Developing Fine Art Practice

This week I wandered into one of the studios and found first year students painting! This might not sound surprising for fine art students, but the first years spent the first semester working in film so may not have picked up a paint brush until recently.

This project, Developing Fine Art Practice, is looking at the idea of Palimpsest – the process of rubbing out and scraping away at layers to reveal what lies beneath. Driving their processes are the ideas of British painter Ivan Hitchens (1893 – 1979) who employed particular visual elements in his work. These included symmetry, balance, line, subordination and myth.

Students work on the same painting throughout the project, for the first three weeks using only black and white and now starting to use colour. Each week students focus on one of Hitchens’ elements to inform their choice of mark making and colour.

Easy you might think – not so! Having done a very similar project in my first year I know how difficult it can be to return to the same canvas week after week. You feel forced to carry on with something you would rather rip up at times – and herein lies the point of the project and the wisdom of our lovely tutors!

Being forced to return to a piece that you might dislike or be bored with encourages the ability to problem solve, ask questions, find resolution and to deal with failures. These learning experiences are at the heart becoming a fine artist.

The first years in the studio today were all really engrossed in their painting work and seem to be getting a lot out of the project. Having been limited to working in monotone for a few weeks, they are both daunted and excited  by the thought of using colour again!

Kate

Kate Morgan-Clare is a final year student on BA (Hons) Fine Art