Hi

Just thought I would post where I'm at with the Project.

My two words are

LIFE

GROWTH

My inspiration comes from the forest that I am very lucky to walk in everyday with our 3 rescue greyhounds. Tilgate Forest, West Sussex, England is around 400 acres of ancient woodland with located in the Sussex Weald. Watching the seasons come & go I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to spend some of my day in such an inspiring environment.

Over the past year I have taken some time to record my expieriences by capturing images on my iphone & sketching the trees in notebooks. So when I saw this projct I thought it would be great to see how I can turn my images & sketches into abstract art.

IN TO THE FOREST - image 1 - student project

IN TO THE FOREST - image 2 - student project

IN TO THE FOREST - image 3 - student project

IN TO THE FOREST - image 4 - student project

I have chosen an artist whoose early work is very different from what he is most recognised for. He produced a number of paintings & drawings of trees. The Dutch artist Piet Mondrian is going to be my Influence and his work 'The Grey Tree

IN TO THE FOREST - image 5 - student project

Here is my first couple of sketches based on the tree in the mist image at the beginingof my post. I'm thinking of using the colours of this image as my palette.

IN TO THE FOREST - image 6 - student project

Hope you like my thoughts

Nobby

UPDATE

Busy couple of days, work & play.

Went & got supplies including a very interesting Gold Acrylic paint. So I've been experimenting with colour, brushes and composition. I havn't really painted for over 15 years & never in acrylics so its been interesting, frustrating, eductional, cathartic & most of all fun.

I'm looking at ways to make my picture abstract from my reference image. I think I might have two routes that I'm going down.

IN TO THE FOREST - image 7 - student project

ROUTE A

Using the Mondrian 'Grey Tree' as the main focus in terms of style & using the colours of my tree image as a pallette if somewhat tweeked from the true colours.

IN TO THE FOREST - image 8 - student project

ROUTE B

Abstracting the tree into square-ish brush strokes sort of quasi-mosaic. I'm thinking the background sky might be a bit different in the gold.

IN TO THE FOREST - image 9 - student project

Listening to a MUCHOSOUL podcast on podomatic. An eclectic mix of tunes from an old DJ mate of mine. Tracks by A Tribe Called Quest, Nick Drake, Talvin Singh, Gil Scott Heron & Jon Lucien. Tunes that are all Sweet & Peachy.

All good stuff & enjoying myself.

Monday Update

I've got the main pic hanging up to dry having put the base colours & shapes of the background in.Not sure if I may have gone too graphic (sorry I'm an Advertising Art Director by trade) so I may well have to try & lose up when I get to the tree itself! Going to give the tree a crack tomorrow.

IN TO THE FOREST - image 10 - student project

Pic seems to have rotated so I would suggest laying down on your left side or if you are on a laptop rotate 90 degres clockwise!

Listening to podcast Jazzie Bs BACK 2 LIFE SHOW on mixcloud which is 'runnin tings'!

I've been so busy with work & life stuff that I've not been able to post my progress so I'm going to have to post what I've been up to right through to the final image. So here we go

IN TO THE FOREST - image 11 - student project

I cannot find how to rotate image which is very frustrating!!!!!!! First go at real acrylic painting. I think that I'm to graphic, not happy with the picture. So I leave it overnight & go back to the tree with my hounds very early the next morning. Got my focus & the idea of how I'm going to personalise my picture. I know where I need to go & the first thing is to look at my Mondrian reference. Then go at the picture looser and with more abstraction. Be less graphic & free myself up. So heres how that goes.....

IN TO THE FOREST - image 12 - student project

This is very frustrating, I have shot theese images portrait & they load landscape!!!!!!! I've loosned up loads & followed mondrians reference. Just need to finish off now and introduce my personalisation.......

IN TO THE FOREST - image 13 - student project

So this one worked portrait! My little personalised touch Is my original image in a frame which I'm going to put leaning against the tree in my finished picture............

IN TO THE FOREST - image 14 - student project

Thanfully It's appeared the right way up. MY FINAL PICTURE- I hope you like it

Nicole Thank you so much for this course. You have helped me unlock a door that has been closed for a long time. It's encouraged me to go & try something that I have always wanted to do & that is paint. To try acrylics, try abstract art. Your encouragement & tutourledge has been superb. I will definately carry on exploring & practicing with acrylics & other mediums. Fantastc. Thank you so much, give yourself a pat on the back for a job brilliantly done.

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS

Other artists- I like Futurism, It's dynamic & graphic. Luigi Russolo & Umberto Boccioni would be cool.

Elements on a deeper level- I'm ok with that.

Different Medium - Cool

Creative Restraint - Why Not.

3 Small Pics- Nice

More Time On - Tips & hints on the paint itself, how to mix, Amounts Tips

Less Time - All have their place

Giveaways - Original art is cool. ART-o-Carton ,nice idea Original small Kandinsky!!!!

NOBBY DAVIES

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