Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes - printmaker

Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes, born 30th March 1746, Fuendetosdos, Aragon, Spain, died on 16th April 1828 (aged 82) Bordeaux, France.
Goya was known as the most important Spanish Artist of his time, He was a Spanish romantic painter and print maker. As well as producing linographs, he also made etchings. For his etchings, Goya was influenced by the work of Giovanni Battista, where he then produced some outstanding effects.
Between 1810 and 1820, Goya made a series of 82 prints which he named,  Disasters of war. Although he never made it clear,  some art historians suggested that he had intended to use the  plates as a visual protest against the violence of 1808 Dos de maya uprising,  the subsequent peninsular war battle.
I began to study Goya's artwork  this series and found it interesting and a good idea to produce such work. It is clear that the images are dark and disturbing to look at, but I felt they contained depth into the violence against individual people. I felt this was better than a battle scene for example as it provided a strong sense of devastation. One image battle caught my eye was, Plate 4: Las mujeres Dan valor.

The print contains two people attacked by soldiers, with the fear in the woman's eyes being the focal point of this image. It is an image of the harsh reality of pain, weakness and defeat. I feel this is presented in the woman's eyes as she looks away from whats happening.  The soldier attacking the person on the right has been well done. Through the angle of arms,  the soldier is clearly presenting power over the person they have hold off. The use of line work and shading also adds this. I feel the way that the soldiers hand is firmly grabbing the persons head expresses intimidation and pain very well,  you can almost imagine the force of this action,  especially through the coverage of the head. This is the key point of the image providing vulnerability and violence all at the same time.

I also found Plate 5: y son fieras (and they are fierce) interesting.  I feel this print has alot more going on compared to Plate 4. The main point is the woman holding a spear as well as a baby , fighting against the soldiers. The image is incredible in portraying the extent of the violence.  This isn't a battle scene or man against man, this is a woman holding a baby in one arm and fighting with the other, absolutely shocking. This image is quite sad to look at,as I could only guess that the soldiers won this battle and that the baby,  as well as the rest of the civilians didn't survive.

Plate 36: Tampoco is a different plate from the others I have described.  Its a cold,  sad image of a man hanging from a tree. At first glance, I was Saddened by the horrific image, then I began to wonder what had happened previous to the hanging.  Was the man tortured,  taken away from his family or did his family even know that he would not return home. In the background there are two other people hanging from trees, which suggests that this was almost a statement of achievement for the soldiers.  The soldier positioned to the right of the image looks satisfied with what he has done,  almost gloating.  This image just makes me feel sad. A life has ended and there is nothing left,  no loving goodbye,  no proper burial and a brutal death.
I have learnt alot by studying the "disaster of war" artworks created by Goya. I am not sure why these prints were made but I feel the purpose was to provide the harsh reality of war on a more personal level including women and children as a large part of the series.  It is quite a dark series of artworks. This style does not appeal to me but I would like to study them further to gain a better understanding of the brutal reality of war.

Impressionism

Impressionism is a movement which began in the 19th century in France.  The idea behind it,  was that most Artists painted outside to capture a moment in time. This could either be in the form of landscape portraits or of people as they were at that moment in time. Artists including Claude Monet,Edgar Degas,Auguste Renoir, Gustave Caillibotte and Paul Cezanne were all part of the impressionism movement in the early 1900s. It wasn't long after the movement began that British Artists such as Walter Edwards Sickert and Wilson Steer were influenced and created their work inspired by impressionism.
Artists who were part of the Impressionism movement play a large part in our history,  with their help we are given insight into what life used to be like before the modern technology we have these days. Today we have advanced in so many ways through all aspects of life. As far as technology goes, We have mobile phones,  computers,  flat screen TVs and Led lights.  We also have electric trains, air conditioning and online shopping.  Our world has advanced in so many ways in the last 100 years, that's why the impressionist paintings are so valuable.
Impressionist Artists have been able to capture a moment in time through their work, The details in every painting provides an idea of how things used to be. One of my favourite images which reflects the effects of industrial revolution is: Paris Street,  Rainy day (1877) by Gustave Caillebotte

This is a perfect example of how a normal day in Paris would be. The painting shows a man and woman smartly dressed walking casually through a street,  behind them, there is a street light which suggests that there weren't any electric Street lights.  It is difficult to image what life must have been like in the late 1900s, especially nowadays,  where we use electric and solar power. Its safe to say, the majority of us would feel lost. Another key point in this painting is the clothing in which the people are wearing.  Back when this was created,  people would have to visit a tailor or seamstress to have their clothing made. The colours were very plain also, Not like the vast majority of colours,  style,  texture and pattern design we have today.  I must admit, although I wouldn't change anything,  I do feel like the fashion designers have slightly lost control of practicality and purpose. Who would ever have believed that an outfit made of meat, worn by pop star Lady Gaga would ever be made?! Clothing seemed less complicated in those days.
Another Artist who's work I admire is Claude Monet.  Monet's passion was to create real sense of  natural light within his work. Although he explored this through many of his flower paintings,  the painting I found most interesting was: La Gare Saint-Lazar (1877)

 I feel this is a perfect image of a time unknown. Every detail in this painting provides evidence to how different transport used to be. The steam engine is the centre focal point, it provides a statement of a solid product of industry.  A steam engine, was once modern and new but now, it is a part of the past. This is why it is the perfect example to show the effect of industrial revolution.
I have enjoyed learning about the impressionism movement,  I am interested in studying the works of various Artists and see how they compare. I like the idea that an moment in time has been captured and I find it fascinating.

Self portrait wearing a hat

In class we were asked to do a self portrait wearing a hat. I was quite anxious as I struggle with self portraits-or drawing people in general.  I started with a side view and was quite pleased for my first real attempt.  I then drew another image face-on. Again,  I was quite pleased with the result.  I do struggle with shading more than anything but this is what I came up with:

Artist Presentation - Kerry Jones

Kerry Jones is a multimedia Artist based in the Scottish Borders,  before moving to the Borders,  kerry gained her degree in Hull, England. The work she is doing now consists of a variety of film making,  sound archives and making still images, which is a very different style from when she left her studies.
Kerry has always had a passion for time travel and a curiosity about the past and present.  One of her first projects started off in an abandoned factory, where coal and coke was everywhere and it was completely overgrown.  She decided to use this factory for an Art piece by laying turf on the floor to resemble coke slabs growing out.  Not long after this,  Kerry done a similar project in "the square" chapel in Halifax.  This time,  she was interested in the idea of history and packaging.  There were numerous clear bags suspended from the beams containing dirt,  this was to represent sanitising and packaging in the past. As well as a few other projects,  Kerry also took part in covering the front of an abandoned dole office with words taken from the Guardian and TV guide,  she was inspired by the cut up technique by William Burroughs.
After realising that she wasn't making enough money through her art work,  Kerry decided to train as a carpenter, this lead to her new passion for making giant puppets.  She created them based on ideas of stereotypes and took them to festivals,  book fairs and schools.  she liked the social side of her work, bringing people together within the community and entertaining a variety of age groups.
Continuing her Art work working within the community,  Kerry worked as part of a group with other Artists to create a display in 3 windows throughout the town of Galashiels.  The theme was 100 years in history of local children.  The first window display contained a film projector playing a short film containing shadow puppets,  this was to entertain children. the year for this window display was set to represent 1900-1945. A second window represented 1945-1975 and the third was inspired by 1980-present. Each window was different from the next with use of old photographs from that era. This project provided Kerry with a curiosity for using her skills to alter old pictures of Galashiels.
Kerry began to take old photos of Galashiels  from approximately 1930s and add modern day clothing on the people in the pictures.  The idea behind this was to create a unique series of images influenced by time travel.  She also coloured in the sky blue and add features to the buildings in the pictures,  for this she used a variety of media including pens, oil pastels and paint.

 Kerry's art work was soon noticed and she was asked to create a series of 6 images for a shop window in Hawick for an exhibition,  below are a couple of images that were included :

Kerry decided to expand her talent by using a mixture of sound and still images to make funny videos. She also included her puppets in some of these videos,  this idea was inspired by the recent work she had done. One video she made was called Virtually nonexistent,  she liked the idea of a mind warp. 

Kerry's newest adventure involves working Alchemy film festival where her film work has been presented. 

I really enjoyed meeting Kerry, she is an enthusiastic person and very talented.  I really like her style of work and found that I shared a few common interests.  I am inspired by the way she works and I am very interested to see what else she will be doing in the future. 

Romanticism - a brief description

There are several characteristics involved in Romanticism,  including: sympathetic interest in the past, sensibility, love and nature, mysticism, romantic criticism and primitism.  Romanticism first came about as a reaction to rationalism and the best work was made in the early 18th century. It wasn't until after the horrific occurrences of the French Revolution,  that Artists decided to express their emotions through their paintings.
one Artist's work which I found interesting was the work of J W M Turner (1775-1851), a well-known landscape Artist who expressed his feelings through his paintings. One painting which caught my attention was, Snow storm: Hannibal and his army crossing the Alps. This painting describes the long,  tiring fight Hannibals soldiers had trying to cross the Alps in 218Bc against the foul forces of nature. Turner uses a large black storm cloud to emphasise the darkness and difficulty felt. The people are shadowed by the storm cloud, although there is sunlight trying to break through the clouds,  there doesn't seem to be much hope.

Snowstorm :Hannibal and his army crossing the Alps (1812)

Another Artist who was inspired by nature was, Caspar David Friedrich(1774-1840) .  Although,  both Artists shared their inspiration,  they worked completely different to one another.  Fredrich used fine brush strokes to express his emotion in, Arctic Shipwreck (1824). This painting is about the harshness of forces of nature and not being in control.

Arctic Shipwreck (1824)

Another Artist that I looked at was famous poet, printmaker and painter,  William Blake (1757-1827). I found his work,  Frontispiece to the Visions of the Daughters of Aibon (1793) were interesting,  and slightly disturbing. The painting contains Oothoon tied back to back with her rapist (Bromion) while her lover (Theotormon) holds his head in despair and jealousy. The painting is about Blakes views of Judeo-christian values of marriage. 

This was created near the end of the 18th century but shows a completely different style from Turner and Fredrich.

Frontispiece to the Visions of the Daughters of Aibon (1793)

After looking at various Artist who played a large part in the Romanticism movement,  I still feel I have alot to discover about the emotional attatchment these Artists felt and what made them feel so passionate that they felt the need to express their feelings.

Mono print - self portrait

In class we are doing a unit on self portraits. As a starting point,  we experimented with mono printing, using black ink on a board with paper on top. We began with 5 a4  printed images of our head and shoulders,  one face on, one image looking each side and two 3/4 facing images.  I was very nervous about this unit initially as my weakness is drawing portraits, to my releif,  the task was alot easier than I thought.
 We began by placing one of the printed images on top of a piece of paper, (on top of the rolled ink), then drew around the image. We were free to choose what we wanted to draw with, and how to add shading and detail through various mark making.  This was simple and fun to do.
I began with a linear drawing,  then adding more shading and heavier lines to the next. I followed that by alternating which image I was using as a template and began to experiment.  I came up with some interesting results by using multiple images,  thinking about composition and placement.  I was enthusiastic about how far I took take my idea's and I was very pleased with my results.  Throughout the process, I also learned how to add tones and that by using various pressure,  I could produce a more realistic final image.

                           

Artist Presentation - Mary Morrison

Mary Morrison is an Artist based in the Scottish Borders,  currently based at the wasp Artist Studios in Selkirk.  She is originally from the Isle of Harris,  which is the largest Island in the Outer Hebrides.
All the work she produces is done using Oil paint, sometimes just oil, other times she uses mixed media, such as oil and ash, silver leaf, turpentine or  pencil as well as other mediums. She also uses maps, poems and quotes from books when creating a collage. She likes to work on a flat surface, preferably the floor so that she has more space to move her art. Morrison also describes her work as, not fully abstract but uses the landscape as the main part of her work.
Throughout her work, Morrison has been influenced by many people. One person was Agnes Martin,  an American abstract painter, who used meditative geometry throughout her work and provided a sense of gentle and quiet in each piece.
In 2007 she started cutting out section's of Gaelic song books and sticking them to her work. As music was also a large influence,  she also used sections of songs within some of her work as well.

      Cosmos- oil, mixed media on canvas

Within this artwork,  is a circular stave with dropped paint on it to represent music notes.
Morrison explained that she used alot of silver pigment throughout her work and that she wants her paintings to create a sense of mystery,  rather than being too obvious. Below are another two examples of her work influenced by music.

   Sea Music - Undertow oil, shellac,                pigment on canvas

                      Wave - oil on canvas

Another inspiration came from the work of John Schueler, an American Painter who painted large canvases of the quick transition in weather and used landscape within his work.
Mark Rothko, an American landscape Artist,  Shirazeh Houshiary, an Iranian Artist who provided a sense of geometry and spiritual within her work. And Anish Kapoor, a British Artist and Sculptor were also an inspiration to Morrison.
"Tide tables"  is a series of paintings which include measurements of the sea. Some paintings in this series include, "morning tide 2" and "high blue day on Scalpay 1"

morning tide 2- oil and mixed media on canvas.

High blue day on Scalpay 1 - oil, collage on paper
The image above includes poetry by a Scottish Poet, where she created the feeling of the Poem which was based on Scalpay, ( the place she grew up).
Throughout the next series of work, Morrison used sections of maps within her work."Out West" was based on a story that her sister had written and contains a map reference in the corner. The maps within her work are used to represent where she grew up so there is a personal connection within each piece.
When Morrison was asked to take part in an exhibition,  entitled Utopia, she was very pleased and created works entitled, "Utopia 1", "Utopia 2" and "Navigation - Utopia"
Another exhibition which she participated in was, "Fonn", this was held in Stornoway,  in the Scottish Highlands.  The work presented included "sea heart"

    Sea heart - oil, mixed media on paper

Other paintings presented at this time were,  "Shadow Maps". This was a series of paintings using darker colours such as greys and blacks rather than the vibrant blues which was mostly used.

Black shore- oil. Mixed media on board 

After her work being seen at Stornoway,  Morrison was invited to another exhibition,  "Bard Mhealboist Project"

At this stage, Morrison made work inspired by the Poem of Murdoch Macfarlane aswell as focusing on connecting with the landscape in a subtle and symbolic way.

A few other paintings which Morrison included in her presentation were 

Road - Croft Markings,  Scalpay,  oil on card

Utopia 1 - oil mixed media on board 

Compass - oil, mixed media on canvas

Luskentyre - oil, Ash, pigment on paper

Overall,  Morrison provided a very informative presentation.  I quite enjoyed her style of work as well. Maps, graphs and tide lines are not really an interest of mine, but I liked the fact that her work was relevant to her childhood and location where she grew up. I thought the use of oil was interesting having been mixed with a variety of media. It provided a light,  soft feeling, whereas my understanding of oil paint is that, it is usually quite dense and heavy. I definitely related to the use of vibrant colours and  really enjoyed the unique wavy patterns within each piece.  There is an exhibition being held on the 1St and 2nd of October next month, at the Wasp studios in Selkirk.  I am very keen to view these artworks in person. I would like to admire the work close up to gain a real sense of the harmonious tones and movement used throughout.

Artist Presentation - Mary Morrison

Mary Morrison is an Artist based in the Scottish Borders,  currently based at the wasp Artist Studios in Selkirk.  She is originally from the Isle of Harris,  which is the largest Island in the Outer Hebrides.
All the work she produces is done using Oil paint, sometimes just oil, other times she uses mixed media, such as oil and ash, silver leaf, turpentine or  pencil as well as other mediums. She also uses maps, poems and quotes from books when creating a collage. She likes to work on a flat surface, preferably the floor so that she has more space to move her art. Morrison also describes her work as, not fully abstract but uses the landscape as the main part of her work.
Throughout her work, Morrison has been influenced by many people. One person was Agnes Martin,  an American abstract painter, who used meditative geometry throughout her work and provided a sense of gentle and quiet in each piece.
In 2007 she started cutting out section's of Gaelic song books and sticking them to her work. As music was also a large influence,  she also used sections of songs within some of her work as well.

      Cosmos- oil, mixed media on canvas
Within this artwork,  is a circular stave with dropped paint on it to represent music notes.
Morrison explained that she used alot of silver pigment throughout her work and that she wants her paintings to create a sense of mystery,  rather than being too obvious. Below are another two examples of her work influenced by music.

   Sea Music - Undertow oil, shellac,                pigment on canvas

                      Wave - oil on canvas

Another inspiration came from the work of John Schueler, an American Painter who painted large canvases of the quick transition in weather and used landscape within his work.
Mark Rothko, an American landscape Artist,  Shirazeh Houshiary, an Iranian Artist who provided a sense of geometry and spiritual within her work. And Anish Kapoor, a British Artist and Sculptor were also an inspiration to Morrison.
"Tide tables"  is a series of paintings which include measurements of the sea. Some paintings in this series include, "morning tide 2" and "high blue day on Scalpay 1"

morning tide 2- oil and mixed media on canvas.

High blue day on Scalpay 1 - oil, collage on paper
The image above includes poetry by a Scottish Poet, where she created the feeling of the Poem which was based on Scalpay, ( the place she grew up).
Throughout the next series of work, Morrison used sections of maps within her work."Out West" was based on a story that her sister had written and contains a map reference in the corner. The maps within her work are used to represent where she grew up so there is a personal connection within each piece.
When Morrison was asked to take part in an exhibition,  entitled Utopia, she was very pleased and created works entitled, "Utopia 1", "Utopia 2" and "Navigation - Utopia"
Another exhibition which she participated in was, "Fonn", this was held in Stornoway,  in the Scottish Highlands.  The work presented included "sea heart"

    Sea heart - oil, mixed media on paper

Another paintings presented at this time were,  "Shadow Maps". This was a series of paintings using darker colours such as greys and blacks rather than the vibrant blues which was mostly used.

Black shore- oil. Mixed media on board 

After her work being seen at Stornoway,  Morrison was invited to another exhibition,  "Bard Mhealboist Project"

At this stage, Morrison made work inspired by the Poem of Murdoch Macfarlane aswell as focusing on connecting with the landscape in a subtle and symbolic way.

A few other paintings which Morrison included in her presentation were 

Road - Croft Markings,  Scalpay,  oil on card

Utopia 1 - oil mixed media on board 

Compass - oil, mixed media on canvas

Luskentyre - oil, Ash, pigment on paper

Overall,  Morrison provided a very informative presentation.  I quite enjoyed her style of work as well. Maps, graphs and tide lines are not really an interest of mine, but I liked the fact that her work was relevant to her childhood and location where she grew up. I thought the use of oil was interesting having been mixed with a variety of media. It provided a light,  soft feeling, whereas my understanding of oil paint is that, it is usually quite dense and heavy. I definitely related to the use of vibrant colours and  really enjoyed the unique wavy patterns within each piece.  There is an exhibition being held on the 1St and 2nd of October next month, at the Wasp studios in Selkirk.  I am very keen to view these artworks in person. I would like to admire the work close up to gain a real sense of the harmonious tones and movement used throughout.

Hawick Glass Blowing

Yesterday I went to visit the glass blowing place in Hawick,  it is situated just behind Homebase on the outskirts of the town.  The business is run by father and son and has been for many years.
As I approached the place, I was greeted with a warm, friendly welcome.  The workplace is open to the public to view and ask questions while the items are being made. This was a new experience for me but I was absolutely amazed and the techniques used to create such gorgeous ornaments. I found out that the main furnace takes up to a week to heat up to the ideal temperature to melt the glass mix (which looks like small stones).  The working temperature of the furnace is approximately 1115-c, while the melting temperature can reach 1260-c. After the glass is melted,  it is then put in another heated oven so that it can be manipulated into various shapes. A large variety of coloured glass crystals are used within this process to add colour and shapes to each item. There are also a variety of tools used for cooling,  shaping,  adding patterns and cutting.  The heat that you can feel from the furnace is incredibly hot and it glows orange. After each item is made, it is left in a kiln overnight to set.
There is also a small shop attached to the workplace where they sell a variety of items including :ornaments such as birds, sheep, hearts,  and vases, lighting,  hanging decorations,  candle holders and paperweights, they also produced awards for various companies. They also informed me that they can also make items to order with colours chosen by the customer, i thought this was a nice touch so that each item can be made to suit the customers needs.
I would definitely recommend anyone to go and see this amazing art form.