AdeleArtBlog

Unusual and Multiple Viewpoints in Interiors An old favourite of mine immediately comes to mind: Edward Hopper. I have always loved the starkness and the feeling of loneliness that Hopper managed to express in his room scenes. The outside juxtaposing with the inside. Rooms by the Sea has no figure in it and still manages to capture the same sense of isolation - as if the light has no place in being there. Hopper, Edward. Rooms by the Sea , 1951 Then I found this British artist's work that I instantly fell in love with. Ivon Hitchens, Balcony at Cambridge , 1929 More than painting the light the feeling of sunshine and freshness of the day, the artist has captured a moment so that the viewer feels as if he is seated on the chair that would be to the left of the table. But it is the warping of the perspective that really justifies the visual elements and brings about a sense of being there - we don't really see the world in straight lines, the ones w

For this assignment I chose a heightened angle to work from in order to show the inside of my daily life. I chose to omit color from the outside view of the street and buildings below so as to create a feeling of a safe haven, a place where I am removed from the business and the stress of this 1 million inhabitant mega-city.  I used dipping pen and ink and wax crayon as the medium to express controlled mark which I hope reflect a feeling of serenity and safety. The small watermelon served as a counterpoint for the red cushion and some symbolism. I left the maximum amount of light in the work to further enhance the mood and create a sense of isolation. I attempted to emphasize the slightly skewed perspective as to enhance the piece creatively. I hope that the vagueness of the marks on the outside of the balcony work give depth and distance. Sketchbook Practice:

The Book Case: This is the most interesting subject in my house as it holds my precious things - gifts, things from home and photos of my loved ones. It is a wall of memories and love. On the floor is my old rucksack which I walk with daily, walking being a huge part of the way I deal with stress and connect to nature and to God. The format is A1 and it is all rendered in charcoal.

For this exercise I used the enclosed balcony section of my flat. It is enclosed with a glass panel serving as a low window so it is possible to see right down into the road from the 29th story where I live in China. I used different angles to reflect the inside safety of the balcony and the precarious drop of the outside looking down onto the park and the buildings and street below me.

Perhaps because I enjoy painting, I enjoyed this immensely. I worked in watercolor and felt that I captured the light on the flower and the plate well. I was pleased with how well the monotone worked with the subject, the green showing off the freshness of the subject.

As I have just moved to China, sketching a characterless flat with minimal stuff in it proved to be challenging and frustrating. Nothing appealed to me and I had to work hard to find a source that excited me to work on. 1. The Lounge/Dining Area Started with pencil and then switched to black gel pen which I found more satisfying to use for sketching. 2. The Bedroom: I used charcoal in the 3rd sketch and started to enjoy the way I could easily create tone by smudging, erasing and shading. 3.The Bathroom: 4.The Kitchen  This sketch of the kitchen sink I did with a wax crayon and enjoyed the fluidity of the medium and the feeling of movement it seemed to create. Best work: But it is this one that I am most pleased with. The composition is good and the balance between light and dark is appealing.

I practiced using various materials before starting the exercise. I found that watercolor pencil, Japanese brush pen and ink made fabulous marks. Fine markers worked well too but i messed up when I used a thick marker as it overwhelmed the subject and blotted the paper. (See sketchbook pics below). I eventually settled for Wax crayon, Carbon Indian Ink applied with a dipping pen and Japanese Brush pen. I really enjoyed this medium as I felt it lent itself to the crisp color and was surprised by the effect the wax crayon, something that I last used with my children. I felt that the combination of materials gave a slightly more edginess to the drawing. Sketchbook practice below:

I did 2 completed studies for this exercise. The first is in chalk pastels on a dark ground. I thought that the dark ground was useful in contrasting the light areas but that the medium is more difficult to control. I also felt that the composition was successful and I enjoy the contrasting rectangular spaces which off-set the round shapes of the bottles and fruit.   The second work was rendered in watercolour pencils and I felt that the medium was far more conducive to accurately capturing the variations in tone and colour. Overall I was more pleased with the first composition as it seemed a bit more interesting and dramatic in a sense.