More artist experiments

After carrying out experiments influenced by Scott Naismith, I decided to move on and try to understand Vytautas Kasiulis's style better. Kasiulis is indeed an artist who's style is very lively and expressive and personally harder to adapt to landscapes, however the knowledge of observing his paintings in his museum have helped during these experiments. 

My starting point was to observe one of his paintings called 'Šokis' (The Dance)  which I got an opportunity to view. For this drawing I wanted to understand how Kasiulis painted his characters and adapted them to the background. Hence I focused on the dancing man on on the left side of the painting, however instead of using paint I decided to try and use another media that Kasiulis often uses which is oil pastels. I chose oil pastels mostly because they are bright and make very clear and bold marks and lines on paper.

(Media used; brown paper, oil pastels, plain paper, acrylic paint, biro pen, hairspray)

I discovered that oil pastels are quite a good media to use to recreate Kasiulis's style, however not something I would particularly choose to use in landscape paintings. Once I finished observing the section of Kasiulis's painting, which I chose to draw on brown paper because it added tone and depth to the drawing, I decided to glue the brown piece of paper to my sketchbook on a white painted background, however it did seem to lack of detail and looked quite dull. Hence I decide to incorporate Scott Namiths style into this drawing, as previous studies had taught me that layering sections of the paper can make the page more lively and colourful. Once I layered the paint I also went round sections of the paint with a biro pen and hairspray, as I have done this technique on quite several of my other experiment and it turner out to effectively highlight and bring out sections of the artwork. 

(On the left Vytautas Kasiulis 'Šokis' (The Dance) oil on canvas, taken in Vytautas Kasiulis Art Muesum, on the right, Scott Naismith 'Red Burst' Oil on canvas, 30 x 30cm (1)

I proceeded to look at another painting by Kasiulis called 'Gatves scena' (Street scene) 

(Media used; acrylic paint and oil pastel on paper)

(Above Vytautas Kasiulis 'Gatves scena' (Street scene) 1950's, pastels on paper,  taken in Vytautas Kasiulis Art Museum)

I tried to work similarly as the artist would have worked, I stated off by painting my background with vertical brush strokes, making sure thick paintbrush lines are visible showing different tones. Once under base had dried I painted another layer of acrylic paint, but this time in a more turquoise colour than before and making the brush strokes horizontal this time, as Kasiulis also painted his paintings so that there would be a clear contrast between two layers of paint on the canvas. I then once again observed one section of his painting which I drew over the background using oil pastels. Although that was initially all I planed to draw and paint on this page, I felt that this painting was incomplete, hence I decided to cover it up partially with some white acrylic paint along with a few marks around the page of green acrylic paint. The end result is seen on the right side of the image above. I like the fact that the image I drew before still comes through the paint that I applied on top, however it is distorted and unclear, but even then I know there is something there. In a way it resembles memories, because I have viewed  'Gatves scena'  in Kasiulis museum, however months have passed and although I remember the painting it is vague and not as detailed in my memory as it would be from viewing it. 

Overall I think this painting has given my theme a deeper meaning. I am still focusing my theme on abstract landscapes, however I want to embrace them through feeling, colours and memories as of what I feel and remember every time I think of a specific place in my home country.

Bellow is another quick experiment I carried out in Kasiulis's style

I used the same paint as for the piece of work seen previously, all I wanted to achieve with this is to see how different tones of green mixed with other colours and media will appear on the acrylic paint. It is a tester to help identify the best media and technique.

Whilst experimenting in Kasiulis's style, I decided to go back to Joseph M.W. Turners style, and create a watercolour painting on paper using a panorama photograph I have taken in Vilnius, Lithuania. However I believe this painting has a lot of problems with it and has not got a good outcome as expected.

(On the left photograph of Vilnius panorama, taken by me, on the right Joseph Mallord William Turner ' A Conflagration, Lausanne' Watercolour on paper (3)

The main mistakes I made whilst painting this was the fact that I painted a landscape painting of a landscape photograph on a portrait page. Hence buildings, distances and proportions are not drawn or space out right making the painting look pressed together. Another downside is the fact that I decided to paint a modern city in an artist style who painted buildings of the time over 200 years ago, the painting may have turned out more effective if I would have painted in a style of a contemporary artist style, or painted parts of old town, where the buildings have been round for over a century. 

I also found it difficult to paint in watercolour as it became quite dirty as the colours started mixing together. 

For next time wherever with Turner's style I should try to focus on the actual lights and colours of the subject matter rather than buildings or any other precise details. 

I have also found a description which says Turner was 'known as 'the painter of light', because of his increasing interest in brilliant colours as the main constituent in his landscapes and seascapes.' Which in fact relates strongly to the concept of my theme of observing environment of a surrounding or landscape through colours and marks of different media. 

I also discovered Turner is classified as a English Romantic artist. Romanticism was an art, music and literature movement of the 18th and 19th century. Romanticism was considered and opposite to Neoclassicism (which was also a dominant European movement). Romanticism focused on nature being seen as a natural environment and focused on individuals their originality of imagination and experiments, it allowed organic development and emotion. Whereas Neoclassicism focused on human nature, precision, logic, rules, orders, traditions and imitation, which categorised as 'emotional restraint'. 

Since reading about this movement I have gained a better understanding of the type of artist Turner may have been and how he saw art. As Romantic's were not afraid to experiment and be creative, they had no specific rules as to subject mater or beauty as they expressed it in their own way. Which I think is quite inspiring to be more creative and free to express ideas and a personal style the way I want to. 

All three styles

Whenever I went through all the artist styles and processes in order to gain understanding and develop my own personal style, I decided to even further refine and combine the three artist styles and inspirations to create work that is more personal and independent.

Bellow is the process of my works development as I combined the styles together. I used watercolours, coloured chalk, ink, acrylic paint on paper.

Here is the second page in the same style. I used acrylic paint, coloured chalk, ink, a burner on paper.

Here are the artist paintings that I took inspiration from;

(On the left, Vytautas Kasiulis 'Mulen Ružas' (Moulin Rouge) oil on canvas, 1980's,  taken in Vytautas Kasiulis Art Museum, and on the right, Scott Naismith 'Diminuendo Shore'  oil and acrylic on canvas 40 x 40cm (2)

(Above Joseph Mallord William Turner 'Colour Beginning' c.1820, Watercolour on paper, Support: 335 x 423 mm (4)

For this painting I focused on a photograph I have taken from an air plane, I chose this photograph in particular because of the subtle and soft colours that the sky has created, It is interesting how there is mixture between cold colours such as light blue and the warmer colours such as peachy yellow and light pink, it can give off mixed emotions of the surrounding. 

(On the left image A, on the left image B)

To begin with both experiments that are pictured above have been created using the same type of process, there we only a few variables as to media used, but not significant difference. My main inspiration for creating the backgrounds was Joseph M. W. Turner's painting called 'Colour Beginning'. It is really subtle and simplistic however it gives of positive vibes and modesty which I liked as I didn't want the background to over power the details that I added later.
For my first attempt image B I began by applying light purple watercolour in the middle in the page, I applied it free hand allowing it to look messy and more free flow. Whereas for image A I didn't apply any watercolour as I wanted to see the difference. For image B I then applied colourful chalk onto the watercolour, I chose purple shades with  a bit of yellow and light pink, however purple was dominant, because coloured chalk was quite bright I applied a thin layer of white acrylic over it. For image A I also applied coloured chalk however I applied it straight onto plain paper, and I chose more yellowish tones with a hit of pink and purple, I also applied white acrylic paint. After completing the backgrounds of the sky I began to focus on brief detail from the phonograph which is  white clouds.  To create the clouds I took inspiration from Naismith's painting 'Diminuendo Shore' as to how he layers sections of the canvas, however I also looked at how Kasiulis has painted separated fine dots in the painting  'Mulen Ružas'. Hence I took into account how I compose and space out the patched of layered paint over the sheet, I applied both bigger and more textured patches as well as small less detailed ones in little clusters. To finish off I poured on some ink onto the page and let it drip off freely, this exposed and made the page stand out more. For image A I also used a burner to slightly burn the page and create a warm yellowish tones, I also added some burgundy patches of acrylic paint to add warmth. 

In result separately these pages may resemble the sky less, however one they are looked at together they compliment each other, as to image A having warmer tones and image B having colder ones, just like the sky does.

Overall these two experiments showed me a very unique way of recreating an image through colour, feelings and memory. It also supports my abstract landscape theme as it it is rich in indirect or clear details. I also like how these pages seem misleading to others, although I know it is paintings of a sky, a few people have said that they look like cherry blossom trees, which is interesting, as in a way it means my work shows different aspects of landscape in one image, yet leaving the viewer to question what they see.



References;

1) Scott Naismith 'Red Burst' http://scottnaismith.com/30cm-red-burst/
2) Scott Naismith 'Diminuendo Shore' http://scottnaismith.com/diminuendo-shore-40cm/
3) Joseph Mallord William Turner ' A Conflagration, Lausanne' http://www.william-turner.org/A-Conflagration,-Lausanne.html
4) Joseph Mallord William Turner 'Colour Beginning' http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/turner-colour-beginning-d17180