do a small measure of research based on the limited brief and create, normally quite quickly. I work part time in a junior school as a TA and dinner lady, if I’m asked to come up with creative content or ideas, I’m normally not given much time to work around and then there are terms. They end surprisingly fast when you are trying to shoehorn everything in.
I suppose mostly what I lack, is depth. A message. The bit that makes my pictures recognisable as Megan’s. I think at the age I am now, I have the patience to get that. However, having started exercise 1, I am aware that this log will show not just the message, but my view of the world, how I feel about things, what I consider important. As much as I think I paint heart and soul, I guess it’s going to get more so.
Sketchbook work
I’ve been aware that emotion plays a part in art for quite a while, I can’t create a good picture of an event or person I don’t have positive feelings for, at best the pictures come out forced and heavy, rediculously upbeat music speeds up my painting, sometimes to its detriment if the rest of the work requires more control.
I listen to music constantly while I’m creating, as a basic tool to put people off disturbing me, it’s fantastic, I tend to listen to quite depressing stuff, I’d be unbearable if I only listened to uplifting music. I recently got introduce to a track called the best day of my life (courtesy of my children’s involvement in a big singing thing) it’s a great song, it’s happy as hell, but I’m not the quietest person in the room at the best of times, that positive, and I’m probably a bit much..
Mark making for calm, doesn’t need to be heavy handed, the green is because that’s the colour poster paint I have in, the swirls are free flowing, smooth. Through choice, the pastel colours are soft. I’m using cheap cartridge paper in a2 from the works, this represents good value for me, and I’m still researching some a1 I want to work with, but this does appear to have a dimpled effect that shows through. I like the ripple version, graphite a pencil and a rubber are favourite tools of mine it can become heavy if you need it, or barely there as in this image. The fourth image is the epitome of calm control to me, the colours again replicate this. This was done with Derwent inktense pencils, I could spray it with water, which would deepen the colours, but I think that would change the emotion.
Megan Cheetham 