exploring the perspex

So, the perspex ideas,
the sketches

developed into an idea about Leonardo's vitruvian man,

I took zillions of photos,
arranged them as the man... then did more.. (poor Leo)

so,
then did small perspex studies... using clip frames perspex and stained glass window paint.

The perspex and paint is interesting, different light affect it, viewing from either side is different. I planed to scratch, distort, drip, use Leos words as the writing.
I bought a big sheet of 8 x 4 feet and had it cut in two.
I began making the painting.

 I stuck photographs to the back and traced them

 outline,

 painting

 too much painting, too hunky, too religious.

 breaking it down again, trying to get the involuntary movements.

Breaking it down more, scraping it off, hands too religious... (god and Adam) changed hands.
At the moment I hate it, so I am giving it a little gap. I have some further ideas going back to the simple out line, perhaps a see through wall, so you can see all the other paintings through it and exploring a sort of crime wall.

Latest new paintings for Byard Art in Cambridge

 Latest new paintings for Byard Art in Cambridge  

 http://www.byardart.co.uk/exhibitions/christmas-cracker-2016/

 

Ocher and Dappled Shadows 100cm x 100cm 

 Red and Patterned Carpet  75cm x 100cm

Turquoise and Terracotta Pots  100cm x 100cm 

and I am also showing

Mountain Lagoon Swim  90cm x 90 cm

latest paintings of Leo

Two new paintings of Leo finished.
The first painting, 'OK, look' was a response to the exhibition I had of the paintings I had made of Blue. (click here to see the post. The Blue Years exhibition)
When we look at life drawing we look at the figure depicted. We may look at emotion, brush strokes, the human being. Whether the person is able-bodied is not the issue. Here Leo is simply 'the model'.

' OK look'. oil on canvas 76cm x 100cm

In the second painting I explore how disabled people, if represented in anyway, rarely are show with status. We noticed professor Steven Hawkins always wears a suit and so we explored this idea.  

'The Jacket'. oil on canvas 76cm x 100cm

new direction for the under the skin project

I find its always good to have a bit of space away from the work to let if ferment... I went to a fabulous garden in Athis de l' orne in Normandy created by a couple of visual artists Dominique and Benoit Delomez ... click here to see the website  http://www.jardin-interieuracielouvert.com/index/le-jardin 
and some of the sculptures they had created inspired me to take the work I am doing in a new direction. First developing the paintings I have made of Leo already

I plan to make some  more paintings focusing on just Leos hands and feet, and maybe his torso.

 Then using perspex as a support (a material I have used before ) with stain glass window paint, etching and reflective paint to take the ideas further.

CLIMB

9th July The Studio: Ipswich

9th of July

A demonstration/interactive performance

on Saturday 9th July at 3.30pm.

Underneath the skin, an exploration into the identity of Leo Collins  

by Annabel Mednick

Leo is 23,he has cerebral palsy and he tends to move a lot which can be challenging for the artist.

The call and response between the artist and the sitter is an exciting, fluid experience and one that Leo and I would like to share with others.

In the performance/demonstration we talk together as I try to discover how to represent the external and internal self. How is a person with a disability perceived when immortalized in stillness? The audience are also engaged as I ask for their opinions and directions.

- Please let me know if you would like to come.

I'm exploring movement

It's interesting to try to capture the movement. Of course most paintings of a person show the moment between movement...  however I want to show that Leo often moves involuntarily... these drawings are the start of this exploration.

the dress 1 and 2 and detail

I think I shall leave these like this. they are 90 cm x 90 cm oil on canvas.
I have also started some small studies now to explore the layering with paint.
veiling, emerging, breaking through, merging, forming, evolving.
 In a project a few years ago I was trying out working on muslin with sanguine conte, there were three, figures of a girl, a ghostly figure  with a hint of Renaissance, I liked them but have to admit I thought the results looked a bit like arty gift shop curtains...

Leo 11, Feb 2016

This is the way forward,

Chrysalis... this week's exploration.

Underneath the skin, a study in the identity of Leo Collins, Thursdays sitting....

you may want to look at Leos point of view on his blog http://disabledtransman.tumblr.com/

under the skin ....next phase!

So New year, new phase.
Leo and I are exploring the theme further.....

 Underneath the skin- a study in the Identity of Leo Collins

Are we what we look like or what we feel like?

Does our outside reflect what we feel like?

I try to discover whether I am representing the external or internal self. 

We have already made a straight forward portrait in oil on canvas.

Leo sat for me for several weeks last year and I discovered that painting a person with cerebral palsy who moves a bit over a few hours, is not very different to painting anyone else who also moves a bit over a few hours...

OK here we have what Leo looks like.... but this gives no suggestion to what Leo is like inside or any of the changes he has made over the years...

OK, if I now tell you Leo is trans gender....

does the panting now look any different...

but if Leo has changed his outside, his inside has not altered....

except of course, he has moods, feelings, intellectual developments quite apart from his gender

Over the many sittings by talking I have discovered more of Leo’s depths, finding him to be an analytical, sensitive, insightful young man, capable of enormous self control and determination. He is very open-minded and willing to try anything.

so how do I get beyond the visual? 

I want to draw the whole body, strong expressive poses…anger, calm, yearning, reaching, and twisting. Close up of skin, eyes, joints, in some experimental drawings I made just before Christmas I played with gouache and charcoal, rubbing and removing paper... perhaps I can use this technique....

Perhaps cut some of the pieces up, layer them, collage them….

Perhaps on to make paintings, drips, almost obscuring, the internal fighting to break out of the external.
Revisiting things that I have tried over the years... I want to take some photos too to work from..
 some thoughts..

layering of fabric, the form emerging and pushing through 

 

Identity emerging through gender specific clothes eg pushing through the folds of a ball gown, using perspex to layer images on top of images...

I will experiment for a few weeks.... watch this space.

paintings at the Six Bells at Horringer, near Bury St Edmunds

I have some paintings hanging here so if you are visiting Ickworth house in January pop over the road to the Six bells and take a look.... The foods good too....


http://www.horringersixbells.co.uk/six-bells-blog/