31.05.20

Following on from another recent communication, I invite you into the studio to see the continued development of a new image. You can see where we left the piece previously, and read about the approach I take to making art in relation to alchemical processes in 'Studio as Athanor - 26.04.20'.

This image was inspired by a particular stretch of coastline towards the North west of Scotland. Unusually for me the piece is intended to resemble (to some extent) the physical appearance of this particular landscape, in addition to evoking an emotional resonance connected with that place. More usually I work from what I would describe as an inner image, which although sometimes inspired by a distinct location, is not generally intended to be about the landscape. Instead the act of image making seeks to distill what we might consider to be the hidden essence of a place and the experience of it, and I see the finished artwork more in terms of a communication with or indeed from the land. As such it isn't usually necessary to be concerned with depicting it. 

In this piece I have used two types of ink, and have applied them using different techniques. The mountainous area in the foreground is an acrylic ink (black), and using a 'dip pen' (a fine nib held in a wooden stem, dipped into the ink bottle) I embark upon a process of applying very small marks to the paper, gradually a sense of form and texture develop. This ink provides a very uniform colour, and variations are usually due to ink drying and congealing on the nib which leads to a heavier application on the paper, until I clean the nib. As I spoke of previously (in terms of a reciprocal process between maker, materials, and image), the materials and implements employed in the making of the image are alive, and it is important to work with them, to communicate. It is not necessarily me thinking about each tiny section that should be darker or lighter. I prefer to spend quite lengthy periods of time focussed on a section in order to maintain a state of flow.  

The mountainous spine in the distance is formed of an iron gall ink. That in itself is a fascinating topic, and perhaps I'll discuss that further some other time. For now, you will find plenty of information with a quick search online. The technique here is one of consistent flow, each line following its predecessor. In a sense the variation, rock forms, depth, come from 'error,' where the line has deviated from the one prior to it in some way. I enjoy seeing the image emerge in this fashion as I go, spontaneous, although it may appear to be carefully manipulated. 

With the ink areas complete, work commences on the pastel sections of the image. I use soft pastel which is crumbled, sprinkled onto the paper, and then worked with my fingers. Here (above) I have built up some initial layers by drawing it directly on to the paper first.

In this piece it was tricky to apply the pastel around the ink areas. Often I would do things the other way around, but here I have opted to make life more difficult for myself. Sometimes it is just about deciding which problem is preferable - to risk smudging pastel into the ink and spoiling the definition, or to continually get pastel on the nib and be forever cleaning it off, with the risk of the ink pooling around clumps of pastel on the paper. The merging of pastel and ink is generally something I try to avoid, however there are some occasions where it is desirable, such as when wild rain, sea, snow, may be making contact with the rock.

Now things are beginning to take shape, and work on making the image more elemental has begun. By this I mean bringing out the solidity, (relative) permanence, and stillness of the mountain, in contrast to the ever changing form of water. In describing the difficulties of working with these particular mediums together, you might be wondering; why bother? I favour the contrast between them in terms of the appearance, because through the steady (read 'very labour intensive') application of ink we get the sense of solid, static, rock, whereas the pastel can really capture a sense of movement. I mean this rather literally, because not only do I use it to portray natural elements that would generally be in some sort of motion, but also by working the crumbled pastel with my hands there is a certain intimacy through this very direct physical contact. The pastel then becomes a record of this touch, these gestures, the image more embodied. Similar perhaps to visible brush marks in painting, but this is even more direct. For a while after making this piece I was unable to access my phone through fingerprint recognition, suggestive perhaps of a certain immersion in the process, a partial erasure of individual identity. 

Quite a transformation between the previous image and the one above, and this was possibly make or break time for this piece. With the blanket of falling rain it can be very difficult to know when to quit working. Overdo it and there is no going back, the immediacy has been lost. However, by not blending the pastel enough that section of the image would look apart from it. The way I've done this is to crumble pastels (black, various grey, various white) onto the top edge of the paper, and then using a continuous movement draw the dust down across the paper with one or more fingers. The amount of pressure applied effects the uptake of pastel, with clumping to be avoided, which occurs if too much has been added. Removal of excess pastel dust that is not to be worked in to the paper is done by blowing on it, scattering it in all directions.

Just to tantalise, I will leave it there for now. That is the image very close to completion, and I have titled it 'Seeking Shelter.' A better quality photo of the finished image will appear soon, and I am pleased to say that this piece has been selected for a forthcoming exhibition in Scotland. I will let you know the details of that in due course.

Thank you for joining me with this virtual studio visit, I hope it may be of some use or interest. If you have questions or comments on any of the above then as always please feel free to drop me a line by replying to this email. If you would be interested in a real life studio visit (at some point in the hopefully not too distant future) please also get in touch and we can arrange this.

'TERRA' continues at Cardiff M.A.D.E

LAST CALL for the spring exhibition at Cardiff M.A.D.E, which continues until 7th June, where you will find four pieces of my work included. The exhibition is in an online format, so you can browse the catalogue, and purchase art directly from the website. Note that the catalogue features one work per artist, there are many more to be seen by looking in the shop.

Click the image above to see the exhibition website.

Inspirations

Thank you for reading