Natural Photography

For the word natural I found it hard to paint or draw it so I decided to go out and capture a natural source and maybe I could incorporate that or it would inspire me. It was a lovely sunny day in my garden today so I went around and captured some images that I thought looked natural. I liked the idea of photographing something natural so I may take this further and go out to a forest maybe or a lake and get some more inspiration there.

Vivid Acrylic Paint On Canvas Composition

I decided to take the vivid idea further. I wanted to make an abstract version of it, so using acrylics I took a canvas and blended colours from the middle outwards. I left the middle portion white, the using the same printed text from the postcard I printed the word vivid into the middle section. I think this painting is strong, vivid and bold and personally I think it makes a statement. I really love the mixture of the many colours used and a portion taken out, it looks strong and exciting. When you zoom in you can actually see how many colours were used and how they are intricately mixed.

Postcard Outcomes

Going by my material tests I decided to create some postcards based on the words. I think the outcomes were very good. I think they were modern and simplistic, yet the words were over powering. The mixture of textures, materials and colours make each one different but the similar text and papers bring them all together. The vivid postcard stands out the most due to the sharp colours and I think the word fits in with the boldness of the postcard. I think the fade postcard stands out the least and I think it works really well.

Tests and Experimentation

Okay so at the moment I have been doing some material tests, some pattern, texture and colour tests to see what works best with the words that I have chosen. I have had lots of fun using different materials I have found around my art room and what I could find around the house. These tests will help me in a process of elimination. I have found out that Pen ink fades best when I add water, I have also found out the best pattern for shattering and I have found out that you can incorporate 3D materials in your postcards like matches and wax.

 

Artist Research

For my Power of Words project I chose to look at the following artists, I chose these artists mainly because they have worked with text and words in their work.

• Barbara Kruger 
• Lawrence Weiner
• Jenny Holzer 
• Edward Ruscha

Barbara Kruger was a good artist to look at because she layers imagery with pilthy and aggressive text which adds power and control in her work. I found it clever how she would incorporate messages or statements into her work to get a reaction. Bellow is her 'We will no longer be seen and not heard', I thought this was a good image to pick as it showed a rebellion of the children and adolescent teens getting a voice heard. Her work screams power and that's what I want to incorporate in top mine. The next artist I chose was Lawrence Weiner I found his work interesting he had what seemed to be a poem spread out on the walls in a gallery in blue block writing, to me it reflected the power of the poem. It was quite a sad poem so the blue was symbolic of how the poem was upsetting and also the layout it showed a sense of falling down, and giving up like a domino heading for the ground. It made me think how colour and layout could influence my work.

The third artist I chose to look at was Jenny Holzer, she would write explicit and or controversial statements on top of coloured paper and she would expose them on streets and fly posters. This gave a sense of secrecy to whoever wrote them because they wouldn't know. It also showed how the statement itself showed power and not by imagery or drawings. I found her work simple yet powering. The last artist I looked at was Edward Ruscha who would write phrases on top on pastle or acrylic background washes. I really like his work it was simplistic yet it spoke out. I loved how the colours would reflect the words or phrases. In his 'smells like back of old hot radio' the piece came to life I could actually smell the hot radio and if hot radio had a smell it would definitely be the shade of brown he used in his background wash. I found this inspiring how a few colours could make the words stronger and more powerful.  

 

Power of Words Chosen Words.

I have chosen 6 words which I will be creating postcards based on them. They are...

1. Fade
2. Shatter
3. Abyss
4. Burnt out
5. Vivid
6. Natural

I have researched the meaning of the word in the dictionary so I can create an accurate meaning on paper.

Fade- Gradually grow faint and disappear.

Shatter- Break or cause to break suddenly and violently into pieces.

Abyss- A deep or seemingly bottomless chasm.

Burnt Out- Cease to function as a result of excessive heat or friction.

Vivid- Of a colour which is intensely deep or bright.

Natural- Existing in or derived from nature; not made or caused by humankind.

Based on the meaning I started doing some tests which will help me get the best outcome.

My Personal Project- 'Power of Words'

I am doing my own personal project so if I get selected for an interview I will show them this project as my up to date work. This project shows how words have power and meaning. I have written a poem and I will then select a few words out of that poem to portray on postcards.

My Poem Untitled

"Are you okay?"
"I'm Fine..."
The truth was I wasn't fine, I was breaking inside.
Hope was fading, all chances that I thought I had was shattered on the floor in front of me.
I headed for the only way out, the door but as I grasped the handle I slipped, and fell and I kept falling.
I felt like I was spiralling in to the abyss.
It was dark, cold and loneliness was my only friend there to comfort me.
I closed my eyes tightly,
I wanted this to be just another nightmare and for me to wake up in the safety of my home
It wasn't.
When I plucked up the courage to open my eyes a light flicked in the distance.
It grew brighter and brighter as I kept falling drew nearer and nearer.
I hit the ground with a crack.
I couldn't stand, all energy that I had was burnt out.
I took a deep breath the air was no longer musty, It was fresh.
The light around me was bright and vivid and everything looked natural.
I crashed back to humanity.
 I was greeted with the beauty of the world and it never looked better.


The have chosen a few words to possibly portray..

• Fade
• Abyss
• Shattered
• Broken 
• Loneliness
• Burnt out
• Vivid 
• Natural 
• Humanity
• Light
• Beauty

I will now look for artist research to see how artists portray words into their work and if they have given them power.