New Artist Research

I have chosen the artist Christopher P.Wood as I particular like the way in which he tries to delve deeper into the core of nature, and the world around us. I particularly like his Painting ‘Final Hour of Creation’, which depicts an abstract expression of a spiralling earth been created. I feel his paintings are mysterious, occult and beautiful, their magical imagery casts a spell over the audience, allowing them to feel a part of the unusual worlds which he has invented.



                         Christopher P Wood, 'Final Hour' (of Creation), Oil on Canvas, 2005


Christopher P Wood, 'A walk through Paradise Gardens', Oil on Canvas, 2010

“What does a painter paint when he paints a landscape, the landscape or his soul? If a painting "works" then the image is certainly more than just the outer description. It resonates at a deeper level. Even so, in this age that does not believe in Soul, it is bold indeed to abandon that outer form altogether and explore only what lies beneath. Yet that is what Christopher Wood has sought to do in the decade this show describes…”

”It speaks of reality as rooted in the spiritual realm. It explores that level of experience which is unfettered by the outer metering of time and space in landscapes which echo an archaic depth and luminous mystery. They resonate with symbols and strange eminences. They are the places where thoughts arise.”

Ian Skelly, 2007, writer and broadcaster

Gustav Klimt was renowned Austrian Symbolist Painter during the early 1900’s. Klimt Primarily focused on human form, particualry that of the female body. His major works include paintings, sketches and other art objects.

I choose this artist as I like his reference to music in his work ‘Beethoven Frieze’, which was in celebration of the composer Beethoven, the painting features three figures: a knight in armour representing “Armored Strength”, one woman in the background symbolizing “Ambition” holding up a wreath of victory and a second woman representing “Sympathy” with lowered head and clasped hands.

'Adele Bloch-Bauer's Portrait', Oil, Silver and Gold on Canvas

 

"Music is the ultimate teacher" (Kandinsky)
 I chose the Artist Kandinsky, due to his research and focus of trying to capture elements of music. Music is a great passion of mine, I really like his exploration and experimentation into the use of colour to symbolise tones and chords.

Hearing tones and chords as he painted, Kandinsky theorized that (for example), yellow is the colour of middle C on a brassy trumpet; black is the colour of closure, and the end of things; and that combinations of colours produce vibrational frequencies, akin to chords played on a piano. Kandinsky also developed a theory of geometric figures and their relationships—claiming, for example, that the circle is the most peaceful shape and represents the human soul.

 

Vasily Kandinsky, 'Composition VI', O

Shop Project

Shop Project - Is a four week project been undertaken by Sheffield Hallam University Students, in order to help evaluate and understand useful methods of creating, displaying and selling work in a shop situation. We will be creating art products to sell to a wide range of people, by setting up a shop inside the entrance of our university for a few days, allowing the general public and passersby, to purchase one off products by local artists.

We will research the process of marketing, looking at the variety of ways of approaching advertising. We will also learn useful skills, such as group organisation, team work, such as delegating a group of people.



Our structure for the next four weeks is as follows:


Week 16 – Decided on a theme for our shop. Delegate roles and responsibilities, consider what products are to be sold. Make contact with marketing people.

Week 17 – run through H/S issues and Gallery regulations. Students must complete on-line impact/risk assessment task. Produce products.

Week 18 – Produce Products. Test/run though shop display


Week 19 – Set up Shop.

Initial Ideas with Group

-          Sheffield Theme – Steel City – Sheffield Charity’s – Children Hospital, splitting proceeds 50/50

-          Colour theme – assign different groups to their area of practice, making products with the theme of colour. E.g. use of different colours per day or different colours per group.

-          Consider marketing – questionnaires, asking general public what they would purchase, or like to see at an art and craft shop. Create flyers, posters. Use Facebook, as a holding page for information to our group. Consider creating a separate website/blog to advertise event and inviting people to a group event via Facebook .

-          Range of products on sale, including: Chocolate heads; Limited Edition Drawing prints; etchings; paintings; photographs; cards etc.

My Initial product ideas

Researching Artists - Leeds Art Trip

LEEDS ART TRIP 

In order to delve deeper into my practice, to excite my imagination, and to research into more depth similar artists, I decided to visit a variety of Art Galleries in Leeds.  On Wednesday, October 7, 2011, I began by visited: The Stanley and Audrey Burton gallery, Leeds University. Observing and researching Bronze Sculpture, Drawings and Paintings.

                                                                              

The main Interesting Art Works for me were, Michael Ayrton, ‘Blade Maze figure’, due to the interesting use of bronze in order to create the outline of figures. I liked the effect of ‘Brown Patina’, which created a darker contrast to the figures, adding a completely different mood to that of usually bronze sculpture, after completing more research into this process, ‘brown patina’ is an optional coating, which is applied after the bronze is cast, in order to highlight any darker shades, creating more contrast.

                                                                                    

Ceri Richards, ‘The violinist’, 1946 was an Oil painting on canvas, depicting a violinist, in an abstract form, very similar of Picasso. The central theme of the painting is music. Rhythm is metamorphosed through the female form of a violinist and accompanist. This can be shown through exaggerated curves of the instruments.

                                                              

Joseph Mallord William turner, ‘Mountain and Trees’, c. 1794-1797; was a pencil wash on paper, I liked the effect of the wash over the drawing, it simplified and blurred the contrasting tones of the pencil marks.

‘Boy’, 1917, was a series of drawings, showing the transition between a child to a young boy, using different mediums including: pen and ink; pencil on paper; and blur chalk on paper. I liked the construction and display of the drawings, which were mounted and framed as a triplet.

                                   Leeds Art Gallery

Adelsteen Normann (1848-1918) The Sognefijonal, Norway c.1885, was an oil painting on canvas, which I have included into my list of artists, due to this magnificent, spectacular, striking image of the mountain landscapes of Norway, it was the very first piece of art to blough me away and really take my notice. I liked the use of layers of texture in order to build up the image, to create an almost three dimensional painting. I liked the beautifully painted reflections of the mountain range cast on the water; it really reminded me of a place of solitude, paradise, tranquillity, a place where my own images of people could happily be placed.

Dame Barbara Hepworth (1903-1975) The Poet reading to his Children, 1948, Oil and Pencil on Board. Hepworth primarily paints figures – such as other influential figures e.g. Hepworth, Henry Moore, Paul Nash and Ben Nicholson. I liked the combination and blend of Red and Blue paints, with the energetic lines of the pencil, helped to give contrast and create real movement to the figures.

Damien Hirsts exhibition, I managed to catch a glimpse of ‘Damien Hirtsts’ solo exhibition as his work was been dismantled and packaged away. I managed to view the painted butterfly wheel, titled ‘I Am Become Death, Shatterer of Worlds’, which was a beautifully hand crafted piece of collage work, which incorporated thousands of hand painted butterfly wings in order to create a golden mosaic like pattern, which shone and radiated an atmospheric mood. The beat of a butterfly's wings is meant to set off a chain of unforeseen reactions across the globe. Damien Hirst, however uses butterfly wings as a metaphor for morality.

                                                             ‘Quick Sketch of Damien Hirst's Exhibition been dismantled'

Three things that relate to my work

Three things that relate to my work

1)      Music

 I have chosen Ludovico Einaudi’s album ‘Night Book’ as my first source of inspiration.   

Music is one of the many influences which affects the way I work as an artist. Music is the source for the majority of my ideas, e.g. both the lyrics, which can help influence titles and ideas for work, and the feelings or mixed emotions which you can experience when you’re listening to a piece of music. I will listen to music when I create my work, which helps me to relax and become focused on visually creating an art piece. I also play the piano in-between my drawings and paintings, this allows me to think about ideas, and opens me up to be more creative. There seems to be a link between art and music in my studio practice, where one musical idea will help influence the ideas surrounding my art and vice versa.

2)      Artist – Helen Parsley

I’ve been inspired by Helen Parsley for a couple of years now, since seeing her world displayed at the ‘Art in the Gardens Exhibition, Sheffield. I was in awe of the way she creates beautiful visionary scenery, often capturing people in famous, iconic places.

 She is a realist; I’m influenced by her high level of skill, the way she applies acrylic onto canvas, in order to create photo-realistic images, however applying texture and hinting movement in her brush strokes, which adds a unique stamp to the image.

1)      The world around me

It’s the things that I experience, the moments that I see, which captivate me as an artist to produce work. I will capture anything of interest, that I am visually aware of, onto camera, which I then will produce my art from. The people around me all relate to my art practice, as they are all possible subject matters.

Current Art Practice

“I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge” Albert Einstein

Last year, I found myself capturing drawings of everyday people that I came into contact with. I was searching my environment for people lost in their own personal here and now, capturing those small intricate moments, which we might not normally take notice of, moments which we would normally pass by.

                                                                          

                                                                          'Reading Woman'

                                                                           Luke Braddock

                                                                           Pencil on Paper

I am currently working on the idea of taking these people from their everyday setting and creating a space around them, creating an imaginative world, a place where the observer may step into and relate, a place of tranquillity and paradise. I feel it is important to push the boundaries of my thinking, by experimenting with my initial ideas.

‘Marching to Mars’ was an idea, which was originally a drawing of four Salvation Army figures marching across Cemetery Road, Sheffield. My idea to place the figures in a mysterious, dreamlike space, was inspired by several factors: a BBC Documentary about space (which contained computer generated imagery of planets across our solar system); and a song called ‘Moving to Mars’, by Coldplay. These two factors then linked to the ideas around Philosophy. One of Greek philosopher Plato's most famous theories was that, “The objects we perceive are not the ultimate reality, but more like a shadow of reality”.  He believed that it was possible that everything we see and touch is just a creation of the mind, and that we may be in a dreamlike world. These interesting ideologies all sparked the creation of my idea ‘Marching to Mars’.

 I wanted to emphasise the idea of creating a place of escape, creating an image which would contain a narrative, and allow the audience to question the subject matter.

Artist Statement

 Artist Statement

As an Artist, I capture elements of human behaviour in everyday life situations. I am inspired by how Complex and intrinsic human relationships can be, and feel compelled to capture fragments of my observations using a variety of mediums. In order to depict my observations, initially I use photography to immortalise moments that I find of particular interest. Scenes that hold particular fascination to me are ones that show people absorbed in their own personal here and now.

'Tranquility'

 Luke Braddock  

Pencil on Paper

'Marching to Mars'

Luke Braddock

Pencil on Paper

'Guitarist'

Luke Braddock

Pencil on Paper

'The Secret'

Luke Braddock

Pencil on Paper