Thursday 14th

Yesterday Jodi, Judith and I met to look at each other's studios and talk about our work. Here are some sketches I drew of the other artists work and some notes about our discussion.

My pencil Crayon response to Judith's Relief Madonna

Judith is a prolific artist who has had lost of experience in a wide variety of mediums

Themes: The Madonna, Botanical,Abstract, Texture/Mixed Media, Patterns found or created.

Influences: 17th Century Art, Klimt, Modigliani, Klee

Process: Modelling paste, Gel, Plaster, Handmade paper to start or during the painting process. For her paintings she uses acrylic. She works on her imagery playing with surface texture, often introducing crackle medium in some areas.  She shares a studio and often shows with two other artists from the island.

Direction: Thinking about collections of things and the theme of "The Whole is the Sum of the Parts"  Likes the idea of different artists responding to the same directions. She wants to do two works this summer one a series of responding to the same directions of art instruction in different ways, secondly she would like to do a series of 8 Madonnas.


Critique: Judith has explored texture in some very unique ways. I was really enjoying two main pieces  from her portfolio, Blowing Butterflies and Baubles. The textures and colours are rich and appealing to many senses. The patterning that she creates on the background and veils of the Madonna is lively and playful and very contemporary. This contrast of contemporary style and method on a historical and significant subject (madonna) is and interesting juxtaposition. If I could take anything from Judith to influence my own work it would be to play with more sculpture within painting rather than separate from it, and to incorporate more pattern into my work.






Jodi

My pencil Crayon Response to Jodi's Farm Animals

Jodi has come back to making art after a period of not focusing on it for a while. She was inspired to paint for an exhibition of paintings at a local farm. The farm and the people involved in the show seemed to have a huge influence on her work.


Themes: Domestic Farm Animals, Fractals, Flowers, Life Drawing, Nature, Raven, Inside/Outside in literal and cultural way.


Influences: Yoga, Brad Leir, Heritage Things


Process: Jodi likes to concentrate on capturing the spirit of the things that she is drawing. She like to see the colour  and details in nature in a way that others tend not to notice. She is starting to investigate the ideas of Raven and started to mess around with Alters to the Raven. Then recent events made her think about being part of something or being considered and outsider and breaking through boundaries.


Direction: Jodi saw a dead woodpecker and decided that she needed the wings for the raven alter. She  did some research on line and came up with a manual on backyard avian necropsy. She bravely dissected this bird and is currently drying out the wings for later use. She has also decided that rather than an alter she wants to investigate medicine cabinets and public vs private. The finished painting of a bird will be on the outside of the cabinet. Somehow the wings will be incorporated. The medicine cabinet idea will probably become of a series.

Critique: Jodi is really pushing her boundaries and use of materials. Her farm animal series was beautiful and the spirt of the animal comes through in her work. I think it is this capturing of spirt that is becoming her theme through a more sculptural methodology. I love the fact that the painting will remain a painting even if it can be altered. If I could take something away from Jodi's work for myself it would be the ideas if opening to reveal, layering and emotion of colour.