Summaries

Sunday 2nd October 2016
Week 1  - 181 words

Over the summer I visited a few galleries in London, the one most worthwile being Conceptual Art in Britain. (See Research File > Exhibitions and Museums > Conceptual Art in Britain)

This week I had two tutorials, one regarding my Research Report, and one about my ongoing practice. The key points from my tutorial with Krzysztof were; looking at documenting process painting, artists such as Pollock and Namuth's films, and Yves Klein and his Anthropometry performances; look at books by Catherine Wood and Amelia Jones regarding artists mentioned; the idea of process painting being time based, paintings and sculptures are often timeless, how does process alter this view of time?

My tutorial with Simon gave me lots of new ideas and inspiration. I am interested in the process of painting, rather than the meaning and representation of it. Simon advised me to look at artists such as Ryman, Richter, Martin and Parrino with regards to my practice. One book I found particularly beneficial that he suggested was The Indiscipline of Painting. (Find detail on all of the above in Research File)


Sunday 9th October 2016
Week 2 - 114 words

Following my tutorials last week I began researching Richter and Ryman (See Research File). I found this research very valuable for my ongoing practice and it has encouraged my ideas of process. Along with other research, I have spent this week making a clear plan for the next few weeks. This involves further research, purchasing some larger surfaces to work on, and experimenting with different techniques.

I have also been in contact with one of my fellow students Amber Branch this week, who I collaborated with to the end of last year. I feel our work is progressing in a very similar direction and it would be enhance our practices to work together again.


Sunday 16th October 2016
Week 3 - 149 words

This week I visited Newcastle saw there was an exhibition in the Baltic Centre by Caroline Achaintre. This was the first time I had ever seen Achaintre's work in person, however have come across it numerous times over the years. Achaintre's work is textural and expressive, she uses a tufting gun to 'paint with wool'. Her work is process-based and embraces materials and surface, much like my own work. (For further analysis see Research File > Exhibitions and Museums > Caroline Achaintre)

This week I have also bought some sheets of MDF and Aluminium. I have primed the 1.2m square MDF boards in white and also grey, I have never worked onto a grey primer so wanted to try it out as Simon had mentioned it in my tutorial.

Following my Research Report tutorial I have begun research into Jackson Pollock (See Research File > Artists > Jackson Pollock).


Sunday 23rd October 2016
Week 4 - 194 words

This week I have begun painting onto the boards I purchased last week. I have primed one of the boards white and one grey to try out different surfaces. I started with the grey board and begun by using a large paintbrush to make marks, also experimenting with dragging the paint.
I then worked on the white board and metal simultaneously with pink and purple tones. I liked working on both pieces concurrently as it forced me to be less precious with my marks and made me work quicker. (See Reflective Journal > Studio Work)

I had a tutorial with Simon this week, in which he advised me to begin trying out different mediums, eg acrylic gel, gloss and oil over acrylic. Also to try different surfaces such as mirror. Simon also recommended a show at the Royal Academy of Arts I should visit.
I also had a Research Report tutorial where I have put together a brief plan with Krzysztof for my essay. (See Reflective Journal > Research Report Tutorials > Wednesday 26th October 2016)

Myself and fellow student Amber have decided to work collaboratively and exhibit some work in the project spaces.


Sunday 30th October 2016
Week 5 - 195 words

This week during a group crit I had a chance to talk about my work in a slightly informal setting with students, some I had never met before. This was beneficial as it was the first time they had viewed my work and were able to give me new feedback and ideas. I was given positives about my work as well as ideas to improve it, I was also able to give advice to other students. (See Reflective Journal > Group Crits) This informal presentation has given me a little bit more confidence and practice for my 3rd Year Presentation due later in the year.

I have sourced a board double the size of my last ones to begin working larger and seeing the effect that has on my work. I have primed this board and will begin working on it next week.
I have also bought some mirror and gloss paint to start experimenting with.

With regards to my Research Report, it is coming along well, I have withdrawn several books from the library regarding Jackson Pollock and performance art which are slowly forming my in depth research into the area of process painting.


Sunday 6th November 2016
Week 6 - 190 words

This week I have been painting with gloss. So far I have only had white gloss however am interested in sourcing some other colours. I experimented with running the gloss down the piece in drips then flipping the piece round so the drips would run in opposite directions. I feel this worked really well and added an extra dialogue to my work.

I also began painting on my 2.4m board this week. I set a rule for this piece which was a time limit of 20 minutes per layer. So far I have done one layer with acrylic paint with gestural marks, drips and splatters. Followed by a thin layer of acrylic paint in even larger strokes. I intend to add many more layers to this piece, adding texture and depth. My plan next is to use gloss paint, and a different mark making tool eg. a squeegee to drag the paint.
(See Reflective Journal > Studio Work)

I have also been developing my Research File by considering various artists in relation to my practice. This is helping to inspire my creative ideas while also adding context to my ideas.


Sunday 13th November 2016
Week 7 - 188 words

This week myself and Amber have been preparing for our project space exhibition next week.
We intend to paint straight onto the wall as a background for other works. We decided the best way to prep would be make lots of pieces and then decide which would work best in the space once painted. Amber has been working on thinner, material-like surfaces eg bed sheet and plastic sheets, whereas my pieces have been more solid eg board and metal.

I have been experimenting with painting onto mirror and painting with different colours of gloss. Following a tutorial with Craig (See Reflective Journal > Creative Practice Tutorials) I have been experimenting working on much smaller surfaces but with the same large gestural marks I was making before. I have also been introducing different colours into my pink colour scheme. This week has had very successful outcomes, and also not so successful ones. Yet the less successful ones have perhaps taught me more than the effective outcomes. Craig also suggested some artists that I should look at in more depth such as Ian Davenport and Sabine Tress and John Hoyland.


Sunday 20th November 2016
Week 8 - 182 words

This week myself and Amber have been installing our project space exhibition. We decided to make lots of work then curate our exhibition from these pieces instead of making set pieces for set spaces. We thought this would allow us to be less precious over each piece, which is a key part of both of our practices. We brought all of our pieces that we would be happy to exhibit into the space and began to arrange. (To see more info on our exhibition see Reflective Journal > My Exhibitions)

We have our private view tomorrow, which we have created a poster for. We decided to go for a black and white poster as the image we were using was our collaborative wall piece and we wanted to not give too much away. We also liked the simplicity of the monochrome colour scheme.

I have also been in contact again with Tony from Nunns Yard Gallery and I have reserved from Monday 2nd January to Wednesday 4th. I intend to keep creating interesting and textural pieces to exhibit in this unique space.


Sunday 27th November 2016
Week 9 - 187 words

This week I have been focusing on my Research Report. I have started by writing about Jackson Pollock as I have already gained a huge amount of research on him, and his ideas and his influence on painting are central to my practice. I have written a clear plan for my essay and have carried out a vast amount of research on various artists. My draft is ready to be handed in tomorrow.

I also visited London to see the Abstract Expressionism exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, and a selection of Jason Martin's works at Lisson Gallery. It was a great experience to see some of my favourite artists' work in person, in particular work by Pollock, Rothko and Barnett Newman, as the scale of the pieces is so overwhelming and consuming - elements you cannot achieve by looking through a computer. Martin's work was even better than I expected, the works were much larger than I imagined and the depth and texture of the work was inticing. His steel cast works were amazing and have inspired me to look into casting my own work. (See Research File > Exhibitions and Museums > Jason Martin, Lisson Gallery)


Sunday 4th December 2016
Week 10 - 170 words

This week I have been getting on with more studio work. We break up for Christmas in a few weeks and I have an exhibition at Nunns Yard just after new year so am trying to get as much done as possible. I am on track however I am aiming to get it done sooner so that I can focus on my research report. (See Reflective Journal > Studio Work)

I recieved feedback on my 1000 word essay draft this week, it was mostly positive with a few pointers on what to edit regarding structure. However, I was a bit dissapointed my essay had not been read as it would have been beneficial to recieve some feedback regarding my writing style and referencing. If I need any further help I will contact a tutor. (See Reflective Journal > Research Report Tutorials > Wednesday 30th November 2016, Tutorial With Krzysztof)

The feedback from my creative practice tutorial with Simon was that I had been creating a lot of new work. I hadn't been holding back on abitious ideas but to keep experimenting, in particular looking at layering and use of colour. (See Reflective Journal > Creative Practice Tutorials > Friday 2nd December 2016, Tutorial With Simon)

Sunday 11th December 2016
Week 11 - 154 words

This week I had a painting group crit with Craig and fellow 3rd years. I found this very useful as a chance to get some opnions from others regarding the subject 'painting' and its place in contemporary art, as this is a topic central to my research. I also recieved feedback on my own work, it was nice to get a fresh perspective. (See Reflective Journal > Group Crits)

This week I have really been focusing on my creative practice. I am exhibiting at Nunns Yard in a few weeks time, this is a large space so need a lot of work to fill it. I intend to have too much work for the space than not enough. I have been designing posters for the exhibition, I have decided on the title Painting As Process, this is also the title for my Research Report. I am continuing to gather my research on artists that I am discussing in my essay.


Sunday 18th December 2016
Week 12 - 136 words

This week marked the end of the official term. I have finsished 13 pieces of work with the intention of exhibition around 10 of them depending on the layout of the space. I have my favourites and will draw up a rough plan of which ones I'd like to exhibit.

I have taken out of the library a few last minute books as the university will be closed for the next few weeks. I now have an extra book on Yves Klein, and one on Performance Art in general.

I have also been developing my own website. www.elliebrine.com now showcases all of my finished works and exhibitions with good quality photographs. I am considering annotating these with information about the pieces however am unsure how to approach this. This is maybe something for a rainy day.

Sunday 25th December 2016
Week 13 - 145 words

For the entirety of this week I have been focusing on my research report. While I do not have the studio facilities it has allowed me to take a break from my creative practice and I have been able to carry out further extensive research into my topic of process art, as well as get a good chunk of the essay written. I have found researching process very difficult and have had to base a lot of my research on artist and their statements. 

I have sent invites out for my private view on Monday 2nd January. I picked a bank holiday as I felt this is often a day where people don't have a lot to do or forget to make plans, resulting in (hopefully) a good turn out. I have had a few responses from friends and family that intend to make it.


Sunday 1st January 2016
Week 14 - words

While without the studio space, I have continued the draft of my essay. I hope to finish my first draft by my exhibition dates as I would like to use the time sat alone in the gallery to work on editing.

My exhibition is next week so I have been finalising details eg. meeting with Tony on Monday, food and drink, printing out posters, labels and artist statement (I thought the statement would be professional and a nice touch for people who do not know a lot about my work).

This week I have considered health and safety and begun writing a draft press release, I thought these would be good areas of developing my professional practice. I drew up a rough plan of which pieces I would like to exhibit and where I would like them to go, however when I view the space there may be elements I have to change.

Sunday 8th January 2016
Week 15 - 141 words

This week I installed my exhibition at Nunns Yard, I had a friend help me do so as my pieces are quite big and I didn't want to cause damage to the space or injuries. Coming up with a way to hang them proved difficult however I decided on screwing through the work for discreteness and security. 

The private view went very well, there was a good turn out and I recieved a lot of positive feedback on the work, even a few comissions. 

Take down of the work was swift, Tony wanted to fill all of the holes as he could do it quickly and easily which meant all we had to do was take down the pieces and remove the wall plugs.

(See Reflective Journal > My Exhibitions > Nunns Yard)

I have been editing the final draft of my essay in my spare time in the gallery.

Friday 13th January 2016 - HAND IN
Week 16 - 200 words

This week has been spent finalising my research report and blog. Transporting my work has been very difficult the past few weeks so I don't intend to submit anything in my studio space for assessment, all of my work is kept online within my blog and/or website. I find this a neater way to submit everything as it is all in one place with annotations. 

I completed my self evaluation, I feel this unit has gone well and I finally feel I have found my practice. I have enjoyed being proactive with my making and also learning new ideas and concepts through making and research. The two have led me to what I hope to be a fluid and interesting research report.

The professional practice section of this unit has made me consider a few different elements that I may not otherwise have done, eg. writing an artist statement and press release for my exhibition, presentation skills and possible future careers. I feel the weakest part of this unit for me could be the researching as I often struggle with reading and writing, however I spent a lot of time on these areas this unit to try and combat this.

Studio Work

Key points of my work:
texture - gloss, gloss mix with acrylic, filler, dragged paint, gestural marks
surfaces - mdf, aluminium, steel, different primers, acrylic, mirror, wall, canvas
colours - depth to the work, pink and purple happy colours, aesthetically pleasing
layers - acrylic, gloss, create depth and interest to work
tools - different mark making tools to cresate different results - dragging, gestural, drips, tape
work relies on being innovative, experimental and spontaneous. My works are not practices but neither are they preplanned or predetermined.

Liked working with processed film photographs. Never fully sure what the outcome would be. Something about the excitement of the wait to see the result. Partly out of my control. Spontaneity and initiative working from unknown outcomes. Also removes the use of modern technology.

Purchased 1.2x1.2m squares of 6mm MDF, 1x1m squares of aluminium sheet

2 coats of acrylic primer

Began by using a paint brush to apply blocks of colour to the surface. This was random and done with little thought. I did not like how this turned out so decided to try out a new technique. I am also interested in layering so this tied in.

I decided there were too many colours and appeared stripey so next I would use block colours 

I love the snake skin effect this technique gave

Like the way the layers are contrasting and each stroke stands out

After photographing this piece close up, I was much happier with the outcome. They resemble works by Gerhard Richter who I have been researching (can be found in Research File). I found working on a board primed in a colour made the colours which I applied a lot more vivid.

I stopped the work I was doing on the grey board and went back to my Research File to look for new ideas and inspiration. For some reason I was not enjoying or being satisfied with the mark-making I was doing so needed a fresh look.

I rediscovered an artist I was particularly inspired by last year, Peter Bonde.

I studied the way his marks were a lot more gestural and fluid than my original brushstrokes were.

I positioned both pieces so that I could work on them simultaneously and also decided to return to a more familiar colour scheme and work in a more free-flowing and gestural manner.

I began to realise I was taking even less care with each particular stroke. Working on two pieces at once definitely helped me to work quicker and less preciously. I was not worrying over how it would be perceived by an audience I was just making gestural marks. 

I plan to work in this fluid style over and over again, then choose my favourites which I would exhibit. 

The bare sections of the work contrast the brush marks. I like to leave parts of the background visible so the process of creating each piece is still evident. Layers are more obvious and gestures are enhanced.

I also like how Bonde contrasts his larger work to smaller, more detailed pieces. Similarly to how I displayed my photographs against my large metal piece at the end of last year. This is something I am interested in still pursuing and experimenting with.

I also worked a bit on my studio wall 

Amber needed a large wall to work on so I said she could work in my space while I wasn't there. I really like how her work looked layered over mine - layering is something I am going to experiment with. This has inspired us to possibly work collaboratively.

We worked on a collaborative exhibition last year and knew it may be something we wanted to do again. Last year we were both interested in painting the body but abstractly, this year we are both now looking at process.

This is how I laid out my studio space for the year 2 and 3 group crits. It was nice to view my work from a distance and through technology as it gives me a fresh perspective. I really like the simplicity of my metal piece - originally it was going to be a first layer but I am now considering leaving much of the surface bare. I also like the way the painted studio wall becomes a sort of background for the rest of the work. To begin with this was just some test work but am now going to try and incorporate the idea of painting straight onto the wall as part of my practice. 

Out of the two mirrors I bought, I successfully removed one from its frame but the second broke. This is quite frustrating, however I plan to fix it together to create a sort of painting/sculpture - this is something I may not have otherwise thought of.

I bought these plastic scrapers to test out as a different mark making tool.

I am also going to experiment with gloss paint as it has very different qualities to acrylic paint eg. consistency, drying time, and finish.

One of my original pieces with added gloss paint. I had an idea to, as I was painting the gloss, spin the piece around 180 degrees so the drips would go both ways. Drips have become one of the most fascinating things about painting for me. I like this piece both ways up, I find it interesting as you can present it either way and it gives a different story. Drips are seen as accidental and years ago would have been mopped up or covered with another layer of paint. They would have been seen as messy and unfinished, however these are now key elements of my work. The drips of gloss have a completely different effect to the drips of acrylic. The gloss is thick and prominet whereas the acrylic is thin and watery. The gloss drips are more effective, however the acrylic drips make a good effect in the background layer. 

I decided to start my huge board with a layer of acrylic paint. I set myself a time limit of 20 minutes to complete this layer. This was inspired by the advice Simon had given me to try rules within my work. I found the time limit meant I wasn't precious about my marks and I ended up not thinking too much about what I was doing. I just enjoyed what I was doing and went with what felt right. 

I did a big splatter down the middle of the studio, catching all three pieces of work. I like the idea that they are all connected in a way, even when they are displayed apart. 

I tried mixing gloss and acrylic on the sheet of aluminium. I love the marbled effect it gave as the gloss dried much slower than the acrylic. The matt-ness of the acrylic with the smoothness of the gloss left a really satisfying feel.

I put up some images of other artists work to inspire my creativity. These artists include Ian Davenport, Alexis Harding and Richter, as well as Jason Martin, Angela de la Cruz and Jackson Pollock.

This is the piece of mirror I plan to work on next.

Craig was looking round the studios and mentioned artist Sabine Tress to me as I was working. I quickly googled her work and found she worked in a very similar style to me. 

I have the frames left over from where the mirrors were removed, I am not sure what to do with them yet. 

Following my tutorial with Craig:

These were two areas of the painting that Craig thought worked best. Larger brush marks and areas of paint. Little cluster of three marks of gloss paint. Drips created by gloss paint are very different to drips made by acrylic. Thicker, more impact

Going to try working on a smaller scale - primed two A4 boards white and grey. Craig's advice was to work smaller but using the same marks as I am making on my larger pieces. I thought it would be an interesting idea to blutac the smaller boards to the big board I am working on to create an interruption as well as encouraging me to continue making the same marks as before. 

I worked onto the white board first. I was definitely too precious about the marks I was making. I found it really difficult to continue making the same marks as before. I didn't like the marks I was making so kept adding to the piece, this only made the piece worse.

I then started working on the grey board. After working on the white board I knew I needed to be less precious and make less marks. I took a step back and looked at the whole board and considered the marks I would make if I were working on the entire thing. I then began with thick long brushstrokes, working on the whole piece, not just the area surrounding the A4 board. This worked much better. Still not quite what I was hoping but a good start.

Individual pieces and the interruptions they created:

Added texture on the big piece:

Mixing the gloss and acrylic again made a rippling effect

Liked the patterns the dried paint had created on my palette. Inspiration for future work?

Amber's work for the exhibition:

I enjoy experimenting with surface, this work on mirror I feel works really well. You can't tell from all angles that it is a mirror, this has often resulted in people being more impresed when they realise its a mirror. I like the use of mirror as it brings an extra dimension into the work. There is depth to it from the reflections. 

1.2x1.2m 12mm thick chipboard

small squares of shrink plastic

1mx0.5m acrylic sheet

I collected together some different surfaces to start workng on. I often find if I am struglling with ideas I find a new surface which results in giving me new ideas. I also like to change up the texture of paint I am using.

I started priming the chipboard white by accident as I had the idea of priming it transparent with part PVA and part water. I continued to prime with the glue anyway, this could create interesting texture.

Try taking photos of work with film camera then printing and working over - photography is a layer

I really enjoyed working on the metal as it was shiny and the paint applied smoothly, the contrast between the matte texture of the paint and the shiny surface is nice, and as you move around the work the colour of the metal changes slightly due to what it is reflecting, however the colour of the paint does not change which creates an interesting imbalance.

I intend to rust this piece. I visited the 3D workshop to find out how to do this. They showed me a few different ways to do this, to give the best effect I have decided to leave it outside and let it rust naturally as this will give the most random and interesting effect. There were other, quicker ways to rust the work however these ended up looking too forced and planned which I do not think would work well with the style of my painting. 

I didn't like this piece until I removed the sticky backing. The white was too harsh against the bold colours I had used, however now there is so much depth to the work due to the different paintings behind the work coming through. 

Experimented with layering, interesting but how would I fasten/hang this? - something to consider

We built canvas frames in the 3D workshop, this was interesting to learn for making huge pieces of work which I am interested in doing in the futrure. 

At the moment I am using this piece as a backboard for other works. I like the effect it is starting to have and want to continue this over the course of the year until it is full of mistakes and unwanted marks. In some ways this is an anti-painting. 

I have continued to experiment with the idea of layering. The texture of the aluminium is interesting against other surfaces. 

I really did not like how this piece was looking, following ideas discussing in the painting crit, I have decided to get this 8ft piece cut up. There were suggestions for me to leave it for a while and come back to it, or work on small sections at a time, however my favourite idea was to cut it up into smaller pieces to continue working on it. I extended this idea to cutting it into interesting shapes, I hope to layer these over other pieces to create interesting layers and depth to the work.

I feel these pieces work so much better now that they have been cut into interesting shapes. For images of each individual piece see www.elliebrine.com

This is so far my favourite piece I have created. There is so much depth to it (created by the deep purples contrasted to the white gloss paint), and texture within it (dragging the paint creates a snake skin effect, contrasted to the shiny thick drips). The spray paint added a final touch of depth and interest. It is an unusual and contemporary thing to see within painting, making this piece fresh and exciting.

Liked the way these pieces were exhibited next to each other - like my circle and cut up pieces.

I bought some canvases in various shapes and sizes so I could start experimenting with different sized pieces. I have always worked big and wanted to try out working small. I am hoping this will teach me new things for when I go back to working big. 

Consciously using the colour wheel to create contrast in my work.

This piece I initially primed pink with the intention of painting over it with only greyscale, however started this then decided it needed other colours to really work. This became my most messy (in a good way) piece of work. (See pictures on elliebrine.com) I used tape to create extra texture and interest to the work. 

I have decided to name each piece after their physical properties. My work is about the process of creating a painting so it only seemed right for my pieces to be named after their physicality. No hidden messages or ideas. eg. circle, grey primed, aluminium sheet.

My work has been exploring paint through painting. I have always enjoyed painting with acrylics and the characteristics it holds. Over the past two years I had been trying to bring a more abstract style into my work, but finally this year I think I have found myself as an artist. I have let go of all worries and explored and been experimental. I have tried not to consider the outcomes or opinions on the final piece by others. My work is about the process of the works creation, I have learnt a lot about process this unit through my own experimentation, but also through research. Artists from Jackson Pollock to Jason Martin have helped me in my development as a modern artist. 

I try out different surfaces, colours, paints and tools. Mixing things up always keeps my work fresh and exciting. Each piece is very unique due to the different process each one took. When stuck for ideas I look to a new surface or new type of paint. I like to work in layers as this allows me to create a depth to my work. I like to start with gestural marks as these are suggestive of movement and the process in which they were painted (large gestural arm movements with a large paint brush) I also sometimes create layers with dragging the paint in a Richter-esque style. This creates a different texture within the work, in contrast to the gestural marks. Drips are a favourite of mine, there connotations with being mistakes and errors is why I find it so interesting to put them at the very front of the importance to my work. 

I enjoy working with pinks and purples, they are positive colours and give off feelings of happiness and spirituality as well as energy, depending on which shade you use. I find it easiest to create interesting images with these colours. No matter the process I used I always find the work aesthetically pleasing. People often find it weird that I work with the same colour palette, however my work is about paint and process, not necessarily about the colour of the paint I am using. Using these colours can be argued is a confort zone of mine, but it allows me to explore paint without being conciously worrying about colour. Picking colour is something that I feel good at and I know what I am conciously doing, however the outcome is always new and spontaneous. If I were to not conciously control the colours I am using I feel the work would not have the same impact it does at the moment. Taking myself out of my comfort zone is something I will possibly try, however when I have experimented with this it has not gone too well (grey primed, tried working with blues - didn't like it.  Pink primed, tried only working monchrome - didn't like it. Tried working very small on my 8ft piece - didn't like the outcome either.) My work isn't about the unknown, but the exploration and a somewhat journey. I feel as I make more and more work I begin to learn more about paint. I feel there will become a time where I have explored every paint on every surface in every way and then my practice will either end or be complete.