Introduction
During my MA I have explored beauty in the sombre through tree portraiture. Material experimentation has been central to my practice, from nature-derived materials such as charcoal, paper, wood and wax to man- made materials like acrylic and PVA. I have been particularly interested in how fluid-appearing yet solid materials sit on the surface of wood; it has been exciting familiarising myself with using acrylic and PVA and then learning to use beeswax 'cakes', which is perhaps more eco friendly. As my practice develops, sustainability is something I might explore further. I have explored the strangeness and creepiness of trees' forms as much as their beauty, through charcoal drawings on paper. I feel my tree portraits have developed drastically, from the large-scale literal paintings of my BA, to the more abstract approach on wood panels today.
Neon Green Roots Triptych
Inspiration for Neon Green Roots Triptych
​Benglis, L. (1971) Phantom [Polyurethane foam with phosphorescent pigments]. Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art. DACS, London/VAGA, New York 2009 (Viewed: 14 November 2024).
In the summer exhibition I showed a triptych of A1 wood panels depicting dead tree ​roots. Neon Green Roots Triptych was inspired by Lynda Benglis' 'Phantom', particularly the colour combination but also the essence of abstraction in a bumpy fluid-solid material which comes out from the surface. There is a sense of flowing liquid which is frozen in Benglis' work and my own.
Process of Neon Green Roots Triptych
In Unit 2 I have recorded the making process and reflections on Neon Green Roots 1) and Neon Green Roots 2).
Process of Neon Greet Roots 3)
Neon Green Roots 3) was inspired by dead tree roots found at Hampstead Heath. I liked the sharp-edged, almost spiky forms coming out from the dead trunk and the triangular negative spaces between them. The wood has various textures and layers, creating a depth. As I was painting, I was noticing how the lighter central form at the top looks like a deer's skull with small antlers. Out of the panels in the triptych, this panel had the largest amount of green PVA/acrylic used to bring out a singular form (which looked like a skull).
Glue/Acrylic on wood panel 59.4 x 84.1 cm.
Reflection on Neon Green Roots 3)
As in Neon Green Roots 1) and 2), Neon Green Roots 3) Had a Rorschach test quality; the large green form to the left looks like a deer's skull whilst the green lines remind me of rippling water. It has delicate lines like Neon Green Roots 2) but also contained the largest area of green acrylic/glue, visually linking it to Neon Green Roots 1) with its thicker green line which runs down the panel. I was particularly cautious when painting the first line of the dead tree trunk which would mark the middle of the panel and centre of the organic form. The medium of glue and acrylic was not easy to rub out which led me to commit to the positioning of lines and allow the spontaneity of the fluid medium. At the end of year MA show I exhibited Neon Green Roots 3) beside Neon Green Roots 2) as their lines happened to match perfectly. I originally intended to make Neon Green Roots 3) more detailed but as the final show approached I decided to leave it in a balanced state. When comparing orders of panels in preparation for the exhibition, I realised that Neon Green Roots 3) with its quieter, more spacious panel, diagonal positioning, and line which tailed off, acted as the perfect 'full stop' to the triptych. Neon Green Roots 2) and 3) both shared a stuttering line which trailed off, as part of the dead tree trunks disappeared. Deciding when to translate the image in the photograph onto the panel, and when to allow strangeness, imagination and intuition to take over, leading to abstraction, has become central to my practice. It is in those moments that I have felt truly creative. I feel the letting go of the literal and leaning into uncertainty is where the dreaminess of the painting emerges. A comparison can perhaps be drawn to Chrystel Lebas's lecture where she described the sensation of walking in the forest where the animals can't be seen but their presence can be felt, leading to a sense of uncertainty, as absent form can be sensed through hinting lines in my painting, creating a tension between what is known and what is hidden (Lebas, 2024).
MA end of year exhibition
Preparing the exhibition space
Before deciding how we would show our work, we prepared the exhibition spaces in groups. Painting the walls, floors, hole filling and most memorably peeling off huge vinyl stickers from the Graphic Design studio, was a physical experience which formed closer bonds with peers across the pathways. It was good to learn the skills needed to prepare an exhibition space. I enjoyed the process.
Deciding how to exhibit my work
At first I was allocated a small wall. All three panels could not fit on the wall in a row so I tried stacking them one above another, in different orders, but the images appeared to be disjointed and chaotic.
I was given the option to exhibit two panels on the wall and one on the adjacent wall. Neon Green Roots 1) and Neon Green Roots 3) appeared to perfectly link so they could have been on the small wall, with Neon Green Roots 2) on the adjacent wall.
During various group discussions it was decided that I could have the triptych in a row on the large central wall, flanked by two of my peers' nature related works. The experience of asserting my work's place in the centre of the wall was good practice for future exhibitions; I had to come to a small compromise with a peer, which was not showing a spare charcoal work to allow him to show several smaller works in the room. I found it a learning experience in deciding how my work would be best presented, being able to communicate why my work should be in that space, and staying true to my vision in the face of disagreement.
Reflection on Neon Green Roots Triptych
At the MA End of Year Show I exhibited Neon Green Roots triptych. It was exciting to see the three panels I had worked on throughout the course, neatly hung in a row for the first time. The large central white wall allowed space around the A1 panels, offering a plain background for the black rectangles to stand out against. The triptych was flanked by my peers’ works continuing the theme of Nature. The first panel (Neon Green Roots 2) with its jagged left-hand side, reflected the shadow of the field drawn on the adjacent wall (Hou, Y, 2024), and the mountain peaks painted on the right-hand side (Hew, X, 2024).
The triptych evoked themes I have been exploring throughout the course such as beauty in the sombre, strangeness and fluidity found in Nature. However, Neon Green Roots Triptych is a development in my tree portraiture style, from the literal paintings of my BA and early charcoal sketches of this course, into a more abstract approach.
I chose to use A1 wood panels as the material derives from trees and I enjoyed the physicality of working at a large scale, standing, with the panel on the table. In future works I could consider sustainability and where the wood is sourced from, but these panels were just bought at Chelsea’s school shop. I looked closely at the panels and chose them based off which wood grain patterns I found aesthetically appealing, and dark enough to be seen slightly beneath the paint’s surface. I painted the panels black which has become a repeated choice of background colour, representing Mortality; when I stand in front of trees I am often aware of my own mortality compared to the tree which will could outlive me by hundreds of years. I am also interested in gothic aesthetic so the colour black is something I identify with.
I chose to paint dead tree roots found at Hampstead Heath as I was drawn to their theatrical organic forms. I worked from A3 print-outs of my photographs on the wall; the image was enlarged in the transition from the 2D photo to the 3D panel. The strange forms led to a more abstract approach. I painted, or rather dripped acrylic mixed with PVA glue onto the panel using a paster; this was a healthier alternative to latex as the material is banned at the university due to allergies, and glue/acrylic can be used inside without ventilation. I have been exploring fluid appearing, solid materials which sit on the surface. I enjoyed playing with when to control the material, using a slow hand and when to move more quickly and allow the material to be spontaneous and accidents to happen. Although artificially made, the spontaneous material was perhaps organic in its fluid and bumpy texture.
The artist’s psyche and its evocations are central to my practice. The use of black backgrounds in Neon Green Roots Triptych represents nihilism, contrasting with the fluorescent green forms of dead tree roots, reflecting a sense of escapism and vivid experience in Nature. I have been repeatedly asked whether my tree portraits are also self-portraits and I believe this is true as they reflect a mental state I have experienced in Nature; my works often depict a nostalgia and personal connection to a particular tree but Neon Green Roots Triptych perhaps evokes a longing for freedom and excitement. Neon Green Roots Triptych contains a Rorschach test quality in how different images can be read into the dead root forms. Since researching landscape in traditional and contemporary paintings, I believe I am making contemporary landscapes. However, with the absence of greenery in the background perhaps I am heading towards the post-landscape and into pure abstraction, where evocations of the psyche override.
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Notes from the Group Crit
4 July 2024
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Black paint
Wood grain
Language
Pollock - huge scale - dripping on huge scale
George shaw
Fluid natural
Nature - unnatural material
Unnatural colour
Dripping paint / watercolour
Pigments - rock pigments - ground on photograph (other student)
Fire flies
Animals - seeing different colours
Accident
Judith Dean - left hand to make paintings - less control
Automatic painting
Surrealists - Paul Nash - photographs- strange objects - black and white photographs
Hesitation - making or thinking
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control or not control
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(one student found my work or working style ‘problematic’ in its ‘hesitation’ - he thought it should be all loose or all controlled?)
On wall - paint could drip down - wood panels on floor
Casual making or controlled
Binaries with work
Made work on table - stood up - looks different
Reflection on the Group Crit
The tutors pointed out how the black paint is bold and clearly brings out the three rectangular forms of the panels from the white wall behind. They noticed the grain of the wood which I was pleased about since I had questioned whether to aim for a contemporary flawless black background or allow the tree-derived material to show. A tutor commented on a visual language, which links both to my paintings having a Rorschach test quality and being an evocation of my own psyche. The fluid seemingly organic texture of the paint/glue was commented on, drawing attention to the irony of a nature-themed painting being made with unnatural materials. Sustainability of materials is certainly something I could explore further but at the moment I am exploring fluid appearing, solid materials which sit on the surface. If I were to use my work to represent eco-activism I would certainly have to use natural materials, however, despite my paintings being reminders of what is worth protecting during an eco crisis, they are not protest-driven. A tutor used the example of a photography student's work in the MA End of Year Exhibition, made from natural pigments depicting a tree, which I had been drawn to.
The unnatural colour of my paintings was mentioned in relation to its Natural inspiration of dead tree roots. I explained how the Fluorescent green represents the vivid experience of being in Nature, such as even remembering grass as brighter than it really is due to a heightened sensual and emotional experience. Besides being inspired by the green and black colour combination of Lynda Benglis's 'Phantom', the black and green contrast could be linked to my experiences of rock gigs in dark rooms where brightly coloured lights illuminate the stage. I liked how the colours of my painting had evoked natural associations for the tutors such as fire flies and the way animals see in different colours. I found painting using just two tones challenging at times as the roots had depth and I had to choose which parts to bring out using the fluorescent green and which to leave black. The black background emphasises the importance of the psyche in how the dead tree roots emerge out of it as if dreams or hallucinatory visions.
There was much discussion around the physical making process and notions of controlling and not controlling the paint. Jackson Pollock was an example of an artist most relatable to my practice in how he drips paint on a large scale. The notion of automatic painting was raised. Another artist mentioned who controlled the paint less was Judith Dean who purposely used her left hand to paint. Painting with less control allows for accidents. The tutors suggested I experimented with dripping paint, perhaps watercolour, or dripping paint down from a wall with wood panels on the floor. When discussing Neon Green Roots Triptych, I thought about the hesitation between thinking, looking at photographs and painting. A student found my work or working style ‘problematic’ in its ‘hesitation’ - he thought Neon Green Roots Triptych should be approached in a way where all the marks appear to be loose, or all appear to be controlled. I disagreed with this comment as I feel a variety of controlled and uncontrolled lines creates an interesting painting, where the eye jumps between different forms, and varying tensions are felt across the panel.
It was advised that I look at the works of George Shaw who paints everyday scenes involving trees but also the Surrealists such as Paul Nash who photographs strange objects in black and white; my work certainly contains an element of the strange, linking to Surrealism, and I am a fan of Leonora Carrington. ​​​
Charcoal sketches of trees from Kew Gardens
During the Summer I visited Kew Gardens and photographed the trees. Through large charcoal sketches on paper (made from recycled cups), I explored the strangeness and creepiness of the trees' forms. The largeness of the paper reflected the large scale of the subject. I enjoyed sketching standing up, the paper sellotaped to the wall with the A3 printouts beside it. One tree looked like it could tickle and the other had a branch which cut across its trunk horizontally - an unexpected way to grow.
59.5 x 84.5 cm
59.5 x 84.5 cm
I pulled out the main forms from the dark foliage. I feel the gaps add to the sense of mystery.
Using Wax
Material Research
Notes on conversation with technician Chelsie Coates 16 October 2024
Using wax
Can use bees wax
Or mix in 5% paraffin
Melt wax
Can use in methods and materials room
Encaustic session
Tuesday 10am - 1pm here
Al day tomorrow workshop closed
Friday partly closed
Melt wax and add pure pigment
Add white pigment
Cornelissen art shop
Encaustic painting
Jackson’s art blog
Heated as painting
Dipper bowl - melt wax / mix pigment
Can wear protective gloves
Dust mask
Eye protection
Resin for longevity - damar resin provided
Acrylic black gesso background
Black gesso one direction, sand, paint other direction, sand
Bees wax pigment
Try mixing pigment / bees wax
Can come next Tuesday
Monday 11:30am -1 pm
Damar resin
Can buy pre made encaustic blocks from Jackson’s
Palette knife
Pouring
Brush
Hair dryer and heat on palette
Dippers - silver pot
Metal container w spout
Old tin and plier to make spout
Metal mixing bowl w spout
Encaustic wax paint cakes
Double boil - tin in kitchen and put in flask
R and F brand
Look around for other suppliers
Amazon - encaustic set
Ground painting onto
Wax cake experiment
To do the wax cake experiment I was advised to wear heat protective gloves, an apron and protective glasses.
I boiled water in the kettle and then poured it into a saucepan on the hot plate. A silver pouring jug contained the wax cake in the boiling water.
Although there were cheaper ways of using wax such as melting beeswax or polyurethane wax and adding pigment, or molten Crayola crayons, I liked the convenience of using a cake which could be instantly melted. I chose to use a beeswax cake as it is more eco-friendly than polyurethane wax. The quality of the wax cake would offer more depth when it sits on the surface and I am interested in fluid-solid materials which behave this way. The materials within the wax cake also prepare it to sit on painted surfaces such as damar resin. Using wax cakes is more eco-friendly than the previous fluid-solid textures I have experimented with such as PVA glue mixed with Acrylic.
I found watching the wax cake melt satisfying and it only took a few minutes to fully melt. I found out that the wax cake can be repeatedly melted, left to solidify after encaustic painting, and then re-melted to use again. This quality also feels more eco-friendly than paint or PVA which when dry solidifies to plastic and has to be thrown in the bin (often wasting some of the material). An old tomato tin could be used to contain/ pour the wax, continuing a theme of sustainability.
I experimented on a mini piece of wood painted with black acrylic imitating the A1 wood panel (I later found out this is the wrong ground for the wax to stick to stick to long-term and that I need to use a gesso ground). I tried dripping with the pallette knives and spoons but preferred the handle of the spoon to allow for spontaneous forms, much like a dripping candle. Using wax is something I have wanted to try since my BA, where I experimented with candle wax on black paper, so it was exciting to learn how to use the material properly.
Things I learnt about using wax cakes 22.10.2024
Things I learnt about using wax cakes
Need a gesso ground with tooth
Used acrylic and then sanded to give it tooth - could sand then put black gesso or clear gesso so that the grain is still visible
Double boil- cooking pot with hot water in - metal jug w wax inside
Don’t put too much water in the pot - container w wax will fall
Can use old tomato tin to make pourer
Spoon handle worked best for dripping
Wax hard to take off - have to put in hot wax again then wipe w cloth
Smooth texture
Sits on surface
Reflection on using PVA/Acrylic compared to using Wax cakes
Using PVA/Acrylic was more instant than the wax cake as it did not require heat; however, the PVA is expected to yellow in time, whereas the wax should be more long-lasting. The PVA/Acrylic could be dripped using a paster and was a lot easier to control and make thinner lines with, whereas I found the wax very hard to control and difficult to make thin lines with. The wax cake is undoubtedly a more eco-friendly material than PVA/Acrylic. The PVA/Acrylic sat on the surface and was smooth and shiny, however it doesn't hold a lot of depth on the surface; Contrastingly, the wax caked the surface and was a lot more bumpy and matt in appearance.
White Roots painting
Inspiration for White Roots Painting
I was inspired to make a white wax painting of these beautiful yet creepy roots found at Hampstead Heath. The thicker roots to the front, right-hand side of the tree look like a wavy-fingered hand. I was reminded of the hand in The Addams Family which is centred around a spooky, gothic aesthetic. Recently, I was listening to The Killers and their album cover 'Sawdust' featured a severed hand in a forest, where the lower arm turns into a splintered tree trunk. There seems to be crossover between rock music imagery and hands, representing the human condition and desperation?. I decided to use a black background to continue the themes of gothic aesthetic, psyche, mortality and nihilism, which the colour represents in my work. In this photograph the tree blends into the soil and foliage but in white, evoking the creepiness of The Addams Family hand, it would contrast to stand out. A black background can create more or a dreamscape as the object is taken out of the mundane setting and into the realm of the imaginative.
Burack, E. (2022) The Addams Family Over the Years: See How The Characters Compare. Available at: https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/g42167889/addams-family-comparison-wednesday-netflix-original-movie-show/(Accessed: 25 November 2024).
Spotify (2007) The Killers: Sawdust. Available at: https://open.spotify.com/album/4NtamseeVOGesCm8W9oHSz (Accessed: 25 November 2024).
Preparing the ground for White Roots Painting - Technical difficulties
I originally intended for the grain of the wood panel to show as the material is tree-derived and I was thinking about the subtlety of the forest, soil and foliage in the background of the photo I took of the roots. I used black Acrylic and was advised to use a gesso background by a technician. I sanded the panel, for more tooth, in preparation for a transparent gesso, to keep the appearance of the wood grain.
Unfortunately, the transparent gesso from the school shop was faulty and turned my black panel white!. I sanded back the white gesso but realised it was too thick a coat to save the wood grain. I decided to commit to a contemporary opaque black background and painted two layers of black gesso. I sanded both layers of black gesso for a more even surface.
Notes on Gesso 24.10.2024
Clear gesso
Paint thin layer one direction
Touch dry
then sand then paint other direction
Brush same direction strokes
240 grit sandpaper
24 hours till encaustic added
Clear gesso/ gesso ground needed w large -scale work for longevity - more gravity pulling down when large scale work is upright so the wax needs tooth
White Roots Painting - Making Process
The lighting in these photographs is not consisted as I photoed the wax painting in the workshop, modular building and at home at different times but I thought it was worth showing the growth of the tree.
White Roots Painting
59 cm x 83.5 cm
Black Acrylic, Titanium White Encaustic on A1 wood panel
Although this painting is in progress, the creepy root on the right-hand side of the tree which looks like a white hand has been captured.