For this practical session, I was asked to consider how my can thoughtfully document your work. Does the way that you record your practice articulate the process and the experience of my making or the end point?
I enjoyed being inspired to have a documentation practice. I find it interesting and think it can certainly add to the experience I can have with my artwork. In fact, I recently became interested in sound and I made a sound recording of the sound of myself running. I was thinking of somehow making this part of the experience of my art. I recorded the sound of my feet on the rocks in the mountain where I was running. You could hear the wind, the rocks and gravel under my feet, the eucalyptus leaves on the trees as it was a windy day and even my dog’s breathing.
I like the idea of using the following three prompts that we were given:
- Make a close and concentrated film as I am busy with a process in my art-making.
- Changing the viewpoint of the camera (perhaps from above)
Also, we were asked if we would perhaps like the process of making the art to be visible in the final outcome and that it becomes part of the artwork in some way?
I am thinking about it this week and will try to document as I work. I am curious to see how this can add to my practice.
Below you will find a link that will take you to a video where I have documented how I prepared a background in my sketchbook using watercolour ground:
Below is another video showing the start of a charcoal drawing that I did in my visual journal and the oil sketch that followed. I was drawn to this ruin that once was a home for someone. I love how it is placed within this beautiful landscape which is the ultimate where (O’Donohue, Anam Cara). I find it fascinating how landscape is able to and gentle enough provide a home and make way for people to build a construction yet strong enough to take back the space that was once his – but only when the occupants have left. I love the idea of evidence of a life that once played out in this ruin. I can’t help but who these people were and what stories played out in this space. The overlap of nature and a man-made construction is beautiful to me. Here is a quick oil sketch I did to try to capture this idea:
Documenting how I prepare a background with Shellac for oil painting:
A few photographs of the handmade paper prepared with gesso:
The following series of photo’s show Khadi handmade paper 300gms prepared with gesso in order to create a variation in texture. Over the gesso, a watercolour wash was painted and once dry, a pencil was used to do some ‘knit-writing’ which ended up having a bit like a crackled-looking effect. ‘Knit-writing’ is basically writing and letting all your words touch. This not only allows me to do a bit of writing about my subject before I start painting but also gives a lovely background to take a drawing or painting further.
